PARIS — May 4, 2022 — In a few years, JEC Composites Startup Booster has became a reference for entrepreuneurship in the composites industry worldwide. Each year before JEC World, among the startups that submitted their application, 20 of them are selected. 20 finalists from all over the world who will join the leading composites trade show to pitch their project on stage before a panel of expert judges.
This competition is a unique opportunity to network and shine a light of what will be the future of the composites industry. Two exciting pitches sessions took place on May 3 at JEC World, and on this day, May 4, the four start-ups were finally awarded:
- FibreCoat, Germany;
- Continuum, Denmark;
- Blackleaf, France; and
- Sustainability Prize Winner: Dongnam Realize, South Korea.
Source of inspiration and networking in the composites industry
Launched in 2017, Startup Booster celebrates its fifth Anniversary in 2022. The competition has been organized in three different regions — Europe, USA and Asia — and has already fostered the emergence of 500+ innovative projects from 50+ countries, 80 finalists and 30 winners, including Arevo, Continuous Composites, ComPair, Fortify and Vartega, among other winners.
This challenge not only represents an opportunity to the winners of the trophy — who will benefit from an unrivaled visibility and contacts with key decision-makers — but to all the parts involved: particpants, jury, official partners and the worldwide audience of JEC World. It brings the entire composites value chain together, creating future business opportunities.
The jury who deliberated on May 3 included representatives from major manufacturers and investors:
- Jelle BLOEMHOF, head of Manufacturing Technologies of Composite, Airbus;
- Karl-Heinz FUELLER, head of Future Outside & Materials, Daimler;
- Florent ILLAT, head of Safran Corporate Ventures, Safran;
- Johannes GOETZELMANN, Magna Exteriors; and
- Tim VORAGE, founder and manager, Growth Garage Accelerator, Mitsubishi Chemicals Advanced Materials.
Discover all the winners:
Category “Products & Materials”
Blackleaf – Graphene for climate
Many have tried to make graphene possible, but cost, quality and quantities never allowed this material to become a real business case. Blackleaf closes the business case thanks to a 2-pillars technology:
- A green and water-based production process. Blackleaf produces up to 50 kilgrams of high-quality graphene daily.
- A set of patents to apply graphene as a coating on any substrates with a conventional spraying technique
FibreCoat – Making High Performance Materials Affordable
FibreCoat develops and markets high-performance fiber materials. The aluminum basalt fiber “AluCoat” is the first market-ready product. Unlike currently used conductive polymer yarns, AluCoat is thermally and electrically conductive as well as temperature resistant up to 600°C. Compared to pure aluminum fibers, AluCoat can be produced at one-tenth the cost. As a result, the material has the potential to become the much-needed, affordable shielding material for the electromagnetic shielding of electric cars and 5G devices of the future.
Category “Process, Manufacturing & Equipment”
Continuum – Building the World’s First 36.000-ton Wind Blade / Composites Recycling Factory
Continuum have developed the most advanced mechanical composites transformation technology in the world that allows us to sustainably turn End-of-Life composite materials and manufacturing waste into valuable, high performance and fully circular products for the built environment. We are currently designing our first 36.000-ton factory together with the Port of Esbjerg, Denmark, to open in 2023. A second UK factory is planned.
Sustainability Prize
Dongam Realize – We Realize What We Dream: CXP Bioplastic for a Green Future
Dongnam Realize produces CXP wood, made with disposals from agriculture and forestry. It can be produced in general plastic production plants and replace normal plastic, is biodegradable and carbonized easier than regular plastics. We’re selling our products through zero-waste shops with our brand, Carbon Storage.
Posted: May 4, 2022
Source: JEC Group
