Projects

Natural Innovation .org works with innovators who have great ideas that have a potential to scale to have a significant impact on poverty or the environment. Most of the innovations we work with are focused on developing countries, and many of the innovators are based there.

We incubate these innovators to help them bring the idea to realisation. We link innovators with resources - including grants; volunteers (especially technical); finance and strategic partners.

Some of the innovators and innovations we are working on appear here, (some others are still in stealth)

In addition we work on projects that can change the landscape for support and funding for such innovators. For example addressing licensing issues, or developing component technologies that multiple innovators need.



UV Aquastar - affordable water treatment PDF Print E-mail

UV Aquastar has designed simple, affordable devices that treat water with ultra-violet light, killing pathogens and enabling people to take control of supplying their own safe drinking water. A mobile (bottle or stirrer) and a spigot integrated into water dispensers can be powered by battery, solar panel or grid.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 00:30
Read more...
 
Humanitarian License PDF Print E-mail

Natural Innovation has been looking at the tricky issue of licensing, when their are needs to be met, but very different business environments netween developing and western countries. We have been developing a standardised license to allow humanitarian licensing of technologies, from for-profits to non-profits and social ventures.

 

Attachments:
Download this file (Humanitarian License (Jul. 24, 2011 DRAFT).pdf)Humanitarian License 24 July 2011.pdf[A draft template of a license for technology use for humanitarian purposes]109 Kb
Download this file (Plain English Guide to the Humanitarian License 24jul11.pdf)Plain English Guide to the Humanitarian License 24jul11.pdf[A plain english guide to the Humanitarian License ]196 Kb
Last Updated on Monday, 12 September 2011 18:28
Read more...
 
Cleanstar vertically integrated bio-fuels PDF Print E-mail

Cleanstar Energy is developing a business model to grow the use of sustainable bio-fuels in India. They are combining oil-seed growth as a complement to existing farm activity, with waste oil processing into an economically viable vertically integrated business with benefits to rural farmers; urban waste management and energy sustainability.

Natural Innovation mentrored them through their business planning as part of Villgro's Pre Incubation Program as they prepared to raise finance. They are now raising money in the Indian market.

 

Last Updated on Monday, 12 September 2011 15:22
 
Sunvention - solar greenhouses, stirling engines & optics PDF Print E-mail

Sunvention,

  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
  • Natural Innovation.org
is a Research & Development laboratory that has developed a range of technologies and expertise in overlapping fields of greenhouse solar capture; stirling engines; and optics for photovoltaics & daylighting etc. We are particularly excited by the potential of the SunPulse Water, a solar pump that is 3x as efficient as Photovoltaic pumps.

Natural Innovation helped Sunvention to document their technologies and focus their business and raised an emergency loan for them. This helped them raise substantial finance from a Swiss foundation. In addition, we mediated a relationship between Sunvention and Urban Ecological Systems, another of our incubatees. The first commercial installation of their Envelope Power Greenhouse will be installed at UES's new Sydney facility.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 September 2011 14:32
Read more...
 
Lumeter Networks - pre paid electricity platform PDF Print E-mail

Lumeter logoSeveral renewable energy companies approached Natural Innovation over the last few years looking for a solution to the challenges of pre-payment in rural energy, especially in mini-grids. The idea germinated for a while within Natural Innovation but has now been spun off as a seperate social venture so that it could raise the capital needed to succeed. Lumeter Networks has now developed a range of meters for both stand-alone and mini-grid systems; across energy technologies such as solar and wind; and is deploying through renewable energy partners across the developing world.

Mitra Ardron is CEO of Lumeter, so Natural Innovation is on indefinate hold until someone else takes it on.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 August 2013 08:00
 
Wherever The Need PDF Print E-mail

Wherever the Need toiletOver 2.5 billion people lack access to sanitation, more than twice the number lacking power or water. Wherever The Need is looking for commercially viable models for slum sanitation. Natural Innovation is exploring ways to help reduce the cost and increase the safety in their materials safety.

 

Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 September 2011 12:35
Read more...
 
Urban Ecological Systems - integrated aquaculture & horticulture PDF Print E-mail

nutrient flow in UES system

Urban Ecological Systems (Australia) have developed scalable, commercially viable integrated aquaculture/horticulture systems, which need scaling and adapting down to rural village scale.

Mitra helped UES to develop its business plan and raise finance including introducing them to their major investor. We also introduced them to Sunvention who are supplying an energy system for UES's 4,000 m2 farm under construction in Sydney.

Last Updated on Monday, 12 September 2011 17:26
Read more...
 


 

Support Natural Innovation

SUPPORT
Definition: Vocation = where your deepest gladness meets the world's deepest need. -- anon

Newsletter Subscription

RSS feed entire site

Natural Innovation Foundation