SQM's "More Lithium, Less Footprint" sustainable innovation competition awarded three startups with projects that combine lithium, technology, and social commitment. First place went to Antü Energía and its proposal to bring clean energy to isolated areas and electricity-dependent users.
Antü Energía will benefit families in isolated locations
The startup Antü Energía won first place in SQM's "More Lithium, Less Footprint" innovation competition, earning a prize of USD 50.000. Its project seeks to bring electricity to isolated communities living in energy poverty or with people dependent on electricity, through mobile energy generation and storage solutions.
Antü stood out with its lithium-ion battery system capable of connecting to photovoltaic panels, enabling it to supply power to remote areas. Manuel Mata, Antü's founding partner and CEO, commented:
“It was an opportunity to showcase what we do, showing the public that innovation and technological development can be achieved locally, protecting the environment and positively impacting those most in need.”
A call that promotes sustainable innovation
The competition was promoted by SQM as part of its corporate sustainability and innovation plan, and was carried out with the support of the innovation accelerator INNSPIRALIt was aimed at R&D centers, universities, SMEs, startups, and other organizations, focusing on projects that would generate a positive impact in electromobility and storage systems.
The event ran from September 27 to October 24, and concluded with an event on Wednesday, November 10, broadcast from a TVN studio, hosted by journalist María Elena Dressel.
Of the 52 proposals received, 10 finalists were selected, who presented their initiatives to a jury composed of Pablo Altimiras, Beatriz Oelckers, Carlos Díaz, Iván Vera, Ángeles Romo, Sebastián Gilbert, and Felipe Matta, experts in lithium, innovation, startups, and venture capital.
Winners and awards
The three winning projects were:
- 1st place: Antü Energía (USD 50.000)
- 2nd place: Movener (USD 30.000)
- 3rd place: rECOnnect ($20.000)
In addition to financing, SQM committed to mentoring with company executives to support the growth of the selected projects.
SQM's vision of innovation, sustainability, and lithium
Pablo Altimiras, SQM's Senior Vice President of Lithium and Iodine Business, highlighted the importance of the competition: “The 'More Lithium, Less Footprint' challenge is very important because it brings together three key elements for SQM: sustainability, the lithium business, and innovation. This combination achieves a triple impact, as it supports national entrepreneurship, seeks to solve environmental challenges, and produces a significant social impact.”
He added: “Lithium batteries are positively changing the world, and we saw in this competition the possibility that this impact could also benefit Chileans. We are aware of the current needs of our country and the planet. And we don't want to back down in the fight to reduce our carbon footprint. On the contrary, we want to be active leaders and contribute with our expertise. We are very pleased with the results of the competition, and that's why we will surely hold others in the future.”
The contest was supported by INNSPIRAL
The competition was held with the support of INNSPIRAL, a corporate innovation accelerator. Iván Vera, president and founder of the organization, stated: “I am very happy with the result. We have achieved something very important by connecting companies like SQM with startups with scaling potential in Chile and abroad. Our support lies not only in the form of money, but also in the know-how regarding large-scale businesses and the know-how regarding key players in the ecosystem.”
International finalists
Of the 52 proposals, 48 were submitted from different regions of Chile, while four came from other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, and Mexico, demonstrating the regional reach of the competition and the growing interest in electromobility and sustainable technologies.
Movener promotes electromobility by transforming cars into electric vehicles.
Movener, which won second place, presented a training proposal for mechanical workshops in Chile with the goal of providing them with the necessary tools to convert thermal engines into electric ones, thus promoting electromobility.
Gonzalo Pacheco, founder and Innovation Manager, noted:
"We're attacking the problem of climate change and carbon footprint not only in the operation of a vehicle but also in its creation. By converting a car to electric, we stop producing a new one, so we no longer have that level of emissions in manufacturing."
rECOnnect reduces waste with bulk cleaning and reusable packaging
For its part, rECOnnectThird, it presented an initiative to deliver bulk cleaning products in reusable containers. Its proposal is based on a smart platform that predicts each household's demand and organizes delivery using electric vehicles.
Antonio Irarrázabal, CEO of rECOnnect, commented:
“It has been a very learning process, where we have been able to validate each of the initiatives we have developed. It has been fun, challenging, and incredibly hopeful, thanks to the support of initiatives like this one, where SQM, together with INNSPIRAL, supports us in making models like these grow and generates a better Chile with viable consumption patterns for the future.”
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