SINGULARITY UNIVERSITY 2015 IMPACT REPORT

SINGULARITY UNIVERSITY 2015 IMPACT REPORT

1

Prosperity and growth are no longer measured only by wealth and revenue generated, but also by the rate at which new solutions to humanity’s challenges are created and become widely available. The Singularity University community embraces the remarkable opportunity to harness new and accelerating technologies to solve global grand challenges.


WORKING TOWARDS IMPACT There is a rapidly growing movement focused on the vision for an abundant future through technology and innovation as catalysts for change. Intrinsic to this vision is the shift we are witnessing toward an economy of the future in which prosperity and growth are no longer measured only by wealth and revenue generated as inherited from our traditional economy of the 20th century, but also by the rate at which new solutions to humanity’s challenges are created and become widely available. This is a significant paradigm shift in the way we think and act in the world. The difficult challenges facing the world today are well beyond the scope of any single player to address. Solutions will depend on cooperation among community leaders, corporate executives, educational professionals and government officials who increasingly understand that a prosperous economy means solving problems at scale. Businesses are key to this new paradigm. Global challenges become new market opportunities, generating revenue and growth for businesses and that of the overall economy, while simultaneously creating and making available solutions that will improve people’s lives in tangible ways. In the long-term, the interests of businesses and society will converge. Benefit corporations are integral to an abundant future. Started five years ago, there are now over 1500 registered benefit corporations in the United States. Although the idea of sustainable practices and socially conscious capitalism is not new, what is new is the legislative effort sweeping throughout the United States–and creeping worldwide–to create a legal framework that focuses on social and environmental benefits while still being accountable to shareholders. As a California benefit corporation, we seek to inspire our community to focus on exponential technologies through innovation and entrepreneurship. Our community, in turn, generates ideas and gives birth to products and services that together work toward solving humanity’s grand challenges. The Singularity University 2015 Impact Report highlights our organizational success and that of our community to scale impact globally in 2014 and cumulatively since our founding in 2008. In the following pages, we report our progress toward our ambitious milestones we established this past year to scale impact globally by 2020. We also highlight our 2014 impact in our three core areas—Education, Innovation and Community, and share the impact our alumni community has had in each of our Global Grand Challenge areas. The future is now. Have impact today.

Emeline Paat-Dalstrom / Chief Impact Officer

3

ABOUT US

Our mission is to educate, inspire and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges.

Singularity University (SU) is a California benefit corporation headquartered at NASA Research Park in Silicon Valley. SU provides educational programs, innovative partnerships and a business accelerator to help individuals, businesses, institutions, investors, NGOs and governments understand cutting-edge technologies and how to utilize these technologies to positively impact billions of people. From our inception in 2008, we have empowered individuals from more than 93 countries to apply exponentially growing technologies— artificial intelligence & robotics, biotechnology, nanotechnology & digital fabrication, and networks & computing systems—to address humanity’s grand challenges: education, energy, environment, food, global health, poverty, security, space and water.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

9

Scaling Impact Globally Progress Towards Our 2020 Milestones

15

Impact Assessment Measuring Our 2014 Impact

23

The Global Grand Challenges Showcasing Our Community’s Impact

43

Singularity University Timeline Creating Impact One Year at a Time

5

At every stage of our work, we are committed to creating programs, activities and initiatives in our three core areas—education, innovation and community— that achieve the maximum impact they can have towards solving humanity’s grand challenges.


EDUCATION Educational programs at Singularity University offer a blueprint for defining global challenges, sourcing exponentially growing and disruptive technologies, and developing solutions to achieve the greatest impact. Cross-disciplinary education dedicated to solving humanity’s global grand challenges.

Futures-oriented curriculum that keeps pace with technology developments.

World-class practitioners and experts who provide unique perspective on exponential thinking.

Custom programs focused on the evolving needs of specific industries and regions.

INNOVATION Powered by a global network, SU Labs helps organizations of all sizes learn how to apply technology, innovation and entrepreneurship to develop sustainable businesses and positively impact billions of lives. A startup accelerator that helps entrepreneurs build companies that apply disruptive technologies to addressing global challenges.

An innovation lab with the latest technologies and tools that facilitate rapid prototyping and iteration.

C orporate programs that help small teams of intrapreneurs apply disruptive technologies and incubate ideas away from headquarters.

A ccess to a network of mentors, advisors, investors and potential collaborators within the Silicon Valley ecosystem.

COMMUNITY Singularity University collaborates with our alumni and partners to bring exponential thinking, programming and resources to other regions to empower communities to find resilient solutions to local and global grand challenges. Alumni and mentors who bring awareness to solving humanity’s global grand challenges.

Ambassadors who spearhead local innovation and partnerships in their regions.

Partnerships that drive breakthrough business models and positive global impact.

Investors and philanthropists who provide critical resources to strengthen existing programs and launch new initiatives for future growth and impact.

7


PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR 2020 MILESTONES

9

2020 EDUCATION MILESTONE

Educate 1 million people OUR PROGRESS THROUGH 2014

8,689 people educated Data collected from our programs, activities and initiatives.


11

2020 INNOVATION MILESTONE

Catalyze 1,000 impact initiatives OUR PROGRESS THROUGH 2014

109 impact initiatives Data collected from our programs, activities and initiatives, as well as data self-reported by SU alumni and participants.

2020 COMMUNITY MILESTONE

Expand to 150 countries 2014 PROGRESS

Present in 93 countries Countries highlighted in bold represent new additions as of 2014. Albania Algeria Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Bermuda Brazil Bulgaria Canada Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt Estonia Ethiopia Finland France Georgia German Germany Ghana

Greece Guatemala Guernsey Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Lebanon Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mexico Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Nigeria Norway Pakistan

Data self-reported by SU alumni and participants.

Palestinian Territories Panama Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Tunisia Turkey Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam


13

Education

Innovation

Community


MEASURING OUR 2014 IMPACT

15

Educational Programs 1775

2014 Participants

2721

Cumulative Participants

EXPONENTIAL CONFERENCE SERIES (XCS) These 2–4 day events explore how exponentially accelerating technologies are impacting individual verticals.

SUMMITS These 2–4 day events, held in key international cities, expand people’s understanding of how to use exponential technologies to create positive change and economic prosperity.

873

735

2014

1426 Cumulative

INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (IPP) A joint venture between XPRIZE and Singularity University, presented by Deloitte, IPP brings together Fortune 500 and Silicon Valley’s brightest technologists, entrepreneurs, innovators and business strategists to create breakthrough innovations to harness the power of disruptive technologies and crowd-sourced wisdom. INDIVIDUALS

ORGANIZATIONS

167

51

298

99

2014

Cumulative

2014

Cumulative

2014

997

Cumulative

CUSTOM PROGRAMS Based on the Executive Program curriculum, Custom Programs are tailored to the needs of a specific industry for corporations, nonprofits and governments.

2978 2014

4393 Cumulative


“Everything we do is centered on building global awareness of the dynamic forces of exponential technologies happening today that are going to transform our societies and economies of tomorrow.“ —Rob Nail, CEO & Associate Founder / Singularity University

3429 5950 2014 Alumni

Cumulative Alumni

EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS (EP) A week-long intensive and interactive program for business, government and investment executives, covering the technologies and tools that today’s innovators and leaders need to understand to keep pace with the wave of accelerating change and outperform their peers.

357 2014

1099 Cumulative

GRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAM (GSP) A 10-week summer program that convenes future leaders, entrepreneurs and technologists from around the world to develop team-based technology solutions to widespread global challenges.

EXPONENTIAL YOUTH CAMP (XYC) A 5-week pilot program that empowers young future leaders with life-changing, hands-on education and encourages them to build solutions to global grand challenges using exponential technology. The XYC pilot program launched in 2014.

80

14

2014

444

Cumulative

*Cumulative numbers represent data collected from launch through 2014.

2014

17

Innovation Activities Data collection for SU Companies started in 2013. SU COMPANIES Through Startup Accelerator and Entrepreneur-In-Residence programs, we support companies applying exponential technologies to solve the world’s most intractable problems. Startup teams receive guidance, resources and access to a vast global network to accelerate their growth.

30 2014

34

Cumulative

CORPORATE LAB Large organizations can send small entrepreneurial teams to SU Labs to stop strategizing and PowerPointing about innovation and start taking action. We help teams tackle business challenges and experiment using exponential technologies and emerging methods like science fiction prototyping and biommicry. We connect them to entrepreneurs and experts to accelerate time-to-market. Program launched in 2014.

4

2014

PATENTS

26

Cumulative SU COMPANIES CAPITAL

$144,285,500 Cumulative

OPEN INNOVATION CHALLENGE An experiment to test the ability to tap into the SU network for ideas around the Future of X. Participants were asked to help The Hershey Company reimagine their future in a digital world. Program launched in 2014.

1

2014

FIELD INNOVATION EXCHANGE (FIX) An exchange program enabling members of our community to visit Impact Partner field sites around the world, and for those Impact Partners to send entrepreneurs-in-residence to our headquarters at NASA Research Park. Launched in 2014.

1

2014

*Cumulative numbers represent data collected from launch through end of year 2014.


“SU Labs operates at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship and technology. By bringing together incredible thinkers and doers, deep domain expertise in exponentially accelerating technologies and a tightly woven partner network, we tackle humanity’s grand challenges. This is incredibly powerful.” —Pascal Finette, Managing Director, SU Startup Lab & Interim VP, Global Development / Singularity University

19

Community Initiatives “The SU global community is ‘fidgety with a purpose,’ eager to get out in the world and figure out how to impact a billion-person problem. That is transformational, and we’re humbled to be a part of it.” —Ann Rogan, Director, Global Development / Singularity University


FACULTY ENGAGEMENTS SU faculty provide knowledge and real-world expertise on a global scale through speaking engagements, expert consultations and custom executive programs.

AMBASSADORS Community Ambassodrs are alumni of various SU programs who are appointed to build communities and represent SU in various countries.

294

46

2014

871

Cumulative

EXPONENTIAL ADVISORY BOARD (XAB) The XAB is an exclusive group of individuals advising SU’s strategic vision. The board participates in SU’s leadership conversations, special events and priority investment opportunities in SU Labs companies. MEMBERS

6

2014

12

Cumulative

IMPACT PARTNERS Partnerships with NGOs, private companies, governments, foundations, academic institutions and other forwardthinking organizations to focus on working together to solve Global Grand Challenges.

5

2014 Members

7

Cumulative

2014

67

Cumulative

SINGULARITY HUB SU’s official news network provides thoughtful coverage on the singularity, longevity, nanotech, robotics, genetics, artificial intelligence, the brain and the future.

576,940

2014 Average Monthly Page Views

GLOBAL IMPACT COMPETITIONS (GIC) Organized by geography and theme, these competitions are held in partnership with sponsor organizations worldwide to inspire innovative ideas for impacting millions of lives globally. Winners are invited to attend the Graduate Studies Program. COMPETITIONS

18 2014

55

Cumulative

WINNERS

25 2014

77

Cumulative

SPONSORS

31 2014

94

Cumulative

APPLICANTS

1835 2014

*Cumulative numbers represent data collected from launch through end of year 2014.

2894 Cumulative

21

SHOWCASING OUR COMMUNITY’S IMPACT


23

WHY THESE CHALLENGES? Accelerating technologies and abundance thinking create entirely new and unprecedented opportunities to solve humanity’s grand challenges. Yes, you read that correctly—solve. At Singularity University, we focus on nine Global Grand Challenges (GGCs): Education, Energy, Environment, Food, Global Health, Poverty, Security, Space and Water. Our approach incorporates three key objectives: 1) Ensure basic needs are met for all people, 2) Sustain and improve quality of life; and 3) Mitigate future risks. GGCs are complex, interrelated and interdependent. By solving for a water challenge, a health challenge becomes more achievable. In the case of a global food challenge, a solution may lead to environmental sustainability. Our chosen GGCs derive from and relate to other efforts at identifying humanity’s grand challenges, including the United Nations Millennial Development Goals, The Millennium Project 15 Global Challenges, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Global Challenges. Whereas these efforts identify specific challenge areas for innovation and/ or intermediary targets to be achieved, our GGCs are framed to be achievable (are within our reach to solve!).

GGC: EDUCATION Access to skills and information for all people at all stages of their lives for personal fulfillment and benefit to society.

42

EDUCATION IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS

22

RESEARCH

4

INNOVATIONS

14

POLICY

2

Data self-reported by SU alumni and participants. Includes data from SU Labs Portfolio Companies.

SU COMPANIES

These organizations were part of SU Labs Portfolio Companies in 2014, and are included in the total number for organizations.


25

IMPACT STORY An Open Source Education For the Next Generation of Innovators As the pace of technological progress accelerates, it can seem difficult to keep up. Skills that served one generation may well become outdated for the next—or even within the same—generation. How can we keep pace? One institution has an unparalleled ability to foster a world of resilient citizens: learning and education. That’s why Mehackit, an educational organization founded by GSP 2013 alumnus Henrietta Kekäläinen, is building open source curricula that teaches teenagers between the ages sixteen to twenty how to understand and use technology to innovate. “Our world is always separating into winners and losers in terms of technology knowledge,” said Kekäläinen. Students worldwide tend to have access to the consumer side of technology—smartphones, tablets, other gadgets—but rarely do they have an understanding of what Kekäläinen calls the “messy” side of technology; how things are put together and the architecture behind the devices and programs nearly everyone uses.

alumni Henrietta

Further, in her homeland of Finland, new studies show students feel increasingly disinterested in their primary education, mainly because they feel lessons don’t reflect the real world. Mehackit is currently testing a technologically broad, 718week curriculum that teaches students to engage with technology as a tool, rather than a product. Using “personal learning paths” over traditional lesson plans, students work at their own pace, tinkering and prototyping using code, robotics, sensors, Arduino boards, and more. Eventually, Mehackit plans to reach global educational markets beyond their current targets within Finland and Sweden by releasing their curriculum as an open source download for educators. Founding Mehackit after years working in diplomacy, Kekäläinen said, “If I don’t reach my goal of saving the world, these young people are my backup.”

Kekäläinen

program Graduate

Studies Program 2013

tech Robotics location Finland,

expanding to Sweden

“I’ve always had this thing in mind that I need to do something that has an impact. At SU, it was the first time I felt there were 80 other people around me who also thought, ‘If I don’t do something, who will?’ Being around like-minded people gave me renewed hope and strengthened my direction. It’s an intense experience, but the people who you are among are absolutely incredible, and SU pushes you forward and gives you so much in every possible way.” —Henrietta Kekäläinen, Founder / Mehackit

GGC: ENERGY Ample, accessible and sustainable energy for the needs of humanity.

5

ENERGY IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS

1

RESEARCH

2

INNOVATIONS

2

POLICY Data self-reported by SU alumni and participants. Includes data from SU Labs Portfolio Companies.

SU COMPANIES This organization was part of SU Labs Portfolio Companies in 2014, and is included in the total number for organizations.


IMPACT STORY Turning Highways Into Solar Farms With SolarPaint The battle between fossil fuels and renewable energy sources is often viewed through political lenses, but Eran Maimon, co-founder and CTO of SolarPaint, doesn’t care to talk about climate change or energy politics. Maimon and his company are pragmatic problem-solvers. SolarPaint is working to create paint that produces solar energy on any surface, allowing already-existing infrastructure to cheaply produce solar power. “We are going to run out of fossil fuels, and the sun is just a much bigger source of energy. So, we should just use it,” said Maimon. In 2014, Maimon won Singularity University’s Global Innovation Challenge in Israel with his SolarPaint idea, earning him a scholarship for that summer’s Graduate Studies Program. SolarPaint recognizes that one of the primary limiting factors in collecting solar energy today is the need to collect it from a very large area. Consider, for example, the size of a solar field, or the relatively little energy that comes from an individual home’s rooftop solar panels. Then Maimon realized the world is already covered with flat surfaces that sit in the sun every day — roadways. In the United States alone, there are over 80,000 square kilometers of road surface. Generating sSolar energypanels operating at only 5% efficiency over that amount of area could produce twice the electricity currently used in the U.S. For comparison, an average conversion efficiency rate for panels currently on the market is about 15%. Using nanotechnology, SolarPaint has a working proof-of-concept prototype of an energy-producing paint that is durable and cheap to implement, compared to traditional panels. They’re working towardon more commercially viable solar paint with greater efficiency and a lifespan of up to 10 years. Whether applied to driveways, rooftops, or highway systems, SolarPaint could be paving the way toward dependable and sustainable energy.

“SU helped me not to be afraid to think big. I met like-minded people who are amazing and pushed me forward with support and enthusiasm about what I could achieve. Above all, I met friends for life! Now, everywhere I go around the world I have a community of people I can spend days with thinking of solutions to big problems.” —Eran Maimon, Founder & CTO / SolarPaint

alumni Eran

Maimon

program Graduate

Studies Program 2014, Global Impact Competiton Israel 2014

tech Nanotechnology location Israel

27

GGC: ENVIRONMENT Sustainable and equitable stewardship of Earth ecosystems both globally and locally.

SU COMPANIES These organizations were part of SU Labs Portfolio Companies in 2014, and are included in the total number for organizations.

“What makes SU unique is its technology-driven humanism. I know of nowhere else that is able to so successfully combine a passion for innovation and exponential technologies with a commitment to leaving a lasting positive impact on the world.” —Bryce Goodman, Co-founder / BlueOak


18

ENVIRONMENT IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS

12

RESEARCH

3

INNOVATIONS

2

POLICY

1

29


IMPACT STORY Finding Value in Discarded Devices to End Electronic Waste Electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, with over 50 million tons of e-waste generated every year. In the U.S., an estimated 80% of highly toxic consumer e-waste is sent to landfills, while the remaining 20% is largely sent to developing nations ill-equipped to handle the volume of waste they receive. The city of Guiyu, China, a common destination for e-waste, receives 4,000 tons of it per hour. Meanwhile, e-waste also contains many precious metals and other useful industrial materials that are literally being thrown away.

One ton of e-waste can contain as much pure gold as 70 tons of gold ore. Globally, less than 1% of rare earth metals used in electronics—a class of materials that are quite useful but toxic to refine—are recycled at all. Last year, BlueOak raised an additional $35 million and broke ground on a first-of-its-kind refining facility in Arkansas with plans to process 15 million pounds of e-waste. By designing and implementing a plasma-based system to melt e-waste, BlueOak is able to reduce emissions from their refinery by 95% compared to traditional methods for melting electronics, while also harvesting precious metals.

BlueOak Resources, co-founded by former SU faculty advisor Priv Bradoo and GSP 2010 graduate Bryce Goodman, is developing domestic facilities The team hopes their approach will disrupt entire supply chains. $12 billion is spent annually discovering new deposits of precious metals, while to recycle and harvest e-waste materials in an environmentally friendly, the vast majority of electronics with precious metals already in them are sustainable way. simply tossed out. BlueOak wants to put an end to that waste. “Currently, there are no truly dedicated solutions for creating value from e-waste, particularly in the U.S.,” said Bradoo. BlueOak hopes to build several domestic “mini-refineries” to recover high-value elements within e-waste, and their prospects are promising.

alumni Priv

Bradoo, Bryce Goodman

program Graduate


tech Environmental location United

& Energy Systems

States

GGC: FOOD Access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life for all people at all times.


alumni Sarah

Sclarsic

program Graduate


tech Biotechnology location United

States

IMPACT STORY

5

FOOD IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS

2

RESEARCH

1

INNOVATIONS

2


Animal Protein Without Animals, Food Without Environmental Degradation “If you’re looking at the global impact of food production, you have to address meat. It’s the single biggest contributor to climate change,” said Sarah Sclarsic, Business Director of Modern Meadow. In addition to emitting greenhouse gases, resource-intensive meat production and agribusiness also negatively impact local ecosystems.

to produce.They require no additional feed or an excess of water to produce. Initial taste testers say they are “delicious.” (Imagine something like a beef-flavored potato chip.) Though Modern Meadow doesn’t use the word “meat,” the protein is, technically and scientifically, pure cow muscle. It’s perfectly fit for human consumption. What’s more, the proteins produced have a higher nutritional profile than traditionally grown beef and, because they are grown in a sterile lab, are actually safer for consumption than any meat ever eaten.

Sclarsic was a student in the first-ever Singularity University Graduate Studies Program in 2009, which is where she first learned of Modern Meadow and its ambitious goals to culture animal proteins for use in food. In 2012, Modern Meadow was accepted into the biotechnology accelerator that later became SU Labs, which is when Sclarsic—who had The implications are enormous. Agricultural practices require significant graduated from the first-ever GSP 2009—learned of company and its amounts of water, land, and other resources; encroach on ecosystems; ambitious goals to culture animal proteins for use in food. and Sclarsic and are a leading cause of climate change. Modern Meadow is on the joined full-time in 2013. path toward providing nutritious, safe, quickly-produced animal proteins with fewer resources and minimal environmental impact. Using biotechnology to creatively harness the way cells naturally reproduce, Modern Meadow has already created an edible proof of concept they call a “steak chip.” The chips take just five or so days to culture, compared to the two to three years it takes for a cow to grow large enough to be slaughtered for its meat. Compared to a comparable amount of meat from livestock, a steak chip requires significantly less water, land and other resources


31

“SU has been a wonderful resource for us and a great supporter. They put us in touch with a lot of really interesting people and potential collaborators, and have been a fantastic and supportive community for doing something as fundamentally new as growing cultured animal products.” —Sarah Sclarsic, Business Director / Modern Meadow

GGC: GLOBAL HEALTH Access to the health care necessary for all people to achieve physical, mental and emotional wellness.

44

GLOBAL HEALTH IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS RESEARCH INNOVATIONS POLICY

23 6 10 5


SU COMPANIES These organizations were part of SU Labs Portfolio Companies in 2014, and are included in the total number for organizations.

MATTERNET Genome Compiler


IMPACT STORY Easy, Fast, Affordable, Early Disease Diagnosis It’s no secret early diagnosis is the surest way to beat cancer, yet current methods are often invasive and costly. Getting screened when symptoms have already appeared is often too late. One company, Miroculus, is on a mission to change how we diagnose disease. Less than a year after Miroculus began as a team project at Singularity University’s 2013 Graduate Studies Program (GSP), the team built a functional device which promises to easily and affordably check for multiple diseases, including cancer, with just 1 ml of blood. The founders — Alejandro Tocigl, Fay Christodoulou, Jorge Soto and Ferrán Galindo — entered SU’s 2013 Graduate Studies Program as strangers from diverse countries as well as disciplines. Fay is a molecular biologist from Greece, Alejandro an entrepreneur from Chile, Ferrán a non-profit director from Panama and Jorge an electrical engineer from Mexico — together they built a company using a combination of disruptive technologies — which could revolutionize the way we diagnose disease in the future. The technology Miroculus developed is based on microRNA, a class of molecules which have been discovered to be effective indicators of disease. By the end of the 10-week GSP, the team had completed a proof of principle experiment, demonstrating the ability to detect liver cancer in mice. Since that initial milestone, they have successfully identified microRNA patterns associated with hepatic cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer, and announced the launch of their product at TED Global. Today, the device costs less than US$500 to manufacture, and a nurse who knows how to draw blood can run it. The team aims to make the device so robust and simple to use that it can be operated by an untrained person anywhere in the world for testing and diagnosis, well before an individual begins to experience any symptoms.

alumni Alejandro

Tocigl, Fay Christodoulou, Jorge Soto, Ferrán Galindo

program Graduate


tech Biotechnology location Greece,

Chile, Mexico, Panama

“Singularity University brought us from around the world and invited us to dream together. SU lit a candle in our collective imagination we were not aware we had, and guided us through the first steps in what has since become our new life journey.” —Alejandro Tocigl, CEO / Miroculus

33

GGC: POVERTY Equitable access to economic and other opportunities for self-fulfillment where all people are free from poverty.

5

POVERTY IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS

3

RESEARCH

1

INNOVATIONS

1



MATTERNET


35

IMPACT STORY No Roads? No Problem: Autonomous Drones to Deliver Medicine Where It’s Most Needed Globally, one billion people lackaccess to all-season roads, and even areas with expansive—and expensive—infrastructure are susceptible to traffic jams. Natural disasters often make road systems unusable precisely when they’re needed most.

In a country where transporting just one item to a rural clinic could take between 9 and 12 days, Matternet’s drones can make deliveries on the same day. Thanks to autonomous GPS guidance they only require a person to load up cargo and enter a destination.

Andreas Raptopoulos, Co-founder and CEO of Matternet, recognized a solution to this problem during his experiences at GSP 2011. Matternet uses drones to create autonomous delivery systems, but the company’s vision is far grander. “We are developing the technology to enable others to create their own transportation,” said Raptopoulos.

Matternet has also worked on drone delivery networks for organizations like Doctors Without Borders, in tragedy-stricken areas like Haiti, and they recently launched a new partnership with the Swiss postal service to transport medical goods throughout Switzerland.

Consider, for example, a pilot project Matternet is working on with the government of Bhutan. Bhutan has one of the lowest ratios of doctors to citizens in the world. With the help of Matternet’s autonomous flying vehicles, doctors are able to transport medical diagnostics, samples, and medicine between rural clinics and larger hospitals.

Still, Matternet is looking beyond the lightweight, one kilogram packages their drones currently carry. They hope a leap forward in transportation systems will allow people greater access to medicine and resources all over the world, no matter the state of roads, congestion on highways, or natural disasters.

MATTERNET alumni Andreas

Raptopoulos, Paola Santana

program Graduate tech AI


& Robotics

location United

States

“This project could not have been started anywhere else. SU incubated the type of thinking that allowed us to imagine how we could use an emerging technology to solve a massive challenge; use the most advanced technology where it’s needed most. I come across many people today that say to me, ‘Of course it makes sense to use drones to deliver medicine in the developing world.’ We made that happen, and wouldn’t have done it if we hadn’t been at SU.” —Andreas Raptopoulos, Co-founder and CEO / Matternet

GGC: SECURITY Safety of all people from physical and psychological harm; and protection of physical, financial and digital systems.

IMPACT STORY Securing On-Demand 3D Printing to Disrupt Manufacturing With the rise of 3D printing, consumers may not need to rely on mass-produced, in-store goods much longer. By designing products digitally and storing these designs online, we’ll be able to call up and print items on demand, where we need them, when we need them. But the opportunity brings a new challenge—securing digital designs against theft and machines against hackers. “The manufacturing industry in general has a security problem,” said Andre Wegner, founder and CEO of Authentise and GSP 2012 alumnus. The narrowing gap between the digital world and the physical world is opening up an entirely new world of cyber-physical security. Wegner cites Stuxnet—a harmful computer worm used to affect machinery at nuclear power plants—as a powerful example. Authentise, by way of helping large corporations utilize the power of 3D printing, is one of few companies actively trying to solve security problems in this space because they are deeply involved in both the digital and physical aspects of next-generation manufacturing. By controlling

both the cloud-based software and actual 3D printing with partners, Authentise is able to secure and control on-demand manufacturing from design to production. Acting as a digital-physical intermediary, Authentise handles both digital product files and securely streams them to 3D printers for production, developing an entirely new manufacturing business model that increases control over both intellectual property and quality assurance. Recognizing potential shifts in their own business model, the home improvement chain Lowe’s has recently partnered with Authentise to deliver in-store 3D printing to its customers. “We spend 16% of our GDP on supply chain and logistics, and we shouldn’t have to,” said Wegner. If Authentise can create secure distribution models that don’t require shipping because production takes place with onsite 3D printing, it could transform supply chains—making them more efficient, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly.


alumni Andre

Wegner, Karla Lopez

program Graduate


tech Nanotechnology location United

States

& Digital Fabrication


17

SECURITY IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS

6

RESEARCH

3

INNOVATIONS

7

POLICY

1


“We’re a Singularity company through and through. SU helped us formulate and find a solution to a problem. They provided us with space, mentoring and an environment that supports big ideas, which has encouraged us in our vision. We secured our first client because of SU connections. They gave us a platform to speak from and increased our exposure.” —Andre Wegner, Founder & CEO / Authentise

37

GGC: SPACE Safe and equitable use of space resources and technologies for the benefit of humanity and our future as a multi-planetary species.

4

SPACE IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS

2

RESEARCH

1

INNOVATIONS

1


SU COMPANIES

These organizations were part of SU Labs Portfolio Companies in 2014, and are included in the total number for organizations.


39

IMPACT STORY 3D Printing History’s First Manufactured Objects in Space Why is space exploration a grand challenge? Billions of people depend on space-based communications networks. Orbital labs and observatories deliver science, research, and perspective unavailable anywhere on Earth. From near-Earth asteroids to the Moon, space is brimming with precious untapped resources. And colonizing other planets (like Mars) may offer humans a kind of species survival insurance policy against extinction level events. To establish a more permanent foothold in space, however, we must learn to “live off the land” and make what we need in orbit, deep space, or on moons and other planets. Singularity University startup Made In Space got its start during the 2010 Singularity University GSP when Co-founders Jason Dunn, Mike Chen, and Aaron Kemmer chose to focus on space for their team project. Their idea? Use 3D printing to make space exploration more self sufficient and enable a long-term, sustainable human presence in space.

printer works in low gravity, is robust enough to survive launch, and has been deemed safe by NASA. In September 2014, the team launched the Zero-G to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and produced history’s first 3D printed parts in orbit in November. These inaugural print runs manufactured tools and parts used on the station—the astronauts would otherwise have to wait for a resupply mission to replace these—and parts for miniature satellites. Made In Space hopes to install their next printer permanently aboard the ISS and later expand the printer’s materials from plastic to metals. Envisioning future 3D printed structures on other planets, they’ve even made experimental prints with simulated moon dust. The team’s ultimate goal is to establish the first closed, off-planet manufacturing loop to reduce the cost and difficulty of space travel and accelerate humankind’s leap beyond Earth.

Over four years and 500 parabolic flight tests on a reduced gravity aircraft, Made In Space designed and built the Zero-G 3D printer. The alumni Jason

Dunn, Mike Chen, Aaron Kemmer

program Graduate


tech Nanotechnology location United

& Digital Fabrication

States

“The magic of Singularity University is that it brings together a critical mass of people ready to change the world in a way unlike anywhere else on the planet. When we finally came up with the idea to 3D print in space during GSP 2010 we knew we were on to a disruptive game changer. Five years later, our GSP team project turned company—Made in Space—is now the first group to manufacture off planet earth. SU not only helped to foster the idea, but also empowered us along the way. The first space 3D printer was built at our offices at SU Labs and, with that, SU shares a special piece of space history with us.” —Jason Dunn, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer / Made In Space

GGC: WATER Ample and safe water for human consumption, sanitation, industry and recreation for all people at all times.

IMPACT STORY Mining Big Data to Optimize How We Use Water: Earth’s Most Abundant Resource Water is Earth’s most abundant natural resource, and yet 780 million people lack access to clean drinking water, according to the CDC. Around the world, record droughts are disrupting food supply, while floods devastate landscapes with unusable water. Meanwhile, existing systems in place for tracking data like rainfall are rudimentary at best.

“I can say we saved lives,” says Gayl. OneRain data and systems provided emergency personnel with situational awareness to better organize resources and citizenry response. As a Colorado resident, Gayl herself spent a considerable amount of time working with this data directly in the local 911 center.

Pressing concerns like these led Ilse Gayl, a GSP 2013 alumnus, to co-found OneRain. Gayle later left OneRain to start another SU Labs company, SwiftTram, but remains Chairman of the Board at OneRain. OneRain helps agencies in the U.S. and abroad deploy electronic sensing networks to collect real-time data and better use historical databases tracking water usage, water safety, and nearly all things related to water flow, precipitation, and drought.

Gayl estimates that because OneRain works directly with so many organizations, as well as the National Weather Service and United States Geological Service, the company has likely had a measurable impact on at least half of the U.S. population, and probably more. OneRain is currently expanding its efforts in Asia, Australia, and South America.

Gayl says, “We try to help people manage water for good.” In 2013, rainfall led to some of the worst flooding the state of Colorado had ever seen. In 1976, a storm covering a considerably smaller area killed almost 150 people due to flooding. The 2013 storm killed only 10, in part thanks to OneRain’s advanced water tracking systems.

alumni Ilse

SU COMPANIES

Gayl

program Graduate tech Energy


& Environmental Systems

location United

The big challenge is less finding more usable water, and more about ensuring usable water is where people need it most. OneRain’s growing data sets help create tangible solutions and inform legal and regulatory agencies so the clean water we do have is used most effectively.

States

No water-focused organizations were part of the SU Labs Portfolio Companies in 2014.


3

WATER IMPACT INITIATIVES

ORGANIZATIONS

41

2

RESEARCH INNOVATIONS POLICY

1


“GSP13 was among the most intense experiences I’ve ever had with 79 other people from 40 countries with all of us feeling like family by the close of summer! We explored, experimented, developed and disrupted our way to a new sense of self and impact. I believe my horizons expanded dramatically, and with that my ability to support OneRain’s impact on rapidly changing global needs for adequate, usable water.“ —Ilse Gayl, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board / OneRain

2008 Founding Conference 2010 Custom Programs Global Impact Competitions 2009 Graduate Studies Program Executive Program Faculty Engagements


43

CREATING IMPACT ONE YEAR AT A TIME 2012 Became California Benefit Corporation SU Labs SU Companies Acquired Singularity Hub

2013 Exponential Youth Camp Pilot Exponential Advisory Board Exponential Medicine Conference SingularityU Summits Innovation Partnership Program

2014 Impact Partnerships Field Innovation Exchange Exponential Finance Conference SU Press SU Corporate Lab SU Startup Lab

OUR COMMITMENT TO IMPACT Singularity University was founded in 2008 in Silicon Valley by Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, Founder and Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation and International Space University (ISU), and Ray Kurzweil, futurist, author and a director of Engineering at Google, inspired by the desire to combine the need for a place to learn about accelerating technologies in a synergistic way with an interdisciplinary, international and intercultural experience of learning. While SU was founded as a nonprofit organization, it was important to us to incorporate as a California benefit corporation in 2012. This change allowed us to pursue our envisioned, diversified set of programs at a real level of scale (a requirement to achieve our vision to impact billions of lives), including our expanded vision for SU Labs. Benefit corporations are statutorily required to pursue the creation of a material positive impact on society and the environment, taken as a whole. We made a conscious decision to add the following to Singularity University’s Articles of Incorporation: “ The specific public benefit purpose of the corporation is to improve life by advancing exponentially growing technologies, providing education about those technologies and developing companies that leverage those technologies.” SU has a brief Benefit Report (link) posted online in compliance with accountability and transparency requirements that are built into the benefit corporation law. In addition to the metrics stated in this Impact Report, for purposes of its benefit report, SU assesses its overall social and environmental performance by using the B Impact Assessment tool developed by an independent nonprofit called B Lab. This tool measures governance, worker treatment, local community engagement and environmental practices. SU’s score on the 2014 B Impact Assessment was 96 points, approximately 20% higher than the threshold requirement for “B Corporation” certification from B Labs.


45


CONTACT US [email protected] +1 650.200.3434 twitter.com/singularityu facebook.com/singularityu NASA Research Park Building 20 South Akron Road MS 20-1 Moffett Field, California 94035-0001 United States

47

2015 Impact Report