Green Dot Bioplastics Named Top Startup to Solve Global Sustainability Challenges
June 5, 2020
Green Dot Bioplastics, Inc., a leader in the development of bioplastic materials for innovative, sustainable end-use, is a 2020 Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) Finalist. XTC is the world’s largest startup competition focused on global challenges. Leading investors evaluated more than 2400 startups in 87 countries, selecting Green Dot as one of 9 finalists in the Cleantech and Energy category.
Inspired by the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), XTC supports and showcases innovators harnessing the power of technology to address the greatest challenges facing humanity and our planet. XTC recognizes deserving founders across AgTech, Food and Water; Cleantech and Energy; Education; Enabling Technologies; Fintech; Healthcare; and Transportation and Smart Cities.
Green Dot combines extensive experience in the plastics industry with world-class research and development capabilities to offer a portfolio of biobased feedstocks that give product designers and entrepreneurs the flexibility to choose more sustainable plastic materials without sacrificing quality.
“XTC is about the collective effort – industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts joining forces to make real progress in solving the world’s toughest challenges,” said Young Sohn, Co-Founder of XTC, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Samsung Electronics and Chairman of the Board, HARMAN. “That work can’t happen without brilliant innovators from around the world. Congratulations to our finalists, selected from a large pool of stellar teams who applied this year. We all look forward to the next phase of the competition. Together, we can turn ideas into reality, and unlock breakthrough innovations in service of society.”
Competition judges narrowed a field of 2,419 applicants from 87 countries and a range of funding stages from seed to Series C down to just 52 finalists across all categories. Regardless of backgrounds and locations, all contenders have one thing in common – their innovations have the potential to make the world a better place, which inspired this year’s Global Finals Theme: Pitch for Hope.
“It is crucial for the future of our planet that we make the switch to plant-based, biodegradable plastics and working together, we can speed up the process,” Mark Remmert, Green Dot CEO said. “The Extreme Tech Challenge is an opportunity to showcase our sustainable, plant based plastics on a global stage while learning from other finalists and the exceptional businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and world leaders partnering with XTC to pioneer technological breakthroughs and help power a sustainable future.”
The virtual XTC Bootcamp takes place June 11 – 18, 2020. There, finalists will receive coaching and insight from industry leaders as they prepare to pitch to a group of judges for each category. From that pitch, seven category winners will be announced and invited to pitch at the 2020 Global Finals in front of a panel of world-class judges.
XTC Global Finals will take place on July 15, 2020. Registration is available at extremetechchallenge.org/registration
About Green Dot Bioplastics, Inc.
Green Dot Bioplastics, Inc is a bioscience social enterprise headquartered in Emporia, Kansas. A full-service bioplastics company, Green Dot is dedicated to delivering the very best of sustainable materials to our customers. That’s the thinking behind our Terratek® line of bioplastics, developed to meet the growing demand for biobased and compostable materials with fewer of the drawbacks associated with traditional plastics.
About Extreme Tech Challenge
Extreme Tech Challenge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation whose mission is to elevate the next-generation of entrepreneurs creating new technologies and innovations to benefit humankind. The Extreme Tech Challenge™ competition brings together startups, businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and world leaders to bring solutions that address the challenges facing humanity and our planet. Extreme Tech Challenge partners include Arm, ACTAI Global, BGV, Cadence Design Systems, Cisco, Deutsch Telekom T-Labs, DLA Piper, Evercore, Ford, Fujitsu, HARMAN, Intel, IT-Farm, Kejora Ventures, Maekyung Media, Microsoft, Morgan Lewis, NXP, Orrick, Our Crowd, Platform Calgary, Samsung Electronics, SG Innovate, SLUSH, SVG Ventures, Tech Mahindra, TechCrunch, Tech in Asia, University of California, Your Story and Zoom. A list of complete XTC partners and how to join can be found at extremetechchallenge.org
