In 2019, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste partnered with Plug and Play to run accelerator programs for its End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform. These programs run across three hubs over the span of two years. Each program is a 90-day, highly structured curriculum that will accelerate the highest-potential startups tackling plastic waste. The first two of these programs took place in Silicon Valley and Paris.

Today, we are calling for applications for the Asia-Pacific leg. Led by the Singapore Plug and Play Hub in partnership with the Alliance, we will identify, select and support 10 startups to enroll in the 90-day accelerator program. The startups will undergo a 12-week curriculum that will run until October.

More than half of the 8 million tons of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans every year comes from five countries in Asia. Recognising this challenge, a first-of-its-kind agreement aimed at tackling marine debris was signed at the 34th ASEAN SUMMIT. Often cited at the Summit was technology breakthrough as a focus for solving this global issue.

We invite all startups and innovators in the Asia Pacific region to seek innovations within or across the plastic value chain to help tackle this challenge. Please apply here for the program and applications are open until Monday, April 6, 2020. The program will conclude in an expo where shortlisted applications present their ideas to the Alliance, the Plug and Play network, corporations and other venture capitalists for investment.

Read about start-ups from the Silicon Valley’s program here.