On November 18th, 2015, in the lead up to COP21, 18 of the most prestigious business newspapers in the world (The Financial Times, Les Echos, Handelsblatt, Hindu Business Line, African Business, Cinco Días, etc.), all published, on the same day, a supplement dedicated to innovations developed by enterprises and local governments. All of the innovative projects aimed to bring solutions to the most pressing environmental issues of our time. This operation reached over 5 million readers and 12.7 million people online, enabling them to discover initiatives from men and women determined to reconcile environmental impact and profit. In addition to sharing these solutions with the public, Solutions&Co offered many exciting development opportunities to the 61 solutions featured in the operation.

Overall, 82% of the entrepreneurs surveyed reported that Solutions&Co had a positive impact on their enterprise. First, many of them noticed a huge increase in visibility at a global level: “In terms of media coverage, Sparknews has helped us cross the boundaries of Europe to become internationally renowned” reported Arnaud de la Fouchardière, founder of Vitirover, a solar-powered robot that autonomously mows vineyards without using chemicals. Indeed, 82% of the organizations seeking greater visibility increased their media coverage, and 61.5% of the projects succeeded in increasing awareness about the issue they are aiming to solve.

This increased visibility served as a catalyst to the enterprises’ international business development, as showcased by SEaB Energy, a British company that produces anaerobic digesters that turn organic waste into energy. According to the co-founder Sandra Sassow, “Solutions&Co made [SEaB] more visible, more credible,” which is currently helping Sassow in the negotiation of eight global-level deals. It was also Solutions&Co that allowed Sassow to meet Mexico’s Energy Minister who discovered her innovation in El Economista.  Six months after the publication, 36% of the organizations expanding their business obtained new clients and 37.5% of those looking for partnerships were connected to new stakeholders. “We really want to change the world with technology, and Solutions&Co helped us!” said Mexican entrepreneur Scott Munguia who developed Biofase, a solution that turns avocado seeds into bioplastics.
The second edition of Solutions&Co will take place on November 4 and will once again highlight innovative business solutions to climate-related issues. Help Sparknews identify them by sharing the call for projects.