The Chivas Venture global competition has picked up steam as the finale in Amsterdam draws near. The competition now invites the public to vote on which of the 28 finalists should win a share of an initial $200 000 of the competition’s $1Million fund. The online voting period closes on 25 April 2018.
Clement Mokoenene, the South African winner, needs your vote to win a share to fund his business, Vehicle Energy Harvesting System (VEHS).
VEHS is a concept that was sparked when Mokoenene watched an aeroplane landing, and started thinking about the pressure and heat that was generated. He realised that any energy generated could be harvested, and converted into electricity. His system does just that, and has the potential to generate low cost electricity which could be accessible in even the most rural communities.
The judging panel, consisting of Lucas Radebe, Unathi Msengana and Stafford Masie, agreed that Mokoenene’s company, VEHS, had the best chance of winning the international leg of the competition.
The judges also felt that Mokoenene’s very clever lateral thinking drew a connection between road pressure, aeroplanes and electricity generation, which truly impressed them.
Every week for 4 weeks, Chivas will divide $50 000 amongst the finalist based on your votes. That’s a total of $200 000 in total. You can only vote once, therefore make it count!
The remaining $800 000 will be rewarded at the final jury pitch, which will be held in Amsterdam on 24 May 2018.
Visit the Chivas Venture website, for more information on the 28 finalists and their start-ups.
To vote for Clement, please follow the link: https://www.chivas.com/en-za/the-venture/finalists/people/za-clement-mokoenene