Malaysian Wins Shell Global Award
Nov 14, 2018
Jeff Wee from Worming Up emerges grand winner of the Retail Supply Chain category in Shell LiveWIRE Top Ten Innovators Awards.
Kuching – Our very own Malaysian innovator, Jeff Wee from Worming Up received the top award under the Retail Supply Chain category in this year’s Shell LiveWIRE Top Ten Innovators Awards, after defeating two other contestants from the UK and Brazil.
The Shell LiveWIRE Top Ten Innovators Awards is a global competition which highlights and rewards entrepreneurs that demonstrate excellence in innovation. Running for the third time, this year, the awards took place right here in Kuching, Sarawak
This year, the competition had contestants from Nigeria, the UK, France, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia.
“I was truly shocked when I was announced winner of this category as it was unexpected, but I am proud to receive this award as it’s a testament of what Worming Up has achieved thus far. It’s good to know that people believe in my vision. I am truly happy that my team and my work has received recognition globally and this has proved that what I am doing is definitely worth the cause,” expressed Wee who hails from Kuching, founder of WormingUp, an agricultural consultancy specialising in the farming of insects for effective organic waste management.
He further added that the prize and support received from this competition will enable his team to secure their first ever organic waste upcycling centre in Kuching and to enable them to continue playing a part in working with communities to reduce, recycle and repurpose waste in a much larger scale.
Among the innovators who contested in this year’s global competition, two were from Malaysia. The other Malaysian contestant, Haaziq Ibrahim of Ai Brique Engineering Consultancy emerged runner up for the Social Enterprises category. Ai Brique comprises consultants in green technological solutions to improve business operations and energy efficiency.
Winners for the three categories, namely Energy Solutions, Retail Supply Chain and Social Enterprises were announced after an intense business pitch competition. Josh Burton of Metronome Energy from the UK was winner for the Energy Solutions category whilst Nina Nuraniyah of Greenna from Indonesia was awarded winner of the Social Enterprises category.
The nine entrepreneurs were judged by an international panel of business leaders chaired by Joerg Wienke, VP Global Retail Marketing at Shell.
“It’s been incredibly inspiring to see passionate entrepreneurs from around the world share innovative business ideas designed to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues,” said Joerg Wienke, VP Global Retail Marketing, Shell. “Achieving a truly sustainable retail business will only be possible by doing things differently. We want to partner with creative thinkers like those in this year’s Top Ten Innovators so that we can leverage their innovative mindset to improve the sustainability of our business whilst supporting them to turn their enterprising ideas into viable and long-term businesses”
Other members of the panel were: Gaurav Gupta, Regional Director Asia and Energy Lead at Dalberg; Esther Wang, previous winner and Founder of Joytingle; Gwen Abiola-Oloke, Investment Director of Western Africa at GroFin; and Nurfarini Daing, Co-Founder and CEO of myHarapan, Youth Business Foundation, Malaysia.
The winner of each category received a top prize of US $20,000 and the two runners-up from each category received a prize of US $10,000 each. All nine winners received an award package, including mentoring support by a Shell expert, the opportunity to benefit from market linkages and the possibility to be considered as a vendor to Shell’s Retail business.
The complete list of the 2018 Top Ten Innovator finalists are as follows:
| Energy Solutions | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Metronome Energy | UK | Metronome Energy has developed low-cost technology which balances demands on the national energy grid during peak times. |
| Runners-up | Country | Description |
| HySiLabs | France | HySiLabs delivers a unique energy transportation solution, not requiring energy to release hydrogen. |
| Alternate Energy Ltd. | Nigeria | Alternate Energy provides solar and wind powered community solutions, including water treatment and off-grid solar farms. |
| Retail Supply Chain | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WormingUp | Malaysia | WormingUp is an agricultural consultancy specialising in the farming of insects for effective organic waste management. |
| Runners-up | Country | Description |
| Wonky Drinks | UK | Get Wonky makes sustainable fruit juices from misshapen fruits, relieving farmers of stock going to waste. |
| Terravixta | Brazil | Terravixta’s Plástico Precioso collects and distributes waste plastics to collectors and artisan cooperatives. |
| Social Enterprises | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Greenna | Indonesia | Greenna’s waste management solutions create fashionable products from recycled plastics. |
| Runners-up | Country | Description |
| Mulheres Do Sul Global | Brazil | Mulheres Do Sul Global economically empower women refugees by supporting their self-employment as seamstresses. |
| Ai Brique | Malaysia | Ai Brique are consultants in green technological solutions to improve business operations and energy efficiency. |
| Outstanding Achievement | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|
| De-Rabacon Plastics | Nigeria | De-Rabacon Plastics is a social enterprise that recycles end-consumer plastics into viable commercial products. |
As part of the Top Ten Innovators event, the entrepreneurs visited a Shell Retail station to collaborate and co-create innovative ideas with Shell operations and marketing employees to enhance the sustainability of the Retail business and support local communities.
Top Ten Innovators is a worldwide competition open to the alumni of the Shell LiveWIRE programme. Its objective is to reward exceptional examples of innovation within businesses supported by the programme and to create a cohort of role models to inspire young entrepreneurs across the globe. In Malaysia, this programme is held annually in Sabah and Sarawak.
This year’s Awards were held in partnership with Shell Retail with the aim of identifying outstanding Shell LiveWIRE businesses which can enhance the sustainability of Shell Retail business and operations.
Jeff Wee
Jeff receiving his prize from the judges
Haziq receiving his prize
Jeff with runners up and the judges
NOTE TO EDITORS:
About Shell LiveWIRE
Shell LiveWIRE supports business development in countries where we have operations. The Shell LiveWIRE programme helps entrepreneurs to start their own business, turning their ideas into sustainable sources of income helping to create jobs and stimulate local economic growth in the 17 participating countries.
For 36 years, the programme provides business skills, training and workshops; business start-up grants and awards; and links entrepreneurs to opportunities in sectors that contribute to the local economy. The programme also helps to facilitate access to finance, incubation, business acceleration, access to markets, technology and mentoring.
For further Media Enquiries, please contact:
PREMA JAYABALAN
Senior Manager, Media Relations and Issue Management, Shell Malaysia
Email: prema.jayabalan@shell.com
About Shell – www.shell.com.my
Shell is a global leader in power, energy, and gas technology and is working to meet increasing energy demand and supply challenges by delivering smarter products and cleaner energy, infrastructure, and by developing new energy sources while addressing the impact on the environment. Malaysia is one of Shell’s heartlands. The history of Royal Dutch Shell in Malaysia started more than 125 years ago. Shell currently has a strong market presence in the upstream and downstream sector in Malaysia.