Out of the many other support programs in the ecosystem, why did you apply to the SEIF Tech for Impact Awards specifically?
We have decided to apply for the SEIF Awards because of the strong focus on impact entrepreneurship and innovative technology. Besides the opportunity of winning the Award and CHF 10’000, we were particularly keen to increase our international visibility by tapping into the large network of SEIF and its corporate partners.
Would you recommend other impact tech startups to apply for the SEIF Tech for Impact Awards? And why?
We would 100% recommend other impact tech startups to apply for the SEIF Awards since it’s a unique opportunity to gain reputation and pitch in front of relevant stakeholders such as business leaders and impact investors. Besides the great networking opportunities with corporate partners, we very much enjoyed connecting with other impact-driven startups, which share our passion for sustainability and creating positive impact in the world.
Is there any advice you received from the jury and/or corporate partner that you found has helped you in reaching new milestones? Can you tell us more about it?
One of the key learnings we took away from the SEIF Awards and the talk with the jury was that, especially for impact-driven startups with innovative solutions which are not yet widely established in the market, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to how we plan our growth and go-to-market strategy. The best startups create their own markets.
Could you tell us a bit more about your first pilot in Colombia last September, and what lessons can be applied to the further development of rrreefs?
Building our first pilot reef in Colombia last year was a phenomenal experience for us. For the first time, we could see and evaluate how a 10m3 large reef structure fits into a local ecosystem and supports the creation of a new underwater habitat for corals, fish and other marine organisms. In the run-up to the installation, we learnt a lot about logistics and production which will certainly help us to scale our business in the future. In addition, based on our rigorous scientific analyses of the data we gather from our reef, we are able to further optimise our product to make sure we create the best possible solution to allow a thriving coral reef to develop.