The Solar Impulse Foundation supports sustainable technologies with four crucial steps:

1. Certification:

Innovative sustainable technologies often face the challenge that their potential buyers face big risks in adopting a new solution. In order to win the needed confidence, the solution needs references and certifications. Achieving this is time consuming and costly, because early adopters are attracted through the offering of considerable discounts. The Solar Impulse Foundation certifies innovative products and technologies and verifies that they are applicable with its own label. The label certifies the solution’s positive impact on nature compared to the status quo and its financial viability. Compared to other services the certification is free of charge and thus the going-to-market process is shortened considerably. Find out if your solution qualifies! More information on the certificate and the link to the application here: https://solarimpulse.com/label

2. Acceleration:

After successful certification, the solutions go through an acceleration phase. The awarded companies benefit from the foundation’s network of cleantech experts. The Solar Impulse Foundation helps gain new markets and find new clients through events and exhibitions, as well as with entries on their Solutions Explorer software.

3. Access to Capital:

To further help labeled companies, the Solar Impulse Foundation develops activities to create investment opportunities in the SIF Efficient solutions portfolio. This includes the development of two investment funds, e-pitches and the presentation of ventures to other investors in the network.

4. Promotion

Lastly, the foundation advocates for the solution on its many platforms, including publications and guides, ambassador programs and experts’ articles.

Supporting startups is just one side of the coin. To make sure that the new solutions are adopted and replace dirty technologies of the past, the buyers of these solutions need to be educated. Research has shown that cities are key and an ideal starting point for change.

A majority of the population lives in cities; they are responsible for most of the emissions and contribute most to the global GDP. In other words, cities have the people, the problem and the money to solve it.

The Solar Impulse Foundation has created a Solutions Guide for Cities that helps decision-makers implement efficient solutions in cities:

1. Analysis:

Prioritize key projects where cities can realize real impact through the adoption of innovative cleantech solutions. While every city is unique, common sustainability challenges prevail.

2. Identification of relevant solutions to deploy:

While challenges may be the same, different local solutions may be applied with local startups that qualify for a Solar Impulse certification.

3. Inspiration:

Be inspired by concrete examples of implementation and best practices. Assisting partner cities on their journey unleashes a “Can do”-attitude that helps in solving the remaining challenges.

The Solutions Guide for Cities is offering a range of case studies that serve as an inspiration for decision makers and city planner and can be downloaded for free.

And for more inspiration, the Solar Impulse Foundation has recorded a podcast to explore how partner cities are undertaking their green transition, the obstacles they face and how authorities, private entities and the common citizen can work together to overcome them.

While cities have a big potential to drive change, we all have the responsibility to act. As a business, your specific needs and challenges are similar to cities. The solutions explorer of the Solar Impulse Foundation is a powerful resource for your business to improve your infrastructure, production processes, and supply chains.

Use it as a search engine to find relevant solutions tailored to your unique situation.