The Con X Tech Prize (CXTP) is a prototyping competition series launched by Conservation X Labs in 2018 with a mission to bring technological innovation to bear on the hardest conservation challenges. In its first three rounds, the competition received 389 project submissions from 574 team members across 59 countries, and funded 60 ideas.
In early 2024, with support of Schmidt Futures and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, we launched the fourth round: CXTP: The Amazon, a global competition seeking cutting-edge science and tech innovations to transform the Amazon's destructive, extractive economies into modern, regenerative ones. The CXTP was designed to democratize innovation within the Amazon itself, awarding extra points to teams with members from the region.
The open period concluded in May with a remarkable turnout of 112 submitted solutions, marking a pivotal moment to reflect on the incredible journey of connecting with innovators across the region. Achieving this goal required a multi-strategy approach that went beyond traditional efforts. We employed in-person and virtual events, one-on-one meetings across the Amazon region with partners, a digital campaign, and direct scouting of innovators.
Events: Meetings for Collaboration
Convening innovators and invested community members became a critical part of our strategy and success. We hosted a series of in-person events in strategic locations across the Amazon region, including in Lima and Iquitos, Peru, and Bogota, Colombia. Representatives from conservation organizations, academic institutions, government bodies, and innovation centers came together to discuss the unique challenges of the Amazon and brainstorm potential solutions, making these events vital platforms for fostering dialogue and collaboration. These gatherings were not just about brainstorming; they also raised awareness of the Con X Tech Prize. By highlighting the competition at these events, we reached a broader audience and attracted diverse applications from passionate individuals and teams.
Diving Deeper Through Webinars
Beyond in-person events, we hosted 3 webinars to share the competition details. These interactive sessions explored various avenues for intercontinental collaboration and showcased the success stories of past innovators, providing valuable insights and inspiration for interested participants. You can access recordings of the sessions here.
Matchmaking for Innovation
Building on this momentum, we hosted a matchmaking innovation session, which provided a platform for individuals and teams with complementary skill sets to connect and form collaborative units. We offered this matchmaking element to enable more creative innovation, more effective teams, and ultimately greater impact.
Over 80 participants from 18 different countries signed up for this process, highlighting the global reach and potential impact of the initiative. The process itself yielded 5 brand new innovator teams who all applied to the competition. These teams brought together individuals from outside the Amazon region with community members in the Amazon. We are excited to evaluate the impact of adding this matchmaking element to our innovation process.
Expanding Our Reach: Building Relationships with Innovation Centers
Our journey didn’t end with events. Through numerous in-person meetings led by our Acceleration Manager, Rolando Cruzado, we actively connected with innovation centers across Colombia, Brazil, and Peru. These meetings fostered valuable relationships and significantly expanded our reach within the regional innovation ecosystem.
By the Numbers
After this successful campaign, we received 112 ideas from 112 teams across 18 countries. Solutions were nearly evenly split, with 49% focusing on the Replacements theme and 51% on the Practices theme. Of the 352 individuals from these teams, 44.6% were from countries in the Amazon region, reflecting our primary goal of incentivizing innovation within the region.
A Heartfelt Thank You
This successful campaign wouldn't have been possible without the invaluable support of our partners: Reddi, Kuo, Scale, Venture HubBio, the Hermilio Valdizan National University and its accelerator, Incuval Ventures, Red de Impacto, and Idesam. We are truly grateful for the contributions of all participants and partnering organizations.
Stay tuned this Wednesday, July 31, for the announcement of the finalists who will develop their prototypes during the the rest of 2024, continuing to build regenerative economies in the Amazon.
