Davos, Switzerland is the natural venue for Altru Institute’s annual meeting, because the alpine city uniquely attracts an extraordinary international cadre concerned with the world’s greatest challenges. At the Altru clubhouse in Davos Platz, our members and guests will gather for thoughtful conversations on our initiatives in Energy, Climate and Sustainability, and we will introduce our Ukraine Project.
MONDAY JANUARY 16
11:00 Orientation. Session and short presentations on major technologies and projects being advanced within and through the Altru Network. Introductions to members and delegates. Overview of 2023 Strategy.
3:00. Graphene Energy Storage. This will be a discussion on this breakthrough in energy storage, which could greatly impact the future of renewable energy.
5:00. Reception.
TUESDAY JANUARY 17
1:00. Investing in Ukraine Now. Discussion on the opportunities in Ukraine. Discussion led by Ukrainian Venture Capitalist Andrey Koloduk,. President of Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association. The session will also introduce the formation of the Altru Ukraine Project.
3: 00 Waste to Energy. Steel Production. The capacity to take waste and turn it into useful fuels represents a significant opportunity. This session will provide a broad overview and explanation of the various approaches. (see story)
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 18
9:30. Technology Showcase. Short presentations on promising companies. Presenting companies include:
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CHAR Technology. Waste to Energy, Hydrogen and Green Coal production. Secondary financing. $20 million.
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TwingTec. Wind power drones. Zurich early stage. Series A of CHF 5 million and 25 million follow on.
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Mint Energy. Project Financing for a battery facility to manufacture Graphene. $30 million
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The Water Company. A biobased and biodegradable water and non-carbonated soda bottle to change the PET bottle industry.
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Verseon. Groundbreaking research to promising novel drug candidates for cardiovascular disease.
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Blue Water Vaccines. The development of a Universal Vaccine.
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Precision Medicine. A diagnostics technology to improve surgical outcomes in breast cancer surgery.
Other companies and projects to be added as nominated by members from firms in Davos during the week. To receive updates, send note to layla@altruinstitute.com.
1:00 Meta Presentation. Lightshed.io will present its Web 3.0 advances. This technology is designed to meet and surpass the challenges of distance, and can create a virtual and augmented reality.
3:00 Ukraine Outlook. The CEO of Ukraine’slargest state-owned enterprise will discuss the challenges of managing and delivering in times of war, and an insider’s outlook for going forward. (see story)
THURSDAY JAN 19
Thursday is dedicated to follow-up sessions resulting from meetings held earlier in the week. Check back for information as it is added.
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Davos 2022 Session Recap.
As such it is an efficient way for Altru to develop its global network of interesting, dynamic, big thinkers interested in collaboration to address complex challenges. At our clubhouse and our parties, dinners, and receptions - hundreds of conversations occur, many of which are transformational. Altru’s 2022 annual meeting was held in May 22-24th and assembled thought leaders to address:
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Refugees. Is there a better way than camps?
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Climate. What technologies offer hope for a solutions?
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Education. Rethinking education post COVID.
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Blockchain for Humanity. Exploring the power of this technology
May 23, Refugee Crisis.
With an overview of how cities may replace camps. Andan Global Cities Chairman Christian Kaelin has been developing a specific action plan to address the fundamental question: “Can we give people a place in which they can build a life?” He’s spent more than a decade on this mission and he’s one of a select group of people who shared their insights at the clubhouse Monday a.m.
The refugee crisis (urbanization in general) is staggering with 10’s of millions being displaced each year. The need is overwhelming. Global leaders in this field convened at the SDG Lab on the previous day at a session called Cities not Camps. We were pleased some of those actively involved could provide a summary of findings.
Kurtis Lockhart of Charter Cities, Michael Castle Miller of Refugee Cities. Sustainable Development Zone Alliance. Chairperson Joachim Ruecker shared the critical need for a new approach.
What is startling is how expensive, overwhelmed, and unsustainable is the current approach. Untold human suffering could be avoided with innovative policies advocated by this group.
As little as $3 million could provide the funding, to put in place communities to move from the informal (non-recognized, non-taxed) to the formal (recognized and taxed). 90% of the economy is informal, meaning very quickly opportunities and lives could be transformed. The wealth creation is tremendous and worthy of discovery.
To bring together thoughtful people seeking to solve this problem is inspirational. Altru is happy to support this effort by hosting a gathering in New York July 28th communicate the important work of these extraordinary people. Let us know if interested.
May 23, 24th Climate Challenge.
Research staff from Altru Institute will presented phase I of findings on the key players globally addressing this challenge with technologies and innovations. Global Climate Ecosystem Report.
Carbon Recapture. Carbon Sequestration. Forestation is regarded as one of the greatest opportunities to address the carbon challenge. A bold innovator from South Africa has such plans. Sundar Bharadwaj, CEO Terragrn described his efforts to utilize bamboo as a tool both as a renewal energy source at as a carbon capture technology. He plans over 100 million hectares planted in Africa in the coming decade.
Lyte Coatings. Mark Cusak, CEO - technology that provides an approach to pulling CO2 described another hopeful technology.
LG Ventures discussed their new venture fund LG NOVA and its potential impact on Climate Technology. Patrick Lin, former Head of Autonomous vehicles at Ford Motors and special Advisor to the White House and director of LG NOVA gave a fascinating look overview of the complexity of this strategy and potential ahead.
The following day we had the chance to see some of the most compelling applications that LG had identified from its LG Challenge, a competition for innovation that reviewed over 1000 applicants. Fascinating presentations on advances in batteries, autonomous cars and electric motorcycles.
South Korea based LG, is one of the world’s largest conglomerates and recognizes the critical need for innovations to find the solutions that can solve the problems. Altru Climate project strategy is to provide that bridge and to create a mechanism whereby this occurs.
Combining large corporations and small startups. The idea of a Corporate Venture Capital Association was discussed which relates to the First Movers Coalition. The WEFs announcement of the FMC was among the most important of the week. It plays into our goal of compressing the time from invention to commercialization. The First Movers Coalition has committed to significant purchases of green projects and services in the difficult fields of steelmaking, aluminum, and transportation.
Next Steps. The innovations are there. What is lacking is the curation, the filtering and the triage to put the right people together, at the right time and right place. This can be helped with machines and AI, but nothing happens until humans meet and connect on a shared path. Helping that is the highest of best use of time. The Davos Summit on Climate and Sustainability for June 2023 is now in the works.
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Tuesday AM. May 24 Blockchain for Humanity.
Medha Parlikar - Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer of Casperlabs has been described by many as one of the pre-eminent blockchain scientists. She spoke at the clubhouse on Tuesday how the blockchain technology offers significant capacity for impact on a humanitarian level.
Vojtech Simetka, a founder and board member of the Blockchain for Humanity Award described its 5 years of finding and promoting projects. He described some of some of the very powerful and inspirational projects. Altru believes that Blockchain technology can be a major tool in our efforts to produce advances.
CEO Ljubomir Samardzic presented the concept of Branded Real estate that accommodates crypto. His firm ICICB a Dubai based Real estate company that has captured two major trends. Sustainability in Real Estate and Crypto Currency. His firm advancing Real Estate developments which among the most sustainable anywhere and plays a role of the branding, as the most prestigious brands in the world, keen to be regarded as sustainable are responding. His firm ICICB was a primary sponsor for the week and for whose contributions made this extraordinary week possible.