Winners of SME Bank Sandbox Swiss Innovation Challenge 2024

It has been another remarkable year for innovation and entrepreneurship at the SME Bank Sandbox Competition 2024 (SSSIC). With 439 submissions received, the competition saw fierce creativity and determination from participants. After a rigorous screening process, 68 teams were shortlisted, and now, 19 exceptional finalists have emerged—10 from the Open Category and 9 from the Tertiary Category. The Open Category included start-ups, spin-offs, and companies with fewer than five years of establishment, while the Tertiary Category featured teams from public and private higher learning institutions across Malaysia.

This year, the competition placed strong emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and social impact, reflecting the growing importance of aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Open Category

Neoteric Engineering
Grand Champion
RM30,000
(Representing Malaysia to present their winning innovation project in Switzerland)

Profeather
1st Runner Up
RM20,000

Materials In Works (MIW)
2nd Runner Up
RM15,000

Neoteric Engineering Sdn Bhd is revolutionizing farming and agribusiness with its Data-Driven Precision Plantation initiative. By integrating advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, and satellite data, they are transforming agricultural practices for greater efficiency and sustainability.

Profeather is an innovative venture that transforms chicken feather waste into high-protein feather meal (80% protein content), offering a cost-effective and sustainable solution for the animal feed industry.

Materials In Works (MIW) is pioneering the upcycling of residual paper liner waste from the label packaging industry into high-quality recovered cellulose pulp. This initiative directly addresses environmental concerns such as landfill overuse and raw material shortages in Malaysia, a net importer of pulp.

Tertiary Category

FarmE
Champion
RM20,000

Smart Link Innovation
1st Runner Up
RM15,000

REMORA
2nd Runner Up
RM10,000

FarmE is a comprehensive digital service platform designed to optimize both traditional solar farms and innovative agrivoltaics systems, where solar energy production is combined with agricultural activities. FarmE utilized AI-powered digital twin simulations, real-time monitoring, and predictive maintenance. Blockchain for secure energy transaction data management.

Smart Link Innovation brings EcoWatch, an advanced water pollution monitoring and detection system that leverages IoT technology and machine learning to provide real-time, accurate water quality assessments. It is designed for local government agencies and environmental organizations.

Project REMORA is a smartphone-based spectrometer that analyzes and tracks water pollutant sources. The solution consists of REMORA Lens and the REMORA Tracking app, offering optimized analysis with various convenience.