Climathon in Bogotá

CIFAR Alliance and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

A Climate Adaptation Innovation Challenge in Bogotá

28

Participants

17

Mentors

4

Judges

8

Other players

57

Total guests

Our Objective

Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia, nestled within the Andean region of South America. It holds significance not only for its cultural vibrancy but also for its relevance in the climate context. Situated at a high altitude, the city faces distinctive climate challenges. Its commitment to sustainability and environmental preservation is notable, as it strives to address issues such as air quality and urban development. Bogotá's initiatives to promote eco-friendly transportation and green spaces showcase its efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change while fostering a more sustainable urban environment.

Our Methodology

For our event, we opted for a workshop-style format in which participants were paired with a panel of mentors, experts in various realms of innovation encompassing both climate and finance. The purpose of these mentorship sessions was to provide guidance and support throughout the process. By the culmination of the event, each participant was tasked with delivering a 5-minute pitch that comprehensively addresses all facets of a business model.

The Results

After 48 hours of intensive work, we have distilled 9 innovative business ideas, each crafted in direct response to climate-related challenges such as reforestation, responsible energy usage, and streamlining agricultural processes, among others.

Out of these, we have recognized the top 3 in each category: Emerging Ideas and Startups.

1st Place New Idea

Agro Security

AgroSecurity aims to simplify and reduce the costs of issuing agricultural insurance policies. It offers agroclimatic monitoring services for adjusting and verifying claims, ensuring accurate damage assessment. Additionally, it implements traceability through blockchain-based insurance contracts and automates the insurance payment process. These efficient solutions optimize agricultural insurance management and promote transparency in the sector.

1st Place Startup

Ciclo Vivo

Ciclo Vivo is an organization dedicated to the proper management of organic waste generated in homes, businesses, and institutions in the city of Bogotá. Their goal is to return waste to the cycle of life by transforming it into compost used to reproduce native trees, thus contributing to reforestation and reducing the carbon footprint. This process is carried out with an educational approach that involves waste generators in order to recover a greater amount of waste and generate cultural changes in society.

Mentors and Judges

Throughout our Climathon, we had the collaboration of 18 mentors. They played a pivotal role in accompanying the participants throughout the entire event, providing their assistance to guide their projects and construct the final pitch. Subsequently, these participants presented their solutions to a distinguished panel of 8 judges, responsible for evaluating and selecting the winners:

Jenny Prieto - Participant

“Well, I want to thank my team because I came with an established idea, and they believed in it and supported me. What I did was speak from my experience of how things are currently working, laying down a foundation to build upon.”

Juanita Ayala - Participant

"Inter-generational collaboration is key to developing mitigation and adaptation solutions for climate change, combining years of experience with innovative solutions and the use of technology for a more sustainable future."