Now in its fifth edition, the world’s largest startup competition, Richard Branson’s Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), has just announced their top ten finalists.
Three of the top ten companies utilize blockchain technology.
- Liven: A rewards-based lifestyle payment platform out of Australia that connects users, merchants, charities in a seamless payments experience powered by the blockchain. Liven allows users to discover new experiences, pay bills and earn a meaningful reward that they can use anywhere within our network with a transparent dollar-value, or share with a charity of their choosing.
- BitLumens: Provides decentralized power to rural communities which are not connected to the power line using the blockchain to provide them with a credit score. Founded in Switzerland, BitLumens offers farmers solar home systems which can be paid in installments.
- Last Of Ours: Bringing people together to protect our planet’s endangered species and natural zones by creating shared value between social entertainment and real-world impact. From Thailand, the team created a digital mirror on the blockchain where every unique token represents a real endangered animal living in the wild, one-to-one.
After a competition in January, the finalists will be narrowed down to three before the winner will be announced on Branson’s Necker Island next April.
Rounding out the top ten are ActiveProtective, Civic Eagle, Einride, Liven, Lynq, re:3D and WeWALK.
Power Ledger, an Australian company utilizing blockchain technology to trade and promote clean energy around the world, won the last XTC.
