A company which is developing a “carbon negative” solution to green waste management has scooped the pool at this year’s Australian eChallenge, taking out four prizes including the People’s Choice award.

VitaChar won first prize overall as well as top honours in the Tertiary and Climate Response streams, taking home $21,000 in cash and another $10,000 in prizes.

VitaChar comprises team members Lewis Dunnigan who recently completed his PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Adelaide and Ben Morton who is currently completing his PhD also in chemical engineering.

VitaChar is proposing to develop a device which converts organic waste into an organic fertiliser, reducing organic matter in the waste stream.

The process is expected to be carbon negative as it would actually reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Other eChallenge winners included Easy Drench in the Wool Innovation category, which is looking at a technique to make parasite control in sheep simpler and more precise, and PDTEch in the Medical Innovation category, which is developing an app to detect and communicate data about the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The eChallenge has been run since 2001 by the University of Adelaide’s Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre (ECIC). ECIC director Professor Noel Lindsay said the program helped mentor and develop new ideas.

“The Australian eChallenge helps students build entrepreneurial capability, develop new ways of thinking about problems and solutions, and increase their capacity to think creatively and act decisively,’’ he said.

153 teams and 720 participants took part this year.

Winners in each stream were:

Tertiary stream:
VitaChar. Lewis Dunnigan and Ben Morton.

Alternative use for both household and commercial green waste which is carbon negative.

Wool Innovation:
Easy Drench. Katrina Durham, Janine Chang Fung Martel and Dylan Bellchambers.

A technique to make parasite control in sheep simpler and more precise.

Climate Response:
VitaChar. Lewis Dunnigan and Ben Morton.

Alternative use for both household and commercial green waste which is carbon negative.

Medical Innovation:
PDTech. Anas Al-Shamleh, Mark Gardner, Sam Koopowitz, Vicki Thomson and Wanqi Jady Wang.

An app that detects, surveys and securely communicates data about the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Microsoft Prize - Schools:
Pre-Pear. Charlotte Creek, Orla Clayton, Renee Lawrence and Charlotte Sellars, St Peter’s Girls’ School.

An app which provides people with recipes that use their left-over ingredients from their fridges.

Kontainer. Henry Young, Doha Khan and Lian Takayidza, Glenunga International High School.

An app that helps consumers make sustainable choices in relation to single-use takeaway containers.

Microsoft Prize - Public:

PDTech. Anas Al-Shamleh, Mark Gardner, Sam Koopowitz, Vicki Thomson and Wanqi Jady Wang.

An app that detects, surveys and securely communicates data about the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Vroom Consulting Prize:
Fresco. Nehal Jain, Parika Verma and Zoha Kazmi

An app that helps food enthusiasts explore and share new places to eat.

Enabled Solutions Prize:
linearlocksets. Thuan Nguyen

Innovative door furniture which works intuitively and gives people with disabilities easier access to their homes.

Spruik Digital Prize:
Band at Hand. Ned Carthy, Ben Smith and Zac Turnbull.

An app that helps people source and hire up-and-coming musicians and singers for their events.

Schools:
Overall winners:
PartySafe. Samuel Subramaniam, Cooper De Zylva, Zac Horbelt, Georgia Butcher and James Borg, Scotch College.

An app to administer parental consent for minors attending private parties.

ECIC Encouragement Award
Everprotect. Trishna Menon, Grace Parletta, Suzie Shimamoto, Aatman Sabharwal and Ayush Lohana, Saint Ignatius

College.

An antibacterial barrier cream that is preferable to hand sanitisers which can cause skin complaints.

Leaver & Son Encouragement Award
Muso. Taylor Bannon, Joshua Pearson and Kyle Hetherington, Glenunga International High School.

An app and website that connects artists, venues and marketers to grow their footprint in the music industry.

Regional Prize
Envirodrone. Ashley Leckie-Hefford, Sohan Singh, Damon Kassebaum, Haidar Qambari and Corey Valente, Renmark High School.

A drone which picks up rubbish and reduces the cost of cleaning open spaces.

People’s Choice Prize:
VitaChar