Download - Springwise weekly | building block bottle caps, and the rest of this week’s most exciting new business ideas — 20-26 February 2014

Transcript

!!!

!!

!YOUR WEEKLY FIX OF ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEAS ! !!

!20-­‐26  February  2014    

Top 10 business ideas & opportunities for 2014!!!

!!

We’ve selected 15 new business ideas that will provide entrepreneurs with plenty of inspiration. Spotted from

countries all around the world, these ideas offer a taste of what’s to come.!

!YOUR WEEKLY FIX OF ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEAS ! !!

!20-­‐26  February  2014    

Bottle caps typically serve a humble purpose and aren’t really thought of as the most practical invention ever — instead, they contribute to more than USD 1 billion worth of plastic waste that ends up in US landfills each year, rather than being recycled. While in the past we have seen initiatives turn them into mini indoor gardens, a new scheme called Clever Caps has redesigned them to give them extra use as Lego-style bricks after they’ve finished their life as a bottle cap.!

Read more about Clever Caps »!  

1.  Eco bottle caps double as Lego blocks!

We’ve already seen how smartphones can be leveraged to aid global causes such as cancer research with Samsung’s Power Sleep app. Now UNICEF is challenging smartphone users to make a difference by ignoring their devices through the Tap Project app, which helps provide a day’s worth of clean water to children in need for every ten minutes users refrain from touching their phone. !

Read more about the Tap Project »!

2.   App promises clean water for kids in need when users simply !ignore their phone!

Weird Of The Week: This is part of a series of articles that looks at some of the most bizarre and niche business ideas we see here at Springwise.!!Sometimes, humans just can’t control themselves and end up doing things they know they’ll regret later. Ideas such as the Kitchen Safe have previously helped h o m e o w n e r s h i d e s n a c k s f r o m themselves, and now iBag is a handbag that automatically locks owners out if it detects they’re about to splash the cash.!

Read more about the iBag »!  

3.  Smart bag can stop shopaholics from overspending!

This is part of a series of articles that looks at entrepreneurs hoping to get their ideas off the ground through crowdfunding. At the time of writing, each of these innovations is currently seeking funding.!!Cyclists often have to deal with poorly planned cycle lanes, dangerous traffic hotspots and even angry motorists, and many have taken to filming their journeys as a way to provide footage in the event of an incident. While products such as the Helmet of Justice have already combined cameras with existing bike equipment, the Fly6 is a rear light with an embedded HD camera that aims to discourage bad behavior on the part of motorists by warning them that they’re being filmed.!

Read more about the Fly6 »!  

4.  Bike light deters dangerous activity behind cyclists!

Web analytics tools are great for website owners who need to know how many visitors they’re getting, where they’re coming from and what content they’re engaging with. However, it’s typically left up to them to figure out the hard part — working out how to optimize content to give readers what they want. Echobox is a new app for content creators that actually gives them actionable tasks to help their writing go viral.!

Read more about Echobox »!  

5.  Analytics platform actually helps boost web traffic!

Thanks to its proximity to the sea, the flat nature of its topography and high levels of precipitation, the Netherlands is a country that is prone to flooding. When rainfall hits cities such as Rotterdam, it can cause closed roads and ruined basements due to the lack of drainage. A i m i n g t o t a c k l e t h i s p r o b l e m , Watersquare Benthemplein is a public space featuring a sports pitch, theater and greenery that automatically becomes a reservoir for excess water during heavy rain.!

Read more about the Watersquare Benthemplein »!  

6.  Multi-use city square built to collect floodwater!

Traveling is all about taking in new experiences and meeting new people, and the latter can be especially important for solo trekkers. While sites like Globetrooper already helps groups looking to plan a journey with likeminded strangers, Backpackr is a new app that lets lone tourists and hikers check in real time when others that share their interests are nearby.!

Read more about Backpackr »!  

7.  App enables on-the-fly meetups with fellow solo! travelers!

It may be easy to send seeds, and even a foldable kit to grow them indoors, through the post — à la Vancouver-based Patch — but flowers have to be hand-delivered due to their fragile nature. That is until online florist Bloom & Wild came along, with its special letterbox size packaging which preserves the freshly cut stems inside.!

Read more about Bloom & Wild »!!

8.  Flower bouquets fit through the mailbox without getting ruined!

Airline food is a common target for criticism by consumers as it often doesn’t match the quality they’re used to back on the ground. However, good food can actually be vital for helping them stay healthy while on board, where the atmosphere is stuffy, stress levels are high and there’s not much room to stretch. Netherlands-based FlyFit has now introduced a range of drinks that help airline passengers counter the effects of flying.!

Read more about FlyFit »!  

9.  Superfruit drinks for fliers tackle jetlag and DVT!

The recruitment industry has already seen its fair share of innovations aiming to better connect employers with skilled workers, from gamified hiring and automatic scoring of coders’ skills. From Germany, Somewhere is a visual b l ogg ing p la t f o rm t ha t enab les freelancers and small teams to show potential employers and clients a more engaging story of their work.!

Read more about Somewhere »!  

10.  In place of text CVs, platform lets freelancers blog their work ! history!

We’ve already seen dedicated services that aim to deliver specific health products to consumers as quickly as possible — such as Dr Ed, the site that gets morning after pills to those that need them in under two hours on a weekend. Now Walgreens and TaskRabbit have collaborated on a scheme that enables housebound flu sufferers to order essentials without leaving their bed.!

Read more about Walgreens and TaskRabbit »!  

11.  Service lets cold and flu victims order instant medication from ! their bed!

You may think that monitoring the locations of fish is a job for marine sc ien t i s ts w i th lo ts o f techn ica l equipment, but the process is becoming much easier. In recent weeks we’ve even seen efforts from a coastal safety charity track sharks so that they tweet when they near the beach. Now FishHunter Sonar is bringing even the time-old art of angling into the 21st century, enabling users to increase their haul by locating fish on their smartphone.!

Read more about the FishHunter Sonar »!  

12.  Smart device lets anglers catch fish with their smartphone!

This is part of a series of articles that looks at entrepreneurs hoping to get their ideas off the ground through crowdfunding. At the time of writing, each of these innovations is currently seeking funding.!!The Internet of Things is already making great headway in connecting home appliances to owners’ smartphones, and consumer vehicles are set to be the next big thing to go digital if demonstrations at this year’s CES are anything to go by. Currently seeking funding through Kickstarter, OBDLink MX WiFi is a small device that enables drivers to use a variety of maintenance tools and dashboard displays through their mobile.!

Read more about the OBDLink MX WiFi »!  

13.  Widget turns any car into a smart vehicle!

Consumers wardrobes can be so vast that it’s hard to keep track of every item — as evidence by the You’ll Never Wear That Again Facebook app, which drags up old photos to show them clothes that could be given to charity. Now Style Puzz le wants to make wardrobe management eas ie r , as we l l as recommending outfits when users can’t decide what to wear.!

Read more about Style Puzzle »!  

14.  App helps anyone get dressed with outfit recommendations ! from their own wardrobe!

We’ve already seen charit ies and nonprofits look towards new technologies to enable easier giving opportunities for consumers, such as CentUp — the scheme that attaches micro-donation buttons to viral content to reward creators and good causes. Now Changefolio is also taking advantage of small donations, enabling shoppers to automatically give money to charities based on the cash they spend on the high street.!

Read more about Changefolio »!  

15.  Micro-donations take a percentage of donors’ daily spending!

What is Springwise?

!Springwise scans the globe for the most promising, unique and innovative business ventures, ideas and concepts that are ready for regional or international adaptation, expansion, partnering, investments or cooperation.!!Springwise headquarters is in close contact with more than 17,000 Springspotters in over 150 countries worldwide, who provide us with details of the latest innovations in their countries. These are compiled and assessed by our editorial team, and the best examples are published to provide entrepreneurial inspiration to our readers around the world!!!Springwise publishes a Daily and a Weekly newsletter, to which you can subscribe for free, they are sent to more than 170,000 people.!!Established in 2002, Springwise is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.!

© 2002-2014 SPRINGWISE FOLLOW SPRINGWISE