Batteries made from paper, biodegradable ‘plastic’, contactless health monitoring devices: Exciting innovations that will revolutionise our future

Singapore start-up Flint has a lofty goal: it wants to switch out all the lithium batteries in the world for paper batteries.

Flint's paper batteries are non-hazardous and can fully compost in a month, making them a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional batteries. Beyond that, paper batteries have an adaptative design and are 10 times cheaper to produce than lithium batteries, which allows for cost-effective manufacturing.

There's only one issue - the product hasn't been made yet.

Flint has a functional prototype, but as a relatively new startup established just last year, it requires assistance with product development. The company plans to start pilot production next year.

To help materialise a future where batteries have close to no environmental impact, Flint brought its proposal to OPPO Inspiration Challenge 2023. Organised by OPPO Research Institute - the research and development arm of global smart device brand OPPO - the challenge aims to help start-ups turn their concepts into reality with the theme of "Virtuous Innovation".

"In the initial stages of a startup, challenges related to cost and scalability are common. By offering our expertise, a supportive platform and grants, we hope to help these startups move forward with their innovations," explained Jason Liao, President of the OPPO Research Institute.

The global top 5 winners will each be awarded a grant of US$50,000 ($68,600), plus opportunities to develop their ideas further with OPPO and its partners.

As part of the challenge, the global top 15 also got to participate in an acceleration camp and meet with OPPO senior executives, technology and investment experts, as well as industry partners.

In the case of Flint, Liao points out that OPPO can provide valuable guidance on product enhancement, leveraging the tech giant's extensive research and development experience, particularly in the realm of batteries.

A spark of an idea

The local start-up secured a spot in the global top 15 of the OPPO Inspiration Challenge 2023, surpassing over 650 competitors with its groundbreaking vision of paper batteries for consumer electronics.

During the global final demo event, which took place on Oct 18 in Singapore, Flint made a lasting impression on both the judging panel and the public, earning two distinguished awards: the Media Choice Award and People's Choice Award.

And although Flint failed to win the challenge and secure the US$50,000 grant, the young start-up noted that the experience itself was invaluable.

Furthermore, as part of the global top 45 proposals, Flint will continue to enjoy partnership opportunities with OPPO, including access to a US$190,000 ($260,900) incubation fund as well as cloud resources and technical support from Amazon Web Services.

"We're happy that people see the value in what we're building. For that, we're very much appreciative," said Flint's 23-year-old chief growth officer, Pranav Prasad.

"It's not so much about winning, but getting ourselves out there and letting people know about paper batteries - and how it presents an innovative and sustainable solution," he added.

Winners of OPPO Inspiration Challenge 2023

Amongst the five winning proposals in OPPO Inspiration Challenge 2023, two were about sustainable packaging.

First is Bluepha with its proprietary material, Bluepha PHA. While it has plastic-like characteristics, this natural polymer is marine-degradable - thereby reducing the harmful effects of plastics in our oceans. Bluepha posits that by using this material in consumer electronics packaging instead of plastic, it could help OPPO be more environmentally friendly.

The other winning proposal came from Woola, a certified B-corp company that converts surplus wool into protective packaging. This innovation serves a dual purpose: it minimises waste by repurposing surplus wool that would otherwise be discarded, while also replacing the use of plastic bubble wrap.

Woola's chief executive officer Anna-Liisa Palatu is hopeful that the win at OPPO Inspiration Challenge 2023 would open opportunities for expansion.

"Our factory in Estonia is able to service Europe... but we need help with expanding into Asia," she said.

Another innovative proposal that caught the attention of the judges came from Shenzhen HUAYI Medical Technologies Co., Ltd. The company is working on a contactless health monitoring technology that could keep track of physiological indicators, helping users to avoid or monitor any diseases. This technology could theoretically prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and even alert users if an elderly family member has fallen unconscious - all without the need for a wearable.

"We've worked with OPPO on a few clinical trials and got lots of suggestions on how to make this system work in homes. We hope to go into global production and bring our technology into OPPO's ecosystem," says a representative from the start-up.

The remaining winning proposals include one from Ommo Technologies, featuring Orbit - a 3D tracking technology designed to aid surgeons in monitoring surgical tools within a patient's body. The other proposal is from SkiteLight, which introduced a patented perovskite display that is not only brighter but also more energy efficient than current LCD and OLED displays.

Empowering innovations to make the world a better place

Now in its second year, the OPPO Inspiration Challenge for 2023 saw 687 proposals submitted from across 66 countries and regions. Across two categories, "Inspiration for People" and "Inspiration for the Planet", proposals are evaluated based on not just innovation and feasibility, but also social impact and alignment with the brand's belief in virtuous innovation.

"We aspire to offer a platform for visionary, passionate and imaginative startups and entrepreneurs. Our aim is to work with them in finding solutions to pressing societal challenges," said Liao.

For these five winning proposals, the journey with OPPO doesn't just end here. In alignment with OPPO's vision for the future, the tech company will be offering them long-term support to bring their ideas to the market.

Liao cited the example of Tang Tang Quan, a medical technology company that secured a spot among the global top 10 winners in last year's challenge. Post-challenge, the company collaborated with OPPO and successfully introduced a blood glucose monitoring app for OPPO's smartwatches, empowering users to proactively manage their health.

"We want to go beyond product features and capabilities, and genuinely make a positive impact on society, particularly among vulnerable populations," Liao emphasised.

To that end, OPPO will further bolster these start-ups by putting forth their proposals at other global technology platforms.

Already, Shenzhen HUAYI Medical Technologies Co., Ltd has presented its proposal for contactless health monitoring devices at Enterprise Singapore's SLINGSHOT 2023, a deep tech start-up pitching competition that took place this week during Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH).

The start-up will receive $30,000 from Enterprise Singapore for participating in the competition. It will also stand a chance to win additional prizes and financial support. The prizes up for grabs at SLINGSHOT 2023 are: 

Grand winner - $200,000 + 18 months office space 
1st runner up - $150,000 + 12 months office space 
2nd runner up - $100,000 + 6 months office space 
Top 10 finalists - $50,000 

To understand more about these innovative devices, check out OPPO's Inspiration Challenge.

This article is brought to you in partnership with OPPO. 

sophie.hong@asiaone.com

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