Searching For Better - Presented by Equinor

In the spirit of Equinor’s Searching for Better model, this award is presented to the team that has exemplified strong innovation, community spirit, and acts of service through their innovation and business model.  Just as Equinor sets the standard for a business that aims to change society and the world for the better. The world needs companies to build a better tomorrow for the global community. The Searching for Better award-winning team stands as an example of a company that has the promise to meet that standard.      

Team Gevish: Pure Dae
from Türkiye, Spain, & California, USA

Livestock contributes to over 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, simultaneously affecting air quality and sanitation inside barns. This, in return, increases the animals’ mortality rate, affects workers’ health, and has recently imposed a financial burden on those in this industry due to taxes.
Since regulations in carbon and methane taxes are becoming increasingly common, the need for innovative solutions to reduce the livestock industry’s GHG emissions is growing exponentially. This is why PureDae emerges as a game-changing solution to achieve sustainability in an affordable and multi-dimensional way.
PureDae’s technology reduces GHG emissions in two steps: filters trap carbon dioxide, ammonia, and VOCs, instantly enhancing air quality inside barns. Second, the air mixture passes through a selective membrane, leaving pure methane to be channeled and stored in a tank. We aim our product toward owners of fully closed or semi-opened barns in areas enforcing strict emission regulations.

PETE CONRAD SCHOLAR:

Sensair from Singapore

SensAir is a cutting-edge aerospace sensor that detects clear-air turbulence (CAT), a major hazard for aviation. Unlike traditional radar, which fails to detect CAT due to the absence of particulates, SensAir employs pulsed lasers, photodetectors, and statistical mechanics to map turbulence in real time. It provides pilots with actionable data for timely warnings, optimized path adjustments, and fuel-efficient operations. SensAir also fills a critical gap as the first dedicated backup system for turbulence detection. While most aviation systems have contingency measures, pilots currently depend on briefings and weather maps updated every six hours. With 75-80% of crashes linked to human error, SensAir’s real-time capabilities significantly enhance safety, offering immense business potential and operational benefits for airlines. Our target customers include aircraft manufacturers (e.g., Boeing, Airbus), avionic system companies, and UAV developers. SensAir supports new aircraft, retrofits older models, and offers a subscription-based global turbulence database.

POWER PITCH:

Weathering Height| AirAnchor from the Republic of Korea

Unmatched stability. Unprecedented reusability. Unmatched potential. The AirAnchor is a groundbreaking innovation devised to revolutionize approaches to conventional meteorological measurements. With its lightweight Kevlar flaps and expanding compliant frame, the AirAnchor is able to reduce aircraft drift by more than 50%—greatly increasing the regional precision of meteorological data collection. Furthermore, with its masterful coordination of stepper motors, the AirAnchor also possesses the unprecedented ability to return home, ready for redeployment. The reusability of the AirAnchor, with our revolutionary lease-based system, dramatically cuts costs to lower the price of launching meteorological devices such as radiosondes from being well over two hundred dollars to just about the price of a cup of coffee. With climate change becoming an increasingly dire concern, the AirAnchor’s combination of precision and sustainability makes it an irresistible choice.

PETE CONRAD SCHOLAR:

Wifind FROM Virginia, USA

In 2023 alone, natural disasters resulted in over 86,000 deaths as well as millions of injuries, with building collapses accounting for a significant portion. Search and rescue (SAR) teams know that every minute counts and can be the difference between life and death. However, the technologies they rely on to locate people all have one fatal flaw: they require a direct line of sight.
WiFind is here to change that. By detecting disturbances in WiFi signals emitted from the device, WiFind can detect human micromovements through rubble and obstructions. In just a few minutes, SAR teams can set up a WiFind system and scan the area for survivors, pinpointing their exact location through our proprietary Signal & Disturbance Localization System (SDLS). Once individuals are detected, rescuers can access a real-time 3D map with their locations. With WiFind, we hope to speed up SAR missions exponentially, saving countless lives each year.

POWER PITCH:

Soberride FROM North Carolina, USA

Imagine the empty chair, the silent room, and the ache of a family forever torn apart—all because of a singular, devastating mistake. This mistake is drunk driving, and it claimed the life of our neighbor. It’s a choice that steals 13,000+ lives each year in the US, shattering families and leaving people in a state of grief that no one should ever have to endure. This deeply personal loss opened our eyes to a global crisis, one that extends far beyond just our own community. To combat this, we created SoberRide, a quantum-optimized and multimodal intoxication detection device sold to vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) to eradicate drunk driving. With state-of-the-art facial analysis and an AI-enhanced sensor, SoberRide accurately identifies drunk drivers and prevents vehicle operation. A trillion-dollar infrastructure bill was recently passed requiring new vehicles to come with anti-drunk driving systems, so time is on our side.

PETE CONRAD SCHOLAR:

SPIRo: AI-Based Pipeline Leak Inspection Soft Robo from California, USA

Most gas distribution pipeline leaks in the U.S. are fugitive, releasing 7 million tons of methane into the atmosphere annually [1]. Our innovative product, SPIRo (Soft Pipeline Inspection Robot), is a cutting-edge AI-based soft robotic system designed for real-time methane leak detection in upstream pipeline distribution systems. Combining bio-inspired soft robotics with advanced machine learning, SPIRo offers unparalleled flexibility, adaptability, and high accuracy (95% in the field). It addresses the challenges of existing methods, including costly hardware, low efficiency, and inaccessibility in complex environments such as underground or hazardous conditions.

POWER PITCH:

FireAIDSS - AI-Driven Drone Swarm System FROM China

As global warming continues to exacerbate, wildfires have taken a grave toll on civilians around the world, causing 900 billion dollars per year due to property loss, life loss and large-scale chronic disease. Our company Swarmthinkers developed FireAIDSS, an intelligent drone swarm powered by cutting-edge AI technology. It is the first ever one-stop solution that enables firefighters to see invisible threats of wildfires, such as ember attacks, in real time. The system not only provides superior accuracy and efficiency compared to current competitors at a lower cost, but also a disruptive technology for 3D wildfire spread prediction, transforming invisible threats into actionable intelligence. FireAIDSS is set to revolutionize the forest fire prevention DICT market, which is predicted to expand rapidly as more organizations in public and private sectors join us to explore new ways to prepare for, monitor, and respond to environmental disasters for decades to come.

PETE CONRAD SCHOLAR:

Neuropod FROM California, USA

Imagine if monitoring your brain’s activity was as easy as checking your phone. That’s what we’re bringing to life with Neuropod: a revolutionary, non-invasive mastoid EEG device that fits discreetly behind the ear, offering real-time insights into brain activity. Unlike current EEG systems which are bulky and expensive, Neuropod is designed to be affordable, easy to use, and part of your everyday routine. Though applications range from stress, sleep, or mental wellness tracking, we believe that Neuropod can make a big difference in the lives of those with epilepsy. Neuropod democratizes brain health monitoring, breaking down affordability barriers. Our target groups are patients with neurodegenerative diseases, persons interested in mental health and neurological wellness, and health and wellness technology companies. Neuropod’s business potential is immense, tapping into the rapid growth in the health-tech market. Neuropod makes brain health attainable, paving the way for a healthier, more empowered society.

POWER PITCH:

Kinection from China

What if recovery wasn’t about setbacks, but comebacks? At Kinection, we’re transforming odds of rehabilitation into opportunities. Our innovation, Kinector, integrates a wearable brace with advanced EMG sensors, a mobile app for patients, and a web portal for physiotherapists to monitor ankle physiotherapy progress in real time. By guiding patients to perform exercises correctly, we reduce re-injury risks from 38% to just 5.6%, saving patients’ time, money, and emotional stress while empowering physiotherapists to increase operational efficiencies and revenue. Our customers are physiotherapists, along with their patients, forming the industry’s ecosystem. The financial model shows net profits turn positive in Y3, and by Y10 net profits will be north of 26mio USD. The projected ROI is 67%. Kinection offers sustainable and scalable growth potentials while lowering patient healthcare costs and streamlining the rehabilitation process. Join us in revolutionizing recovery - because healing shouldn’t be harder than it needs to be."

PETE CONRAD SCHOLAR:

ToiletWarrior|Aquabel FROM China

”Aquabel” is an innovative smart urinal equipped with a water-saving device, which can achieve an annual water saving of 220,000 liters per unit through patented technology, reducing the operating costs by about 85%. It leverages IoT smart management to lower maintenance costs and is suitable for public toilets in various areas. This device can break through the high investment threshold for water-saving facility renovations, promoting its adoption in more commercial and public spaces, aligning with national water-saving renovation policies, and offering broad market prospects, awaiting investment to drive innovation.

POWER PITCH:

Aquaneers|Shells for Water from Vietnam

Imagine waking up each day uncertain if potable water will be available—this is the harsh reality for 17 million people in Vietnam and 2 billion worldwide. At ChitoClear, we tackle this challenge head-on with a sustainable water purification system powered by chitosan, a non-toxic, biodegradable polymer sourced from seafood waste. Our innovation provides a cost-effective, non-toxic solution that operates three times faster than traditional chemical treatments, improving water quality while minimising environmental impact. ChitoClear not only provides clean water for rural and urban households but also fosters a circular economy by upcycling seafood wastes into a valuable resource, achieving sustainability, and acessability and affordability in water-scarce regions. We target rural households, enterprises, NGOs, and local governments with a scalable, affordable solution designed for high-impact adoption. Beyond Vietnam, we aim to serve water-stressed regions worldwide, opening markets in water-scarce countries like Kuwait hence contributing to global water equity.