'FUNGI' IDEA WINS €500,000

Runner-up gets surprise €100,000

Amsterdam, 25 September 2008 – For his revolutionary building material, Eben Bayer has won this year's PICNIC Green Challenge, the international creative competition of the Dutch Postcode Lottery and cross-media event PICNIC. Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Lodewijk Asscher presented the €500,000 prize to the 23-year-old American. The jury said Bayer’s idea could decrease CO2 emissions on a world scale and lead to a revolution in the building industry.

Greensulate, the insulation material he and his team invented, consists of biological waste material treated with a special fungus. The prize money will enable him to bring it onto the market by 2010. "With his insulation material Greensulate, Bayer shows the power of combining creativity, sustainability and entrepreneurship in the fight against climate change. This is what the PICNIC Green Challenge is all about," Asscher said.

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In total, 235 people entered the contest, sending in ideas for products and services that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The jury praised the high quality of this year's pool of entries.

After the four finalists' presentations, the Dutch Postcode Lottery unexpectedly awarded an extra €100,000 prize to a runner-up. That was Capra J'neva, whose company Veranda Solar has developed easy-to-use solar panels. "Her consumer-friendly idea can give the use of solar panels an enormous boost," said the jury.

The other two finalists were Jochen Mundinger of Switzerland, who developed a software tool for planning eco-friendly, efficient travel, and Peter Yeadon of the United States, who created an intelligent shading system for windows and glass facades.

"The Dutch Postcode Lottery seeks to make a difference by supporting creative entrepreneurship," said Marieke van Schaik of the Dutch Postcode Lottery. "It is important that everybody is aware that the climate is changing – but it is even more important to act."

"PICNIC aims to bring people together, entrepreneurs in particular," said Bas Verhart of PICNIC. "It's fantastic to see how the Challenge accomplishes this."