Prototyping fund Fall 2024:
Learning new skills and becoming transdisciplinary to address complex societal issues.
On November 25th 2024, Nova SBE KPMG Gallery was bustling with energy and creativity from the 15 projects of the Fall 2024 Prototyping Fund Showcase. The Prototyping Fund is a collaborative program offered by the DESIS Lab @NovaSBE and Nova SBE Haddad Entrepreneurship Institute, created under the project Shaping the World by Innonexus, funded by the European Union (2023-2024).
The projects presented in this 3rd and final cycle under the Shaping the World by Innonexus, were from students from multiple Master’s programs (Management, International Development and Public Policy, Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Finance) and two teams from the Master’s in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at LSE.
The range of projects was as always impressive:
- circularity and upcycling (from creating ceramics from seashells, bricks for house from fisher nets, coffee cups made of coffee waste to lamps built from waste coffee grounds and agricultural straw to a healthy drink from cascara coffee berries or gins from bread),
- sustainability (from a program to encourage participation to ocean and environmental sustainability, to an installation to create awareness about ocean pollution, and eco-friendly digital alternative for everyday transactions)
- health (from healthy food and drinks to an app to support better medical decisions),
- community and inclusion (developing a verifiable documentation solution for migrants, uplifting migrant women’s skills and empower them to enter the workforce through cultural products, co-creating prototypes for a biodegradable sanitary pad with women and youth in Cartagena, Colombia, emotional awareness through storytelling).
We were also delighted to see the progress of three awardees from Spring 2024 (Cascara Collective, Project Homelore and Wasted Gin), who were awarded our Prototyping Phase 2.
All teams took seriously our invitation to make, experiment and test, going outside of the traditional boundaries of a business school. Several of our awardees stressed how the prototyping fund gave them the opportunity to try out and take risk in what they felt was a safe space. All highlighted the learnings that emerged from the process, including the showcase itself where they got a chance to get new insights and connect with more people.
A couple of external visitors were surprised by the nature of the projects and prototypes developed as many require expertise in science and technology. One external visitor told us: “I would not have excepted this kind of projects from business school students. It’s impressive to see how they took on themselves to learn and gain expertise in material or food science.”
On the one hand, this illustrates the power of passion and curiosity. On the other hand, it points to the value of collaboration, in particular transdisciplinary collaboration. All the participants were curious individuals, and extremely passionate about their projects. Thus, they took the time to become experts in new fields. But they were also great at asking for help and connecting with experts in other fields.
We want to give a particular big thank you to André Martins and the team at FabLab Lisboa who this year again has been working with several projects. We are also grateful to Pedro Almeida, Intellectual Property & Technology Transfer Manager at Nova FCT: he has been since the start a great supporter of our program, always looking into ways to connect our students with labs and experts in the Science and Technology School of Nova. We also want to thank all the mentors who met with our phase 2 projects: Bertha Jimenez, Professor of Entrepreneurship at NYU, Joana Casaca Lemos, Design Researcher, the Casa Mendes Gonçalves team, Raj Batra, Founder and CEO of Diistil and Cacimba Gin Company team.
This Prototyping Fund was the third and last one of Shaping the World by Innonexus. However, we have secured funding to run the program again in spring 2025, so stay tune for the call for application.
Looking forward to seeing these projects evolving, supporting a few in our Prototyping Fund Phase 2 and of course, discovering new projects in the spring.
The DESIS Lab Team (Anne-Laure Fayard and Beatriz Bento)
Acknowledgement: The Prototyping Fund was created under the project Shaping the World by Innonexus, funded by the European Union.
CAFECO
Sustainable, biodegradable to-go cups – an eco-friendly solution that supports local cafés, reduces waste, and promotes a circular economy.
How we built it
We tested various materials in the lab, finalizing a mix of coffee grounds and biopolymers. Customization is done with a DHOLETEC DT 1000 laser engraver.
How the prototyped evolved since the 1st cycle
On round 1 of the prototyping fund, we learned how to identify the most important functionalities for our product. On round 2 of the prototyping fund we were able to develop a second product and focus more on the UX design of our solutions.
Top lesson learned
Testing showed the importance of balancing durability and eco-friendliness, guiding us to a coffee ground-biopolymer mix for a sustainable, functional product.
Team
Ji Yen – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Anton Schwarberg – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Moritz Basse – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
CASCARA COLLECTIVE
(all star awardees)
We transform Cascara, the often-overlooked coffee cherry, into a healthy, energizing beverage that supports traditional coffee farmers and embraces a circular economy by reducing organic waste.
How we built it
Sourced Cascara globally, used a Thermomix to refine recipes, a soda stream for carbonation, and a prototyping kitchen for nutritional analysis.
Top lesson learned
Discovered best Cascara flavors by region, optimized ingredient ratios, and gained consumer insights on preferred taste and ideal consumption moments.
How our prototyped evolved
Enhanced carbonation, refined recipe for a balanced taste, deeper understanding of influencing factors, and new insights on functionality and nutrients.
Team
Amelie Lemmen – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Merten Precht-Rümenapf – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Daniel Engler – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Lucas Obermeier – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Luis Warkentin – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
DIGNOTA
Digital Documentation Always Within Reach
A secure digital storage system for life’s most essential documents that allows you to maintain control of your identity and livelihood while on the go.
How we built it
Designed from interviews with immigration lawyers, refugees, and social workers, the main concerns were the importance of consistent, secure access and ease of use.
Top lesson learned
Learning what the most essential, and simplest features of the product were so that they could be tested and refined rapidly to adapt the product.
Team – London School of Business and Economics
Lucas Soto – Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2024 (LSE) Gabriel Hall – BS in Computer Science, 2011
Zack Sheppard – BS in Computer Science, 2011 (Columbia University
EcoSlip
A mobile app and platform that replaces paper receipts with digital versions, helping users track expenses, and store warranties, and see their positive environmental impact.
How we built it
The EcoSlip app prototype was build using Figma and Canva for UI/UX, QR code generators to simulate in-app receipt scanning, and an iPad to display the QR codes.
Top lesson learned
Prototype 1 highlighted the power of simplicity in design, while prototype 2 reinforced that ease and speed in QR interactions can make sustainable habits seamless.
Team
Špela Štrucl – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
ETERA
The project turns plastic waste into durable building blocks as an eco-friendly alternative to environmentally harmful materials, offering a quick solution to plastic pollution and housing shortages.
How we built it
The collected plastic is sorted, shredded, and cleaned. It is then compressed into a mold and briefly heated with heating rods to stabilize the form.
Top lesson learned
Air chambers in plastic blocks enhance strength and insulation, making them more durable and efficient as a building material
Team
Tom Storde – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Project HOMELORE
(all star awardees)
Empowering immigrant women in Lisbon through exploring folk art and textile production: Uncovering their stories and building pathways to employment.
How we built it
The hypothesis explored immigrant women’s experiences in Lisbon and their work outlook through folk art, specifically embroidery. A 2-day workshop with women from the Indian Subcontinent tested this, now expanded into a continuous course currently based at Lisbon Project.
Top lesson learned
This prototyping aimed to craft a visual language for our brand’s future. Many participants knew traditional embroidery techniques, easing our process.
How our prototype evolved
In the Spring’24 PF, we explored motivation toward work and folk crafts. With that confirmed, round two focused on quality control. Diving into four specific embroidery techniques, we aimed to refine product-market fit, identify process gaps, upskill participants, and test quality limits.
Team
Riddhi Varma – Management, 2025
Laura Ferreira – Master in International Development & Public Policy, 2025
NUTRIFLOW
A digital diary for parents to track diet, symptoms, and habits in children with gastrointestinal issues, enabling faster diagnoses and reducing healthcare strain through real-time data.
How we built it
We created a digital prototype based on the main factors for diagnosis considering those diseases. This prototype was tested with parents and doctors.
Top lesson learned
We learned that it is very important to always be open to new ideas and perspectives, only by keeping an open mindset you will be able to truly find your solution!
Team
Joanne Sambou – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Lily Watschina – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Paul Sittler – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Maximilian D’heur – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Tabea D’heur – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
RESHELL
Reusing shell waste by integrating shells into a sustainable ceramic material, helping the ceramic industry reduce environmental impact and meet sustainable demands.
How we built it
We developed 8 ceramic recipes with Mussels Biocalcite. Using FabLab and BioLab equipment, we grinded and calcined shells, modeled samples, and tested firing results.
Top lesson learned
We gained insights into additives’ roles, mastered ceramic production steps, and identified optimal materials for mussel biocalcite integration in sustainable ceramics.
Team
Francesco Dorigo – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2025
Luigi Sbalchiero – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2025
SEEDS
A project to develop a menstruation dignity product with two key criteria: no water usage in its production or use, and economic value generation. We advanced in this purpose through co-design and prototyping workshops.
How we built it
We received mentorship to refine our human-centred approach, we collaborated with local NGOs and conducted three workshops with urban and rural women from Colombia’s Caribbean region.
Top lesson learned
Learning what the most essential, and simplest features of the product were so that they could be tested and refined rapidly to adapt the product.
Team – London School of Business and Economics
Sarah Forero Bustamante
MSc Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (LSE), 2024
Angie Henriquez
MSc Biomedical Engineering (Los Andes University), 2021
Fernando Garcia Ayola
MSc Biomedical Engineering (Los Andes University), 2020
Marcela Beltrán
Menstrual Health and Dignity activist and local facilitator.
SÉTIMA ONDA
A project that links students with NGOs and businesses to boost ocean awareness. By volunteering at beach clean-ups, students earn points for local discounts, building community and environmental care.
How we built it
We aim to raise ocean awareness and boost volunteer efforts like beach clean-ups. Sétima Onda rewards students with points for perks at local businesses, promoting community and environmental action.
Top lesson learned
Over 50% of Nova SBE students haven’t joined beach clean-ups due to lack of awareness and opportunities. We aim to change this by incentivizing student involvement in eco-activities.
Team
Andrea Manzano – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2026
Gabriele Inama – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2026
Lorenzo Forlani – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2026
Moritz Meyer – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2026
SHROOM JERKY
A mushroom-based vegan jerky that offers health-conscious consumers a sustainable, climate-friendly alternative to beef jerky.
How we built it
Made at home using a dehydrator and mixer: the mushrooms were cooked, marinated in a custom blend, and dehydrated to achieve the desired texture and flavour.
Top lesson learned
The importance of selecting the right mushroom type and pre-cooking it and mixing it into a paste before dehydration to eliminate the earthy taste and enhance flavour.
Team
Loïc Lauweriks – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2026
Ines Chougrani – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2026
Levin Hutmatcher – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2026
Victor Liégois – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2026
Vittorio Castelferretto – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
PROJECT UNFOLDED
An interactive workshop format on empathy for Masters students designed using storytelling and collective reflection exercises to foster emotional awareness, team building and deeper relationships.
How we built it
Developed as an interactive workshop with theoretical intro and guided storytelling and reflective exercises, tailored to deepen empathy and strengthen team values.
Top lesson learned
A focused target group amplifies impact – the CEMS program’s shared goals and CEMS students’ diverse backgrounds made them ideal targets for our workshop pilot.
Team
Jan Göhler — Finance & CEMS, 2025
Julius Kaiser — Management & CEMS, 2025
Leonhard Kuenster — International Management & CEMS, 2025
Thierry Brunner — International Management & CEMS, 2025
Jingyao Liu — Business Management & CEMS, 2025
WASTED GIN
(all star awardees)
Transforms surplus bread into a bold, eco-conscious spirit. Merging classic London Dry with vibrant Portuguese orange, each bottle fights food waste and cuts CO2 emissions.
How we built it
Distilled from surplus bread with a hint of Portuguese orange, our gin offers bold flavor and a step toward sustainability with every sip.
Top lesson learned
1. Working with experts grew our knowledge and creativity.
2. Driving product development forward, regardless of any setbacks
How our prototyped evolved
Our focus was on perfecting the gin’s flavor profile, working with a small distillery to test recipes and processes, then hosting tasting events for feedback.
Team
Dang Thuy Ly Pham – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2025
Ingo Schällig – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2025
Paul Goller – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2025
Sophia Marleen Koechy – Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2025
WASTE TO LIGHT
Unique, handmade Mycelium biocomposite desk lamps made of NÃM’s Urban mushroom farm waste.
How we built it
The shiitake mushroom substrate is revalorized into a mycelium biocomposite. The biocomposite
is dried, carved, and transformed into a design desk lamp.
Top lesson learned
The less transformation steps the better. Be fast, try as much prototypes as possible and gather feedback whenever you can.
Team
Vittorio Ferretti di Castelferretto – Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2025
Thank you!
