At Hackquarters, impact and sustainability are among the top priorities. As the world faces crises in climate, we need to take an action. We have been running the Sustainable Growth Programme since 2020 in partnership with HSBC and WWF. This year program have started with the Kick Off Event on 19 April 2022. 

The event started with Hackquarters Founder Kaan Akın’s introduction speech where he shared our excitement about ClimateTech and the details of the program. “I am so happy that we see notable progress in ClimateTech. ClimateTech has seen 47 unicorns since 2015, with 28 joining in 2021 alone. Collectively they have raised $50B at $130B valuation.”

Following Kaan’s introduction, HSBC Turkey CEO Selim Kervancı and WWF-Turkey CEO Aslı Pasinli shared their vision and strategy on the future of climate action. 

Selim Kervancı highlighted that HSBC is utilizing the power and resources to boost the positive change in the society, to increase the social impact they create for more sustainable and feasible world. As of 2030, HSBC is planning to achieve net-zero emission. HSBC will provide its customers $1T financing to help them achieve net-zero emission.

Aslı Pasinli suggested that change will come from action and entrepreneurs are the ones that take action. People have schemas in their minds for the role and functions of NGOs and companies. However, we need to make NGOs gain company muscles so that the projects (to create an impact) can become more applicable and scalable. On the other hand, companies should gain NGO’s muscles; they need to focus more on impact.

Sustainable Growth Programme targets the startups focusing on the climate action such as affordable and clean energy, sustainable consumption and production patterns, conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas & marine resources. So far, the program has got 350 applications where 50 startups have been shortlisted for the pipeline, with 31 of them accepted for the program. At SGP we are aiming to commercialize the startups and empower their business muscles to make them more feasible so that they can sustain and spread their impacts while growing. This year, Sustainable Growth Programme has received 128 applications with 20 startups selected. The startups will receive a large set of training ranging from sales to investor relations, improve business models, and have a chance to go global to spread their impact. 

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Here are the startups selected for 2022 Sustainable Growth Programme:

Kybele’s Garden: Kybele's Garden develops systems where agricultural products and microalgae will be grown simultaneously with high water and harvest efficiency. 

Okil Natural Building Materials: Okil aims to make natural building materials accessible, compatible with international standards, and useful. In this way, Okil aim to expand its use both in rural and urban areas and to experience its superior performance by wider masses.

Re-win: re-win delivers vintage and second-hand textile products from consumer to consumer through alternative channels through brands.

Nanomik Biotechnology: Nanomik develops biological pesticides that replace synthetic preservatives used in the food and agriculture industry.

Beeplant: Beeplant produces sustainable beekeeping technologies of the future that protect human and bee health.

Mapla Biotechnology: Mapla Biotechnology produces high value-added materials with zero waste from food waste.

Plankton: Plankton develops an underwater waste collection device that collects surface wastes freely circulating in water resources with its own method and design.

Airqoon: Airqoon is a cost-effective and easy-to-use hyperlocal air pollution management solution that provides data-driven and solution-oriented environmental intelligence to institutions, cities, and organizations.

Algdeha: Algdeha develops sustainable feed and food alternatives with the products we produce from microorganisms with rich content.

Iwrobotx: Doris; By using Image Processing, Artificial Intelligence, and Autonomous technologies, it recognizes and collects the wastes on the sea surface, transfers the collected waste data to the internet, and prepares it as a report.

Bio-Probif: Destruction of microplastics by the probiotic bifidobacteria without carbon emissions.

Sumatrix Biotech: Sumatrix Biotech uses biotechnology to transform industrial wastes into bioactive and sustainable cellulose-based products.

Salty: Salty aims to produce long-lasting, environmentally friendly, safe, more economical, domestic and national batteries compared to its competitors.

Momentum R&D: Momentum ARGE is developing a new generation small scale horizontal axis wind turbine with flow accelerator as an alternative to diesel generators to provide sustainable energy in off-grid sites.

Theta Clean Energy Technologies: Theta Clean Energy Technologies develops smart and environmentally friendly technologies at the points where solar energy meets industrial processes.

Biolive: Biolive is a biotechnology company that produces biopolymers from olive seeds and various non-use plant wastes.

Easybin: EasyBin is a smart waste management system that optimizes and digitizes the collection and sorting processes of waste in recycling.

Cha Paper: Cha Paper is based on a production process based on the circular economy system; It is a type of 100% recyclable paper produced from black tea waste.

Kanguru Pack: An innovative, reusable, and environmentally friendly cargo circulation system!

Köstebek: Köstebek is an impact initiative and mobile application that enables individuals and institutions to reduce carbon emissions through electronic waste recycling while contributing to social benefits.

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