Circular economy may seem like common sense – why waste resources when we could reuse them for something else? Well, it’s apparently difficult to conduct circular business practices in a linear system. Ken Webster served as innovation manager at Ellen MacArthur Foundation during its formative years, and many look to him as one of the …
The seafood industry produces 10 million tons of waste each year. What would happen if that could be put to use in new products and innovations? That question is a big part of the driving force behind Iceland Ocean Cluster, a network of 70 companies within the icelandic blue economy. Thor Sigfusson is founder and …
”VR has not taken off”. That was the theme of VR entrepreneur Antti Martikainen’s talk att the XR Hack conference in Stockholm at Epicenter. But the word that follows is usually ”yet”. Antti runs the company Virtual Dawn in Finland, and in this episode he talks about the opportunities ahead for the emerging industry and …
Seaweed is an amazing product – it can be used everything from food to cosmetics, furniture and feed, while actually cleaning the oceans and act as a carbon sink when it grows. Gothenburg-based startup Koastal is building a franchise network of independent seaweed farmers (usually current fishermen) in order to create a new, regenerative ecosystem …
From record numbers in 2021, agrifoodtech investments have plummeted – right when capital is needed more than ever. Louisa Burwood-Taylor is Head of News and Research at the venture capital and research platform Agfunder. Heja Framtiden met Louisa at the foodtech conference Big Meet in Stockholm, to discuss the investment landscape in agtech and foodtech. …
Why is mycelium – basically mushroom roots – so interesting for the future of food? Well, because it’s nutricious, rich in umami and grows extremely fast. Philip Tigges runs the company Infinite Roots in Germany and has great plans for its expansion. Recently, he and his team secured a funding round of staggering 58 million …
Wildfires are becoming increasingly common in a world struggling with climate change – and they sadly also make the situation even worse. Kseniya Lenarciak is CEO at Sly, a startup based in Italy and San Francisco, with a mission to detect and mitigate wildfires using sensors, AI and a software platform. Through their solution, land …
Johanna Hoffman is an American urbanist, researcher, writer, and co-founder of the agency Design for Adaptation. She uses speculative futures and speculative design practices to craft imagination, playfulness and a deeper, sensory understanding of what the future might bring, especially when it comes to the cities of the future. We met Johanna at a Speculative …
The paper industry is not only a huge emitter of greenhouse gases, it also uses plenty of water, bleach and chemicals to manufacture their products. Roel Schatorjé wants to challenge this situation with MOYU, a Dutch startup producing notebooks with paper made from rocks – or, to be exact, rest products from the marble industry. The pages can …
The role of the sustainability manager is increasingly complex, especially in a global operation with a vast web of supply chains and a commitment to the Science Based Targets. Vanessa Butani is Vice President Sustainability at Electrolux Group, overseeing an organisation with 51,000 employees and yearly sales of 60 million household products on 120 markets. Sounds like a …
David Shing is commonly known as Shingy, a digital prophet, brand consultant and keynote speaker on trends, marketing, social media and consumer behavior. Shingy has a long history from AOL, one of the giants of the internet revolution. Heja Framtiden met him after his keynote in Stockholm at the Årets Marknadschef (marketing manager of the year) awards in an …
Have we been measuring the wrong things when we develop buildings and cities? Lone Feifer is Head of sustainable buildings at VELUX Group, a Danish company essentially producing windows that allow for more daylight and better indoor climate. But there is also an important sustainability factor in improving energy efficiency as well as human well-being. In this conversation, …
Perhaps humanity is like a teenager – still young and reckless? In that case, we might have many long and happy years ahead of us. Or we could make a bold move and end things too soon. Will MacAskill is a moral philosopher at the University of Oxford. He is also one of the most influential people …
Selina Juul is a well-known Danish food waste profile. She founded the Stop Wasting Food movement 15 years ago, and in this episode she spills the beans about how her professional journey has evolved together with the increased awareness of food waste as a major problem for both climate, economy and equity. Heja Framtiden met her shortly after …
Matt Homewood is a british biologist and food waste activist. He started exploring the concept of dumpster diving and was shocked to find that supermarkets were throwing away tons of edible food products every day. This encouraged him to start his Instagram account An Urban Harvester, where he posts photos of dumpster food waste from all over …
Framtiden i våre hender (Future in Our Hands) is a Norwegian environmental organisation founded almost 50 years ago. Today it has over 45 000 members and a strong focus is the topic of overconsumption in relation to climate, environment and human rights. We met briefly with Executive Director Anja Bakken Riise just minutes after her participation in Nordic Food …
Meat is a sensitive topic. While most people agree that the meat consumption today is unsustainable, there are many different opinions on where we go from here. Tara Garnett has a PhD in food systems analysis and is based at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford. She is also the director of Table, a collaborative …
How do the large language models like GPT-3 and GPT-4 work? In what ways will they benefit us – and how can we help improving them? Korey Stegared-Pace works as Cloud Advocate at Microsoft in Stockholm, and part of his job is to educate and engage more people in software development, AI and machine learning. In this …
Caroline Sinders is an American artist and researcher, focusing on the intersection between technology, design and human interaction. The work brings her into fields of activism, journalism, regulation, art and communication, and she is regularly exploring topics like feminism and inclusion in the context of AI and machine learning. We met her at the Gather …
An increasing portion of sustainability innovations revolve around data these days, and we have only scratched the surface when it comes to smart foodtech applications in this field. Alexandra Ferreira is the CEO of Foodfacts, a Swedish startup aiming to create a better food system through transparency and an holistic approach to food data – …
Randall Munroe is the physicist who realized that his playful scribbles during lectures could become his livelihood. Eventually, he started answering weird scientific questions through his comic strips, which has resulted in several popular books and a website. We met him in Stockholm for the release of his latest book What If … 2 (Tänk …
What is a meme and how can it be used as a marketing tool – or even become part of a business model? Liz Hagelthorn is one of the world’s leading experts when it comes to viral social media growth and the monetization of memes. But she also has a long – and personal – relationship with …
Menstruation, women’s health, body literacy and sexual pleasure are gravely underserved sectors when the question of social impact is on the table. That’s why Cristina Ljungberg and Wendy Anderson founded The Case for Her together in 2017 – a Stockholm-based investment firm bent on allocating capital to some of the most stigmatized and underfunded areas in the finance universe. Heja …
There’s a lot happening in the intersection between new technologies and the creative industries. Gareth Deakin is a London-based consultant and angel investor specializing in the vibrant music tech scene. He also has a long background from major record labels. We met him at Stockholm Creative Tech Week 2022 to discuss the future of music, with AI, blockchain and …
Menno Lammers is the founder of Proptech For Good, an international alliance of real estate companies and proptech organisations with the common goal to increase sustainability and reconnect with nature. We met Menno Lammers at Stockholm Impact Week to discuss what a regenerative culture actually entails and ho we can use the technological development to create more …
In many ways, we are experiencing a global mental health crisis. But instead of waiting for the breakdown, digital assessments kan help empower people to apply exercises, self-care or get professional consultation in time. The startup company uMore provides just that, rolling out their AI-driven app solution in an increasing number of markets. We met co-founder and …
Robert Rubinstein is the founder of TBLI, Triple Bottom Line Investing Group in Amsterdam. Originally from New York, Rubinstein worked in publishing in The Netherlands when he realised the potential impact of accelerating sustainable investments and ESG work. TBLI has since its birth evolved into a powerful network and learning platform, offering both newsletters, events and advisory services. …
Yoram Wijngaarde is the founder and CEO at Dealroom.co, a global platform based in Amsterdam, providing data from startups and tech ecosystems to governments, investors and other stakeholders. With a database of more than 10,000 impact startups world-wide, a new report shows that The Nordics stand out in comparison – a fourth of VC investment went to impact companies …
Casey Hudetz is a Chicago-based designer and filmmaker. Over the past few years, he has been exploring technological development with the help of human pop culture and storytelling. One of his projects is called The BEAR Test, and is his attempt to create a new ”Turing Test” with the popular children’s book I Want My Hat Back by Jon …
Maria Håkansson is the CEO of Swedfund, Sweden’s government-owned company investing in social entreprenurship, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. The mission is to help as many people as possible overcoming issues related to poverty, such as access to electricity and healthcare. The solution? To fund and invest in local impact cpmanies, creating hundreds of …