Tec project advances in Hult Prize with “shark robot” to clean rivers

 Bluekali, a startup made up of Tec students and graduates, has developed its own technology to clean rivers and oceans.

They’re currently aiming to be the best project (from among 16 selected globally) to win the Hult Prize 2024, known as the “Nobel Prize for students,” which awards 1 million dollars to the winner. For being the best among young people from over 120 countries, the team won the Hult Prize Tec Zona Norte. They subsequently earned a spot at the Global Accelerator (a kind of semi-final) at the Lisbon regional summit in Portugal.

The Tec team’s startup works to improve the quality of water bodies using technology. One of its main developments has been “Sharki”, a robot that collects waste from rivers.

“Cleaning rivers reduces greenhouse gas emissions. We estimate that for every bottle collected, we avoid 30 kilograms of CO2,” explains Aldo Villaseñor, a team member.

“Sharki” is inspired by whale sharks, the purifiers of the ocean. It measures 1.60 by 90 centimeters, it floats, and it’s able to collect waste from water bodies without harming the fauna and flora.

With this technology, Bluekali has already collected 210 kilograms of waste, one year after its creation.

In addition to using technology to clean rivers, the startup designs plans to help companies prevent their packaging from reaching the sea and trains communities to care for the environment.

Coming together and working to take care of the planet

Bluekali arose from the desire of five young people to clean Mexico’s rivers and lakes, who initially worked on 2 different projects:

• Bluebond developed bubble curtains and barriers to stop plastic in rivers.
• Akali designed robots to capture solid waste in aquifers.

They met during a Procter & Gamble Mexico challenge and decided to merge to have a greater impact.

Now, the team is made up of:

• Maria José Hernández, Monterrey campus.
• Luis Alberto López, Monterrey campus.
• Aldo Daniel Villaseñor, Monterrey campus.
• Paloma Arena Serrano, Tec Toluca graduate.
• Annie Aixa Rosas, Tec Puebla graduate.

“We believe in the power of technology to generate a positive impact on our society and environment,” the startup says on its website.

Last April, they were part of the Techstars Founders Catalyst WaterTech & Sustainability Cohort, a 10-week program offered by the world’s most active pre-seed accelerator.

Acceleration opportunity in London

The Mexican team is currently working prior to their training summit in London as part of the 16 teams chosen for the Hult Prize Global Accelerator 2024.

“The Hult Prize sessions started online on July 15 and we’re going to London on August 14 for the face-to-face part,” says María José.

During these two weeks, the team will work with expert mentors to refine their pitch and business model.

“We’re very excited about this trip and are going with an open mind to improve our proposal,” shares Luis Alberto.

Following this acceleration program, judges will select six teams for the Hult Prize 2024 Global Final.

Hult Prize: The “Nobel Prize for students”

This year-long, global competition challenges young people to solve the world’s most pressing issues by creating innovative social ventures.

It has been dubbed around the world as “the Nobel Prize for students,” with the participation of more than 100,000 university students from over 120 countries around the world.

Young people are invited to develop ideas that have the potential to impact at least 10 million people.

The winning team will receive one million dollars in investment capital to help them develop their startup.

The Hult Prize is a partnership between the United Nations, the Hult Prize Foundation of Hult International Business School, and the Clinton Foundation.

Tec team Rutopía won the global final in 2019 for developing a tourism business model that connects travelers to immersive cultural experiences in indigenous communities.

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