Client Overview

Bio Hack My World – Biowaste is a joint initiative supported by UNDP and UNICEF, emerging as the winning proposal of the 2021 global Green Shark innovation challenge. Its core mission: to turn biowaste into valuable solutions while positioning the newly launched Biohacking Lab in Skopje as a center for green entrepreneurship, biotech experimentation, and collaborative innovation.

The Challenge

The Biohacking Lab—equipped with advanced tools and technology—was ready for use. But the biggest challenge was activating its full potential. UNDP needed a hands-on pre-acceleration program that could do more than just raise awareness. The goal was to attract scientists, entrepreneurs, and early-stage teams, educate them on biowaste transformation, and support them in developing proofs of principle (PoPs) for real-world application.

This meant reaching beyond the usual startup audience—into academic, scientific, and grassroots innovation communities—while designing a program that could make advanced bio-tech experimentation accessible, fast-moving, and outcome-driven.

Our Approach

Together with UNDP, Solveo co-designed and executed Bio Hack My World 2023—a full-cycle pre-acceleration program built around Design Thinking methodology and customized for scientific entrepreneurship.

We started by recruiting 37 participants, forming 11 interdisciplinary teams from STEM, biotech, sustainability, and food/agriculture backgrounds. Our curriculum was designed to help teams go from raw ideas to functioning prototypes using real lab infrastructure and guided business modeling.

The program structure focused on three pillars:

1. Structured Discovery and Framing
   
   
   
   • Teams explored the biowaste value chain, identified inefficiencies, and mapped out all stakeholders—from waste producers to end users.
     
     
   • Through tools like the Waste Journey Map and Stakeholder Mapping, they visualized environmental and economic gaps that biowaste transformation could solve.
     
     
2. Hands-on Prototyping in the Lab
   
   
   
   • Participants used the lab’s equipment to run small-scale tests and simulations—converting concepts into early-stage experiments.
     
     
   • Our team provided guidance on transforming lab output into marketable solutions using tools like the Business Model Canvas and rapid MVP testing.
     
     
3. Mentorship and Demo Day Readiness
   
   
   
   • Throughout the program, teams received 1:1 mentorship to shape their scientific insights into feasible business models.
     
     
   • The program culminated in a high-impact Demo Day, where 50+ stakeholders—including investors, NGOs, and scientific institutions—reviewed the teams’ work.
     
     

Campaign & Community Activation

To attract the right mix of talent and build momentum, Solveo led a 30-day communications campaign focused on three key goals:

• Spark interest in bio-innovation
  
  
• Create visibility for the lab
  
  
• Build a long-term community of environmental innovators
  
  

Key campaign components included:

• Daily storytelling and project updates on social media
  
  
• An Ask Me Anything (AMA) event that allowed potential participants to interact with experts
  
  
• Collaborations with influencers and youth organizations to spread the word organically
  
  
• A targeted Demo Day promotion plan, resulting in strong turnout and high engagement from relevant institutions
  
  

Outcomes

• 11 teams formed and guided through the full innovation cycle
  
  
• 37 participants engaged in cross-disciplinary co-creation
  
  
• 11 proofs of principle developed, with real lab-based experimentation
  
  
• 44,000+ people reached through outreach and campaign activities
  
  
• A successful Demo Day attended by 50+ guests, including future collaborators, funders, and ecosystem enablers
  
  
• Established the Biohacking Lab in Skopje as a national hub for sustainable innovation and biotech experimentation