Application deadline extended for CLIX start-up competition

Last edition proved to be the strongest showing for CLIX yet. This third edition of the event built on the successes of previous years in terms of the quality and diversity of its applications and invited innovations, and also in terms of the level of intended investment announced at the show.

CLIX 2020 managed to secure:

·       A record 1,402 applications received from 128 countries

·       41 finalists from 24 countries chosen to attend from a shortlist of 600 innovations

·       AED 62 million of investment intention pledges from attendees according to an independent survey conducted by GRS Strategy and Research

As a spokesman for the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), who hosted CLIX 2020, Fahed Al Hammadi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Green Development and Climate Change Sector commented on the growing importance of bringing young innovators and their ideas into the limelight:

“Yet again, CLIX has fulfilled its mission of connecting entrepreneurs and investors to deliver sustainable solutions that will impact us all. The success of CLIX demonstrates that the world has embraced innovation as the most effective tool in tackling climate change. More importantly, it has realised that young people form the backbone of the environmental sustainability movement.”

The winning innovations from this edition underlined this last point, as the crowd were treated to truly remarkable new technological concepts and working designs, including non-toxic plastic alternatives, hybrid electric planes and miniaturised power walls.

Registration to enter for the fourth edition of CLIX at the 2021 World Future Energy Summit is now open. You can view all of the competition’s rules, entry requirements and other considerations here. The information listed will take you through everything you need to know to prepare your application and potentially secure yourself a finalist’s spot alongside leading innovators drawn together from across the world.

New themes

As well as the established themes of Energy, Space and Food & Agriculture from last year, CLIX 2021 will usher in two new additions:

Smart Cities: In our rapidly urbanising world, achieving the smart city ideal represents one of the fastest and most impactive ways to unlock long-term sustainability gains by improving the living environment for the majority of the Earth’s population. Smart cities thrive on innovation and interconnectivity, making this category a highly anticipated newcomer for CLIX 2021.

Environmental Protection: The mammoth task of reducing carbon emissions and other pollutants across the world requires radical new thinking. This category aims to promote and support viable innovations that will help humanity to make the most of the narrow window of opportunity that we have to reduce and finally eliminate our negative ecological impact on the world’s climate and environment.

Expanded investment panel

As well as the competitive element of CLIX, it is also a vehicle to allow start-ups source investment funds for their showcased innovations. Alongside the event’s judges, each CLIX edition gathers together an investment panel of prestigious and forward-thinking organisations who want to proactively support positive climate change. The CLIX 2020 investment panel included representatives from Abu Dhabi Holding, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Emirates Investment Authority, Crescent Ventures, Office of Shaikh Sultan bin Abdulla Al Qasimi, Contrarian Ventures, and First Imagine Ventures amongst others.

All that remains is for us to wish all of our applicants the very best of luck. We cannot wait to see how CLIX 2021 will take shape as a platform to present the world with ideas that will fuel a better future for everyone.