May 22, 2023
The call is aimed at ventures, startups, R&D centers, universities, SMEs, among others, that have solutions for electromobility, energy storage or that promote access to and care of water.
Promoting experimentation, piloting and implementation of new solutions related to the transition to clean energy, electromobility and water resource conservation in communities in the Antofagasta and Tarapacá regions is the main objective of the "More Lithium, Less Footprint" call, promoted for the third consecutive year by SQM in conjunction with the innovation accelerator INNSPIRAL.
This third version, like the previous ones, seeks to bring together solutions related to the areas of electromobility and stationary energy storage, but adds a third area of interest, related to "access to and care of water resources ," where projects are sought that allow increasing the availability of drinking water, improving the quality of the vital element and optimizing its management for self-consumption and/or productive use in agriculture in the desert, in communities of the Antofagasta and Tarapacá regions.
The More Lithium, Less Footprint III competition will award $120,000 USD to be shared among the winners , funds which will be used for project implementation. The three winners will also receive expert mentorship and support from SQM to implement their solutions in communities in northern Mexico.
José Miguel Berguño, Senior Vice President of Corporate Services at SQM, stated that: “ Innovation and sustainability are key pillars of our business model, which has allowed us to be world leaders in lithium production with one of the lowest carbon footprints on the market . In this context, we are constantly facing new challenges to move towards a technological and sustainable industry, capable of generating added value while fostering the innovative ecosystem.”
The SQM executive added: “As a company, we are very proud to launch a new version of the call for proposals, which this year has a special emphasis on innovations or startups from the north of the country that stand out for promoting the development of new business opportunities with an environmental and social impact.”
In the last 2 versions of the call, nearly 100 startups have already participated, among which Antü Energía, Movener and Refil stand out, winners of the first version and Remote Waters, Endurance Electric and Litoihm, winners of the second version, who are already carrying out their pilot projects with La Tirana, Quillagua, Bajo Soja, Caleta Urco, among other communities in the Antofagasta and Tarapacá regions.
Iván Vera, president and founder of INNSPIRAL, emphasizes, “We view with optimism and enthusiasm the creation of a high-value technology industry for the economic growth of the region and the country . In northern Chile, this is happening through the connection between large mining companies, their suppliers, and technology-based startups from universities and R&D centers in the Antofagasta and Tarapacá regions, as well as from across the country. Programs like 'More Lithium, Less Footprint,' led by SQM, strengthen this trend. These types of competitions, launched by large mining companies, stimulate the creation of new knowledge and innovations, and foster collaboration among stakeholders in the region. It is a new and excellent opportunity for technology startups to implement and scale their solutions with high internationalization potential. We are witnessing the emergence of high-tech exports from Chile.”
Applications are now open from Monday, May 22nd at www.openinnspiral.com , and startups can apply until Thursday, June 15th at 11:59 PM.
SQM Lithium Ventures
The winner of each focus area of Más Litio Menos Huella III will be automatically pre-selected as a startup for the final filter of the selection process for the second “SQM Lithium Ventures Corporate Acceleration Program” to be held during the second half of 2023. This will allow them to compete for a spot to participate in the SQM Lithium Ventures “acceleration” program, which will include the execution and participation in different modules (e.g., needs assessment, advisory boards, mentoring and workshops, training and academy, tests, pilots, technical visits, among others) and participate in the program's Demo Day.