16 startups from across the globe with a mission to create positive change have been announced as finalists of The Venture. The forward-thinking businesses, including Vendedy from the U.S., are competing to win a share of $1M in funding from Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky.
After receiving over 1,000 entries across five continents, Vendedy, a social enterprise start-up that is digitizing the street vending industry via mobile technology, has been selected as part of a diverse shortlist of 16 aspiring startups tackling a range of social and environmental issues. The finalists have been chosen to represent their local countries in The Venture global final based not only on their potential to be profitable as a business, but also their ability to offer scalable and sustainable impact solutions. (Note: list of full finalists below.)
Each finalist has a truly unique story to tell about the inspiration for their startup. Christine Souffrant, the founder of Vendedy, witnessed the devastating impact of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. As she walked Haiti’s streets, full of vendors on top of rubble and trash street vending for survival, she pursued a 5 year agenda to digitize the industry and make it a global conduit of prosperity. David Gluckam, another of the 16 finalists and the founder of Lumkani, witnessed the devastating impact of shack fires in informal settlements in South Africa and decided to create an affordable fire detection device to mitigate the loss of life and property.
From May 11th to June 14th, Vendedy will go head to head with the rest of the finalists in a public vote and compete for an initial share of $250,000 (from the $1 million fund). People from across the world can view the finalist profiles and vote for their favorite at www.TheVenture.com.
Chivas Regal’s search will then culminate in San Francisco on July 24th when finalists pitch for the remaining share of the $1 million fund at The Venture Final Pitch event. Sonal Shah, former Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation in the White House under US President Barack Obama, is the latest judge to be announced alongside Adrian Grenier (actor, producer and social entrepreneur), Morgan Clendaniel (Editor of Fast Company’s Co.Exist) and Alex Ricard (Pernod Ricard Chairman and CEO).
“As someone who is hugely invested in social enterprises myself, it’s really eye opening to see what other entrepreneurs around the globe are up to and the issues they’re attempting to tackle,” said Adrian Grenier. “We have uncovered 16 amazing finalists whose vision, passion and commitment to the greater good should be an inspiration to us all. I encourage everyone to find out more about them and their stories and get voting…they need your votes,” added Grenier.
“Due to this being a global competition across five continents we’ve discovered an incredible collection of social entrepreneurs that are aiming to tackle a broad array of issues. As a brand we’re very proud to be putting a spotlight on these talented and driven business people and we can’t wait to see how the public respond with their votes,” said Richard Black, Global Brand Director, Chivas Regal.
In the week leading up to The Venture Final Pitch, the finalists will attend an Accelerator Week in Silicon Valley, the epicenter of the start-up world, where they will receive mentorship from influential figures in social enterprise and companies such as venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Google, Duarte and IDEO.
To find out more and to vote for your finalist visit www.TheVenture.com.
The Finalists
| Country | Company | Founder(s) | Overview |
| Brazil | MGov | Guilherme Finkelfarb Lichand | MGov is a consulting firm that specializes in public policy management and social impact. We use mobile technology to better understand the demand for and evaluation of public services by speaking to those that they affect most, the people who use them. |
| Bulgaria | Arthesis | Demir
Tonchev |
At Arthesis we create beautiful prosthetic covers for leg amputees who want to express themselves boldly and creatively. Wearing our covers makes amputees feel confident the same way as wearing stylish clothes. An Arthesis cover weighs about 250 grams which makes it very convenient to wear. |
| Chile | Algramo | Jose Manuel Moller | Affordable food is hard to come by in the outskirts of Santiago, Chile. There are few supermarkets and the produce at small stores can often be up to 40% more expensive than in larger outlets. To address this issue, we at Algramo, buy essential products such as rice, beans, lentils and sugar in bulk from suppliers and distribute them directly to small convenience stores, through our unique mechanical dispensers. |
| China | Coolpeds | Tony Chan | At Coolpeds our mission is to offer an innovative, compact and eco-friendly way to travel. One that not only helps people get around efficiently, but also improves local communities by reducing pollution and congestion. So we’ve designed and manufactured the lightest electric transporters in the world. Our scooters are not only light, they’re also foldable, produce zero emission and will even charge your phone. |
| Colombia | Diseclar | Juan Nicolas Suarez Bonilla | Where others see rubbish, garbage and waste, we at Diseclar see furniture. Thanks to our inventive manufacturing process we’re able to turn waste materials into stylish furniture that can be used in and outdoors. |
| Dom. Republic | Conuco Solar | Raul Aguayo | Many people don’t have the space at their home or place of business to have their own solar panels installed. Conuco Solar will ensure that anyone can still have access to clean, renewable energy by essentially renting space at our solar farm, rather than having to set up their panels at home or their place of business where space may be limited. |
| Gulf | Dumyé | Sahar Wahbeh | Dumyé handcraft personalized cloth dolls and for every doll we sell, we give one to an orphan to make their own through an art workshop. In this way, we believe we can bring love and light into the lives of both our children and the children who have not been spoken for. |
| Hong Kong | Diamond Cab | Doris Leung | Diamond Cab is the first ever barrier-free taxi service in Hong Kong. Our vision is to provide a safe, accessible service that makes it easy for a previously marginalized and vulnerable group of people to interact with the world, while also being a driving force to promote genuine social progress in our society. |
| Japan | SenSprout | Yoshihiro Kawahara | SenSprout’s mission is to make farming more efficient, to produce more crops using less water. We help farmers better understand their crops and fields with our low-cost sensor technology. Our wireless field-monitoring system is enabled by a unique “printed electronics” senor, making it possible to monitor soil conditions and environmental information in real time. |
| Mexico | ¡Échale! a Tu Casa | Francesco Piazzesi | Lack of affordable housing is a social problem, so we’ve come up with a model that makes the community part of the solution. We aim to provide at-risk families across Mexico with ecological, affordable housing by helping them build their own. |
| South Africa | Lumkani | David Gluckman | At Lumkani we use technology to decrease the risk of devastating fires in informal settlements. Our innovative fire detector was designed to mitigate the loss of life and property caused by the spread of shack fires. |
| Thailand | Socialgiver | Aliza Napartivaumnuay | Socialgiver is a lifestyle website with a social twist. We offer handpicked services and experiences such as hotel deals, gift-cards for restaurants, and tickets for events from leading brands at exclusive rates. For every purchase, 70% goes directly to support social projects of the buyer’s choice and 30% helps grow the Socialgiver community. |
| UK | Two Fingers Brewing Co. | Will Waldron | Two Fingers Brewing Co. is a beer brand that gives back to those that drink it, by giving all our profits to Prostate Cancer UK. Using the finest handpicked ingredients, we create beer that’s not just better tasting, but better for men everywhere. |
| Ukraine | Line 24 | Ilona Kotova | There are over thirteen million elderly citizens in Ukraine and more than eight million people with disabilities. Some have no immediate family or their relatives live far away. Line 24 provides a 24 hour, medical alarm service for these vulnerable, at-risk groups. |
| Uruguay | Chipsafer | Victoria Alonsoperez | Chipsafer is a platform that will transform the way farmers care for their livestock. It not only tracks and detects anomalies in cattle behavior, but does so remotely, autonomously and in real time. Chipsafer then sends all this information directly to the farmer, who can access it on a laptop or phone. |
| US | Vendedy | Christine Souffrant | Vendedy is a social enterprise start-up that is digitizing the street vending industry via mobile technology. For the first time, street vendors can upload photos of their products online via mobile so that a traveling consumer can search, purchase, and pay for an item via SMS. |
About Pernod Ricard USA®
Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA, which employs a workforce of nearly 19,000 people worldwide and is listed on the NYSE Euronext exchange (Ticker: RI).
The company’s leading spirits and wines include such prestigious brands as Absolut® Vodka, Chivas Regal® Scotch Whisky, The Glenlivet® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Malibu®, Kahlúa® Liqueur, Beefeater® Gin, Plymouth™ Gin, Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin®, Martell® Cognac, Hiram Walker® Liqueurs, Pernod®, Ricard® and Avión™ Tequila; such superior wines as Jacob’s Creek®, Kenwood® Vineyards and Brancott Estate®; and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines as Perrier-Jouët® Champagne, G.H. Mumm™ Champagne and Mumm Napa® sparkling wines.
Pernod Ricard USA is based in New York, New York, and has roughly 850 employees across the country. Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active campaign to promote responsible drinking. For more information on this, please visit: www.acceptresponsibility.org
About Chivas Regal
Chivas Regal is a truly global brand, selling 4.6 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Americas. The Chivas Regal range is the epitome of style, substance and exclusivity, and includes Chivas Regal 12, 18 and 25 Year Old.
About The Venture
The Venture is Chivas’ global search to find and support the most promising aspiring social entrepreneurs who want to succeed whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others – entrepreneurs who win the right way. With over $1 million in funding and resources, The Venture will enable social entrepreneurs from around the world to realize their potential and gain exposure for their businesses.
