NEW YORK, July 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Venture, Chivas Regal's global search for the world's most promising social entrepreneurs, rewarded all five finalists the remaining share of the $1m fund at the final pitch event on Friday evening. The announcement came after the five finalists pitched the potential of their start-up to create transformative social change to an expert judging panel that included actor and social entrepreneur Adrian Grenier. Algramo from Chile was awarded the largest share of the fund, receiving $300,000 to further develop the pioneering food distribution enterprise.
Adrian Grenier and Alexandre Ricard at The Venture
Adrian Grenier at The Venture
Congratuations for The Venture finalists
James Corden, Adrian Grenier and Oscar Issac at The Venture
Other finalists to come away with funding on the night included Chipsafer ($150,000) from Uruguay who use innovative tracking devices to transform the way farmers look after their livestock; SenSprout ($150,000) from Japan who aim to make farming more efficient using a wireless field-monitoring system; Lumkani ($75,000) from South Africa, a company that uses technology to decrease the risk of devastating fires in informal settlements, and Diseclar ($75,000) from Colombia who turn waste materials into stylish furniture.
The Venture - which saw more than a thousand social entrepreneurs apply for $1 million in funding - culminated at The Final Pitch event at The Herbst Pavilion, San Francisco in front of a large audience. The evening was hosted by the Late Late Show presenter, James Corden who applauded all five of the social entrepreneurs who pitched for their commitment to using business as a force for good.
The Final Pitch event was attended by a range of high profile entrepreneurs and business leaders from Silicon Valley and beyond. Also in the audience was Golden Globe nominated actor Oscar Isaac who starred in Chivas Regal's Win The Right Way film, which helped launch The Venture by issuing a challenge to aspiring social entrepreneurs and the world at large to re-frame their meaning of success.
The judging panel which included Adrian Grenier, Sonal Shah, Alex Ricard and Morgan Clendaniel, assessed each business based on their ability to create sustainable change through a viable business model and potential to scale. To find out more about the winners and the other finalists who took part in The Venture visit www.theventure.com.
Adrian Grenier congratulated each of the winners on the night:
"Social entrepreneurship challenges society to reimagine what is possible and inspires us to create a better future and a better world. All of The Venture finalists tonight challenged us to imagine how business could transform a problem into an opportunity. They are all very deserving of support and show why it's important for initiatives like The Venture to exist, to inspire as many brilliant minds from around the world as possible and to contribute to using business as a force for good."
Speaking on behalf of the finalists Jose Manuel Moller Dominguez from Algramo added:
"What a night! I can't believe I've received $300,000 in funding from Chivas – it's truly life changing for me. The money will enable me to scale the business and really take it to the next level. I'm truly grateful for this experience and can't wait to apply everything I've learnt since being in San Francisco."
Pernod Ricard's Chairman and CEO, and The Venture judge, Alex Ricard, expressed his and the brand's commitment to the world of social entrepreneurship, and congratulated the winner:
"All five of the social entrepreneurs who pitched for funding tonight have founded innovative and inspiring social enterprises, each providing sustainable solutions for different issues. Ultimately Jose from Algramo demonstrated a concrete proof of concept and really convinced us that The Venture funding could deliver tremendous transformative change for their business. We're extremely proud of the first year of The Venture and Chivas is looking forward to continuing this legacy in years to come."
Social entrepreneurs from across the world are invited to apply for $1 million in funding as The Venture Year 2 kicks off from 10th August 2015, visit www.theventure.com for further details.
Overview of the Five Finalists
Country
Company
Founder(s)
Overview
Chile
Algramo
Jose Manuel Moller Dominguez
Affordable food is hard to come by in the outskirts of Santiago, Chile. There are few supermarkets and the produce at small stores can often be up to 40% more expensive than in larger outlets. To address this issue, we at Algramo, buy essential products such as rice, beans, lentils and sugar in bulk from suppliers and distribute them directly to small convenience stores, through our unique mechanical dispensers.
Colombia
Diseclar
Juan Nicolas Suarez Bonilla
Where others see rubbish, garbage and waste, we at Diseclar see furniture. Thanks to our inventive manufacturing process we're able to turn waste materials into stylish furniture that can be used in and outdoors.
Japan
SenSprout
Yoshihiro Kawahara
SenSprout's mission is to make farming more efficient, to produce more crops using less water. We help farmers better understand their crops and fields with our low-cost sensor technology. Our wireless field-monitoring system is enabled by a unique "printed electronics" senor, making it possible to monitor soil conditions and environmental information in real time.
South Africa
Lumkani
David Gluckman
At Lumkani we use technology to decrease the risk of devastating fires in informal settlements. Our innovative fire detector was designed to mitigate the loss of life and property caused by the spread of shack fires.
Uruguay
Chipsafer
Victoria Alonsoperez
Chipsafer is a platform that will transform the way farmers care for their livestock. It not only tracks and detects anomalies in cattle behaviour, but does so remotely, autonomously and in real time. Chipsafer then sends all this information directly to the farmer, who can access it on a laptop or phone.
Notes to Editors:
About Pernod Ricard USA® Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA, which employs a workforce of nearly 19,000 people worldwide and is listed on the NYSE Euronext exchange (Ticker: RI).
The company's leading spirits and wines include such prestigious brands as Absolut® Vodka, Chivas Regal® Scotch Whisky, The Glenlivet® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Malibu®, Kahlúa® Liqueur, Beefeater® Gin, Plymouth™ Gin, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin®, Martell® Cognac, Hiram Walker® Liqueurs, Pernod®, Ricard® and Avión™ Tequila; such superior wines as Jacob's Creek®, Kenwood® Vineyards and Brancott Estate®; and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines as Perrier-Jouët® Champagne, G.H. Mumm™ Champagne and Mumm Napa® sparkling wines.
Pernod Ricard USA is based in New York, New York, and has roughly 850 employees across the country. Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active campaign to promote responsible drinking. For more information on this, please visit: www.acceptresponsibility.org
About Chivas Regal Chivas Regal is a truly global brand, selling 4.6 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Americas. The Chivas Regal range is the epitome of style, substance and exclusivity, and includes Chivas Regal 12, 18 and 25 Year Old.
About The Venture The Venture is Chivas' global search to find and support the most promising aspiring social entrepreneurs who want to succeed whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others – entrepreneurs who win the right way. With over $1 million in funding and resources, The Venture will enable social entrepreneurs from around the world to realize their potential and gain exposure for their businesses.
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