- China approves world’s first artificial cornea of 100% non-biological materials
MIOK Keratoprosthesis has been approved for listing by National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), the Chinese agency for regulating drugs and medical devices. MIOK Keratoprosthesis is the world’s first ever approved artificial cornea that requires no co-implantation of donor corneas, and is of great significance across the 60 million patients with corneal blindness worldwide, as MIOK Keratoprosthesis makes it no longer impossible to restore sight to patients with corneal blindness, and ease the burden on their families. - Biomaterial may help repair, replace damaged corneas
Newswise — A patented biomaterial developed by South Dakota State University associate professor Gudiseva Chandrasekher has the potential to repair corneal damage and to create corneal implants. Chandrasekher been doing research on corneal tissue in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences since 2008. - Artificial intelligence is reshaping agricultural practices to address extreme weather and an increasing demand for food
Welcome to From Florida, a podcast where you’ll learn how minds are connecting, great ideas are colliding and groundbreaking innovations become a reality because of the University of Florida. - As impact tech booms, the United Nations says it wants in on the action
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says it wants to deepen its ties to startups through work with accelerators and developing better measures of impact to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges. - Scientists Successfully 3D Print Human Corneas; This Breakthrough Can Be the Solution for Transplant Shortage
According to the story by US News, scientists coming from the United Kingdom have been able to successfully 3D print human corneas for the very first time. - Here’s How Climate Change Crisis Could Impact Business Operations And Policies In 2022
Pamela Chasek is a political science professor at Manhattan College where she chairs the political science department. She said that,“In 2022, there will be considerable pressure on both governments and the private sector to continue efforts to decarbonize operations, while making the necessary efforts to adapt their operations to an ever-warming planet. - Science, conscious consumers, and next-gen founders will drive ‘ESG’ innovation in 2022
If 2021 was the year when ESG (short for Environmental, Social, and Governance) went mainstream, 2022 will be the year that innovations and innovators propel it forward, say members of the Fast Company Impact Council—an invitation-only collective of leaders from a range of industries. Members say a number of business, regulatory, and cultural factors will motivate companies to keep advancing an agenda that places sustainability, social good, and inclusion on equal footing with profitability and growth. Edited excerpts follow: - 3 New Year’s resolutions for climate tech
At this time last year, I was preparing for a low-key New Year’s Eve, feeling apprehensive yet optimistic about the prospects for climate tech in 2021. Since then, I have been disheartened by the firm grip the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have on everyday life. But I’ve been lifted by the surge of support for technologies intended to address and mitigate humankind’s climate-messing impact on the planet. - 5 ways startups can power up their sustainability messaging
Studies from organisations including NYU Stern School of Business show time and time again that sustainability goes hand in hand with better business performance, so it makes sense to talk about your startup’s sustainability efforts. But how best to do this? - The Brief: Digital transformation in emerging markets, financing climate infrastructure, gender lens in Africa, recycled thermoplastics, proof of impact
Impact in emerging markets in 2022: Seizing the digital transformation to drive inclusive and sustainable growth. If the pandemic had a silver lining in emerging markets, it was as a super-spreader of small business digitization. The online trend, which extended to informal businesses and gig workers, is in turn expanding access to working capital, growth financing and other financial services. Traditional sources of capital like banks, development finance institutions and microfinance have largely failed to fill the $5 trillion annual financing gap for informal and small businesses in emerging markets. Enterprise tech startups are using the troves of data they’re collecting to build their own customized small-business financial services (see, “How tech innovation is bridging gaps in small business financing in emerging markets“). Such embedded finance gives customers “who aren’t able to access traditional financial services a way to grow their businesses, protect their livelihoods, and save for their futures,” Accion Venture Lab’s Amee Parbhoo told ImpactAlpha. In 2022, we’ll be on the hunt for tech providers that can prove they’re having a material positive impact on revenues, income and jobs. - Meet Tej Kohli, a man on a mission to heal the world’s blind
Tej Kohli is not an understated guy. His knack for investing early in emerging trends such as online payments, real estate, AI technologies and cryptocurrency – and more recently e-sports – mean that Kohli owns homes all over the world, a Global 6000 private jet and a fleet of rare hypercars. His flamboyant commitment to sartorial style and an energy for life that includes frequenting London’s most exclusive clubs on a near-daily basis mean that the 63-year-old Indian-born investor is hardly a wallflower. Tej Kohli tends to get noticed. - Meet Dr Sanduk Ruit, the Barefoot Surgeon who’s cured 130,000 of blindnessorn into the lowest tiers of a rigid caste system in a tiny remote village in the Himalayas, Sanduk Ruit started life with absolutely nothing to his name: no money and no connections. Few would have guessed that he would grow to become one of the most respected eye surgeons in the world and a titan of Asia who, in 2006, was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award – the Asian equivalent of a Nobel prize.
- We have to cure blindness if we want to reduce extreme povertySince launching in mid-2021, the Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation has screened 63,257 patients as it climbs toward its target of screening 1,000,000 patients by 2026.
- How the Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation will cure 500,000 of blindness by 2026The lockdowns of 2021 saw the beginning of a remarkable partnership between two sexagenarians who are bringing social and economic change to the most deprived communities in the developing world.
- Is blockchain the future of humanitarian aid? The World Food Programme hopes so
Since 2017, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been working with other humanitarian organisations – including UNICEF and UN Women – to bring cash-based assistance to refugees through blockchain technology. - Thousands of diesel school buses in the US could get a second life as electric ones
Thousands of diesel-powered school buses could get a second life as all-electric vehicles. EV maker SEA Electric and school-bus dealer Midwest Transit Equipment are partnering up to help accelerate the electrification of school buses. The two plan to convert 10,000 existing school buses to battery power over the next five years. - These 8 Material Science & Circular Tech Startups Are Innovating For A Plastic-Free World
Our planet is suffering from the deluge of plastics polluting our ocean and environment, harming biodiversity, animals and fuelling climate change. Even if we slashed plastic consumption by 80%, we’re still looking at dealing with an astonishing 710 million tonnes of waste littered across the Earth. Simply put, the planet is running out of time and we’re going to come up with a lot of solutions to fix the plastic crisis. - What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a relatively simple concept with extraordinary implications. The term was coined by American computer scientist John McCarthy in 1956, who is widely recognised as the father of artificial intelligence. It’s used to describe a form of intelligence exhibited by machines, in comparison to the “natural” intelligence demonstrated by human beings and other animals. - Emerging Tech Research: Agtech
COVID-19 highlighted the challenges of feeding the world in a crisis while minimizing the environmental impact of agriculture. Venture funding for agtech startups hit a quarterly record of $3.2 billion in Q3 2021—boosting annual deal values to $7.8 billion YTD, which already eclipses 2020’s total by more than 20%. - A cure for blindness? A next-generation solar concentrator?
The most efficient photovoltaic cells used for solar power cost up to $50,000 per square meter. What if these cells could be replaced with a plastic solar concentrator less than 3 mm thick that concentrates sunlight 500 times at only $100 per square meter? - Study: Cataract surgery linked to decreased risk of dementia
The Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study is a long-standing, Seattle-based observational study at Kaiser Permanente Washington of more than 5000 participants older than 65. Based on the longitudinal data of more than 3000 ACT study participants, researchers have now found that subjects who underwent cataract surgery had a nearly 30% lower risk of developing… - Can artificial intelligence predict tsunamis? This study says yes
Forecasting the outcome of a situation is not an exact science, but AI may be able to accurately pinpoint when a tsunami may happen, according to new research from Cardiff University. - Bionic synapses will restore people’s sight
HyVIS, the European project coordinated by the IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology), is about to start. By combining nanotechnology and optics, it will develop bionic synapses for retinal prostheses, designed to restore sight in people suffering from diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). - 10 Things Investors Should Know about the Plant-Based Foods Market
Plant-based foods are gaining traction—and fast. By 2030, the global plant-based food market is expected to reach $161.9 billion in value. That’s a 355% increase compared to 2021. - Seven-minute miracles: a plan to reduce the number of children with cataract blindness by 0.5% worldwide
LONDON and, KATHMANDU, Nov. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Tej Kohli and Ruit Foundation will cure 1,000 children of cataract blindness in an attempt to reduce it by 25% within Nepal and to reduce its prevalence by 0.5% worldwide. Since its launch in mid-2021 the Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation has already screened 52,541 people and cured 4,243 of cataract blindness at microsurgical outreach camps where surgery to prevent or cure blindness can take as little as seven minutes. - Seven-minute miracles: a plan to reduce the number of children with cataract blindness by 0.5% worldwide
LONDON and, KATHMANDU, Nov. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Tej Kohli and Ruit Foundation will cure 1,000 children of cataract blindness in an attempt to reduce it by 25% within Nepal and to reduce its prevalence by 0.5% worldwide. Since its launch in mid-2021 the Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation has already screened 52,541 people and cured 4,243 of cataract blindness at microsurgical outreach camps where surgery to prevent or cure blindness can take as little as seven minutes. - Seven-minute miracles: a plan to reduce the number of children with cataract blindness by 0.5% worldwide
LONDON and, KATHMANDU, Nov. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Tej Kohli and Ruit Foundation will cure 1,000 children of cataract blindness in an attempt to reduce it by 25% within Nepal and to reduce its prevalence by 0.5% worldwide. Since its launch in mid-2021 the Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation has already screened 52,541 people and cured 4,243 of cataract blindness at microsurgical outreach camps where surgery to prevent or cure blindness can take as little as seven minutes. - Artificial intelligence, the new frontier in climate change risks assessment
Global warming is exacerbating weather and climate extreme events. The interaction between different forms of hazards triggered by climate change will cause future cross-sectoral impacts affecting a variety of natural and human systems. - Call for cities to create more incentives for green tech
Governments and city authorities need to “pull out all the stops” to provide favourable regulatory and tax frameworks and financial support for technologies that can help to meet climate goals. This is according to a new report from Economist Impact commissioned by international law firm Osborne Clarke. It pinpoints 12 key decarbonising technologies due to their likely impact, scalability and investment potential. - Cities going circular: how London can cut its emissions from food consumption by 31%
The resounding message remains clear: a sharp decrease in emissions is imperative. The circular economy provides an answer to this call—and with a set of robust strategies proven to slash emissions, create jobs, support resilient, just communities and provide a slew of other environmental benefits, it’s increasingly recognised as the way forward. - Florida Tech Researchers Explore Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Global Food Production
According to a study conducted by Bisk College of Business assistant professor Darrell Burrell and others, this leap might only be possible with the rapid development and application of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). - “Without transparency, there’s no transaction”: Why measuring ESG is essential for startup growth
For startups to secure fundraising, it’s becoming increasingly important for them to not only monitor their environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, but provide proof that they are doing so. We spoke to Early Metrics to discover how their ratings method allows investors and consumers to be sure the startups they invest in are sustainable. - World Keratoconus Day: All about the eye condition that could lead to permanent vision loss
World Keratoconus Day: Keratoconus is a rare degenerative eye condition where the dome-shaped outer lens of the eye called cornea becomes cone-shaped because of thinning due to this progressive, degenerative disorder. It can lead to vision distortion and if left untreated for a long time, it can also cause permanent blindness. Recently, late actor Puneeth Rajkumar’s cornea was donated to four patients out of which two suffered from Keratoconus. Although two corneas from a donor are usually transplanted into two corneal blind patients, but in case of actor Puneeth Rajkumar, his corneas were sliced into four parts and went to four different patients. - Corneal neurotization is effective for restoring sensory innervation
The transfer of nerve fibers can be accomplished by dissecting nearby intact sensory nerves and directly or indirectly transferring the nerves using an interpositional nerve graft, such as an autologous or allogeneic nerve graft, according to Andrea Lora Kossler, MD, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. - It’s Time to Delete Carbon From the Atmosphere. But How?
THIS WEEK AND next, government representatives are gathering in Glasgow for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, the latest of an increasingly frantic string of meetings as humanity runs out of time to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Everyone agrees that carbon is bad. - In a record-breaking year for VC funding, climate tech is no exception
It feels like VC has broken every record there is to break this year and funding for climate-tech startups is no exception. By the numbers: While climate tech makes up just a fraction of all VC dollars about 6% over the last few years the industry has been steadily gaining attention from investors. - Greece Is Getting Rewired for the Future
But as the European Union seeks to be a global leader in the race to stop climate change, Greece is betting that turning toward a carbon-free future can reshape its economic destiny. - Which tech trends are changing the social impact sector?
Elaine Zhou is the chief technology officer for non-profit-owned platform Change.org, which is best known for its online petitions and currently has more than 450m users worldwide. Zhou has more than 20 years of experience in tech strategy, AI research and development and software product development. - Tej Kohli talks about ‘Rebuilding You: The Philanthropy Handbook’
Cultivating sourdough, embracing an at-home personal fitness regime and day trading stocks are just some of the new pastimes that were adopted in huge numbers during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. But Tej Kohli did something different. He wrote a book. - The red flag meme is a red flag for accessibility
If you’ve been on Twitter lately, you’ve probably seen the red flag meme that’s going around — you quote a phrase that would be a “red flag” for someone to say to you, then add a bunch of red flag emojis. Twitter itself joined in on the fun, as well as brands like Dr. Pepper, MTV and even the NFL’s Houston Texans. - Climate change: Fossil fuel production set to soar over next decade
But despite the flurry of net-zero emission goals and the increased pledges of many countries, some of the biggest oil, gas and coal producers have not set out plans for the rapid reductions in fossil fuels that scientists say are necessary to limit temperatures in coming years. - COP Aims to End Coal, But the World Is Still Addicted
Never in human history has a ton of coal cost more. Governments and utilities across the globe are willing to pay record sums to literally keep the lights on. That’s the bruising reality that global leaders must face at the high-stakes climate talks in Glasgow this month as hopes fade for a deal to end the world’s reliance on the dirtiest fuel. - Growing Crops Under Solar Panels? Now There’s a Bright Idea
IN JACK’S SOLAR Garden in Boulder County, Colorado, owner Byron Kominek has covered 4 of his 24 acres with solar panels. The farm is growing a huge array of crops underneath them—carrots, kale, tomatoes, garlic, beets, radishes, lettuce, and more. It’s also been generating enough electricity to power 300 homes. “We decided to go about this in terms of needing to figure out how to make more money for land that we thought should be doing more,” Kominek says. - 3 predictions for the future of responsible technology
Over the past two years, the World Economic Forum – working in close collaboration with a diverse group of experts – has been working on advancing the field of ethics in technology. This project, titled Responsible Use of Technology, began when more than 40 leaders from government, civil society, and business, some with competing agendas, met in The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco. This group agreed on the important goal of providing tools and techniques that leaders can use to operationalize ethics during the lifecycle of technology. - 10-year old Billy received a new bionic arm from the Tej Kohli Foundation
Billy, a 10-year-old was very happy when he received his new bionic arm. As a boy with dreams of riding a bike and scooter, Billy was unfortunately born with limb differences to his right arm and hand. His right arm is shorter than the left and he has limited movement. Apart from the arm, his… - IIT-Hyderabad researchers find an alternative to corneal transplantation
Sangareddy: Dr. Falguni Pati, Associate Professor, Department of Bio-medical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, and his research team have developed a hydrogel from discarded corneas from human and bovine sources using a novel and simple method. - Insect farm uses artificial intelligence to promote food security
UK-based insect mini-farm innovator, Better Origin, uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to convert local food waste into high-quality animal feed in the form of insect larvae. It aims to help the food industry achieve its net-zero targets, create a sustainable food chain, and improve food supply and the welfare of livestock. - Austrian company produces surgical models for ophthalmology
Addion GmbH is partnering with Stratasys, which will use its J750 Digital Anatomy 3D printer to produce never-before-seen surgical models for ophthalmology. - SDIS21: Tech for Good – What are the challenges in making technology more sustainable?
Technology has been critical to the pandemic response – from allowing us to work, learn, shop, socialize and even see a doctor from home to helping the world safely reopen with tools like vaccine passports, rapid testing, and contact-tracing apps. - How businesses can go carbon neutral
In 2019, the United Kingdom legislated a net-zero emissions target. A small step that paved the way to achieving their objective of being carbon neutral by the year 2050. In due time, they envision a quarter of Britain covered in trees, quieter roads, and the air clear from harmful fumes — a picture that pushes… - Rice crop: A vital cog in ensuring food security
Aarthi JanakiRaman, Research Director, Chemicals and Advanced Materials at TechVision, Frost & Sullivan, argues that the rice crop is a vital cog in ensuring food security… - 10 cornea transplants conducted in a week
Doctors at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology of Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences (UHS), Rohtak, have conducted 10 cornea transplants in a week… - Toyota to spend $13.6bn on battery development in effort to win electric battle
Toyota will invest ¥1.5tn ($13.6bn) in battery development and supply over the next decade as the world’s largest carmaker aims to stay ahead in the race for cheaper and longer-lasting electric and hybrid vehicles.
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