A Green Thumbs-Up for Herogo and Drone-Planting Startups
UAE-based startups excel at food rescue and drone tree planting initiatives, clinching victories at the Sustainable Impact Challenge.
Chat with ya! Let's talk about the winners of the Sustainable Impact Challenge, organized by Majra - National CSR Fund. This event, celebrating impactful CSR projects across various sectors, doled out Dh600,000 in prizes to the winners to continue their fantastic work.
First up, Herogo bagged the grand prize of Dh300,000. These guys are all about saving the imperfect fruits and vegetables that don't make the cut in supermarkets and delivering them to UAE residents at a discounted rate. And the best part? By signing up for a Herogo box, you can save up to 30% on your grocery bill! 👍🔥
"We're not just saving food waste, we're empowering households with affordable, nutritious meals," says Daniel Solomon, Herogo's founder. In 2024 alone, they saved over 400,000 kg of fruits and vegetables from rotting in landfills. That's around 1 million CO2 saved –talk about making a difference!💚🌎
Now, when it comes to expanding their reach, Herogo's not holding back. With the prize money, they're planning to set up shop in even more households across the UAE and other Gulf countries, spreading their mission far and wide. 🚀
Recognition and Rewards
Majra is a UAE federal government entity dedicated to supporting businesses and organizations in the realm of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and sustainability. The Sustainable Impact Challenge identifies and celebrates outstanding CSR initiatives from private companies, third-sector organizations, universities, and more[1].
A total of 228 entries were submitted, 100 of which were selected by an internal committee for further review. The competition then narrowed down to the top 20 projects, which were showcased at the SEE Institute at Dubai Sustainable City. To this occasion, each of the twenty projects got a surprise cash award of Dh20,000[1]. According to Sarah Shaw, CEO of Majra, these 20 projects demonstrate the capacity to scale and make a bigger impact if they were to grow larger[1].
Other Winners and Special Mentions
- Second place in the competition went to online tutoring firm Thiqa Education's 'One Dirham makes an impact' initiative. The company donates Dh1 for every tutoring hour purchased, and in May, they donated over Dh3,000[1]. With the prize money, they aim to expand their reach and create an affordable, pre-recorded lessons and sessions platform[1].
- The third prize of Dh100,000 was won by Distant Imagery Solutions for their 'Rooted in Innovation' project, which has been revolutionizing mangrove planting in the UAE and internationally[1]. They'll be launching an initiative in Tonga with the prize money to help communities build, maintain, and operate their own mangrove planting projects, making it sustainable for the long run. 🌴💪
- Ajman University received a special mention and Dh50,000 for their project of getting students to plant mangrove trees. To date, they've planted over 3,500 trees with 45% of the volunteers being under the age of 18. An excellent opportunity for young students to get hands-on, sustainable education! 🌱
- The Sustainable Impact Challenge, organized by Majra, highlights exceptional CSR projects in various sectors, offering Dh600,000 in prizes to the winners.
- Herogo, the grand prize winner, saves imperfect fruits and vegetables from supermarkets and delivers them affordably to residents, reducing grocery bills by up to 30%.
- Herogo saved over 400,000 kg of fruits and vegetables from landfills in 2024, resulting in around 1 million CO2 savings.
- Herogo plans to use their prize money to expand their services in more UAE and Gulf households.
- Majra is a UAE federal government entity supporting businesses and organizations in CSR, ESG, and sustainability initiatives.
- The Sustainable Impact Challenge received 228 entries, with 100 selected for further review, and the top 20 projects showcased at the SEE Institute.
- Each of the top 20 projects received a surprise cash award of Dh20,000.
- Thiqa Education took second place with their 'One Dirham makes an impact' initiative, donating Dh1 for every tutoring hour purchased.
- With the prize money, Thiqa Education aims to create an affordable, pre-recorded lessons and sessions platform.
- Distant Imagery Solutions won third place for their 'Rooted in Innovation' project, revolutionizing mangrove planting locally and internationally.
- With the prize money, Distant Imagery Solutions will launch an initiative in Tonga to help communities establish sustainable mangrove planting projects.
- Ajman University received a special mention and Dh50,000 for their project encouraging students to plant mangrove trees, with over 3,500 trees planted so far, including 45% by students under 18.
