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| WHAT’S NEXT: Powering the world in a clean way with Pjotr van Schothorst Posted: 02 Aug 2021 05:53 AM PDT  Innovative start-ups and ethically minded investors are driving the clean energy market forward and today, there is a genuine belief that half of all global power supply will come from renewable sources by 2036. One investor that decided to put the change in his own hands is Pjotr van Schothorst, a Dutch private investor in clean energy and storage and the founder of PVS Investments. Sitting with our Managing Director Kauan Von Novack, Pjotr talked about his fascination with nuclear fusion and the potential that entrepreneurship has for creating a cleaner, greener world. "It took a while for the world to wake up to the problem of global warming, but at least things are now happening," van Schothorst told Kauan Von Novack. "There are so many opportunities, for example around electricity production, battery storage, e-fuels, and hydrogen energy, that it's possible to start a multitude of new businesses. There are now tons of opportunities for start-ups that are working in the field of renewable energies." When the UN established its 17 SDGs in 2015, focusing on numbers seven (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all), nine (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation), and 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts) was a relatively easy decision for Pjotr. "Often investors and organizations try to focus on too many of the SDGs at one time," Van Schothorst said. "It's very easy to lose focus or dilute resources when you spread them across a lot of different areas. I thought I knew a lot about clean energy because I worked for Shell for 12 years but even this single topic is absolutely huge. Every day, there's a new scientific or governmental report regarding the latest clean energy development. It's very tempting to try to do too much. For example, I hate plastic waste and I wish I could do something about that too but it's too much of a different area. I don't know who all the market players are or which start-ups are set for long-term success. It requires a dedicated individual focusing on a single topic if they really want to pursue investments that make financial sense and make a difference to the planet." The opportunity to focus on impact investing is what drew van Schothorst to invest in the upcoming Startupbootcamp Sustainability Program. "I was fascinated by the way SBC functioned like a venture capital fund but focused on early-stage businesses – that is unique. There's a lot of people with good ideas but they don't necessarily know how to turn those ideas into successful businesses. But now there are accelerators like SBC that can add value in terms of professionalism and help the survival chances of these start-ups." In 2019, SBC also became the world's first publicly traded accelerator powered by the Nxchange stock market. "The whole fund is tradable," Pjotr continued. "So if other people want to sell their shares, I can purchase them. That also makes SBC stand out from other accelerators." No matter how forward-thinking a startup accelerator is, there are always new developments to keep track of. One of these is the rise of cryptocurrencies, with the fluctuating valuations of bitcoin, in particular, making headlines across the world. Although the disruptive nature of cryptocurrencies was exciting at first, Pjotr argues that, from a sustainability point of view at least, they can be better developed. "It's been known for some time that generating bitcoin uses a lot of energy. In fact, every transaction also creates a huge volume of carbon emissions," he explained. "The latest estimates suggest that a single bitcoin transaction uses the same amount of energy as 750,000 Visa swipes. These side-effects, particularly when you scale them up, were the reasons why I did not invest in bitcoin. There are newer cryptocurrencies that use less energy but even so, there are better ways to invest your money, like impact investment." For start-ups and investors that are exploring ways of using clean energy to create a more sustainable future, Pjotr advises doing as much preparation as possible. "Read as much as you can," he said. "Of course, you need a vision but don't jump in too quickly without undertaking the right preparation first. A good investment is a combination of passion and ideas, supplemented with solid homework." Click here to learn more about PVS Investments. Watch part 1 and part 2 of the interview with Pjotr. The post WHAT'S NEXT: Powering the world in a clean way with Pjotr van Schothorst appeared first on Startupbootcamp.  |
| Posted: 02 Aug 2021 02:41 AM PDT  Neonatal care and maternal mortality are a cause of concern the world over. According to the World Health Organisation, every day, approximately 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth and 99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries. While it has been established that too many women are dying from pregnancy-related complications that could be avoided in the presence of quality healthcare, it has also been established that very little has been done to solve this massive problem. Africa is hit the hardest as more than half of these maternal deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Watching family members struggle to access affordable quality maternal care drove Tafadzwa Kalisto Munzwa to action. The medical doctor is the founder of Dawa Health, a platform that gives expectant mothers access to tailored weekly maternal advice and the support they need to identify pathological changes in time. Dawa Health’s core product, the DawaMom platform, is a multi-lingual, AI-powered, digital health platform that is accessible via a smartphone app, SMS app, web portal, and a text/audio chat-bot. The startup currently operates in Zimbabwe and Zambia where more than 70% of the 18 million women who give birth do not have access to quality healthcare. They serve multiple customer segments, such as mothers in marginalized communities where access to healthcare professionals is only accessible by walking over 10 kilometers to the nearest clinic. Dawa is onboarding middle-class moms as well because their customer discovery process validated the market. Where they usually get 4 to 6 antenatal visits, the Dawa platform facilitates 16 to 19 visits to mothers before delivery. The Dawa team of medical professionals is able to monitor multiple medical parameters through the platform. The availability of more frequent data and monitoring helps detect any issues quicker. Affordability is as big an issue as access so Dawa Health leverages on partnerships to avail their Dawa mom kits to mothers in marginalized communities. They also ensure the affordability of their services to other segments through cost-cutting measures like working with MNOs to cut operational costs. Collaboration is a key success factor as Dawa works with community health workers who have built trust and have social equity in the community. Dawa also works with community leaders such as chiefs, headmen, and religious leaders to help community members understand what they do and why the DawaMom platform is an important part of their journey into motherhood. The transformation of Africa’s healthcare sector is long overdue and players in the private sector like Dawa Health will be instrumental in ensuring that no woman is left behind. The DawaMom platform is currently accessible in 6 languages and with the help of partners like the UN, the startup has supported over 4,000 mothers to date and has about 50 kits in the marketplace. Availing remote maternal services at the click of a button will go a long way to improving issues around accessibility and affordability. The future looks bright!
The post Tech, Trust and Social Equity: How Health Startup Dawa Health is availing affordable and accessible maternal care to African mothers in need appeared first on Startupbootcamp.  |
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