India is drowning in plastic waste. Fridtjof meets with visionary founders who want to address the country's pollution crisis and are fighting for a cleaner India.
Indonesia doesn't grow enough to feed its expanding population. Innovative founders present Fridtjof with their forward-looking solutions like vertical farming or insects as food.
Bali, the 'island of holy water', is running out of clean water. Founders there help remote communities gain access to the valuable resource and urge facilities for tourists to use water more frugally.
Will we grow replacement organs in the lab? Will only the rich be able to afford medical innovations? Entrepreneurs in Singapore share their visionary answers with Fridtjof.
In Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries, Fridtjof encounters brutal working conditions and meets optimistic founders seeking to move their country forward.
Founders in Malaysia talk to Fridtjof about the growing demand for energy and their drive to enhance efficiency and find alternative sources. Their vision: to secure the planet's energy supply.
Young founders in Taiwan are taking electronics manufacturing to the next level. They tell Fridtjof about the positive and negative impacts of technology.
In Hong Kong, high rents affect residents and young creatives. Architect Vicky Chan and Fridtjof discuss possible solutions for increasingly crowded cities.
Mongolia is undergoing rapid transformation. Fridtjof's search leads him to inspiring founders hoping to profit from global markets and make their dreams come true.
As India seeks to address the problem, more and more local entrepreneurs are coming up with ideas to tackle climate change before it's too late.
Korea's education system is ruled by competition. With suicide being the No.1 cause of death among teenagers, it's been argued the system produces overachieving students who pay a high price in health and happiness. Digitalization could bring about a change to Korea's overheated education system.
Everything we do in the digital world involves data. The bits and bytes can serve our interests or be used against us. But without digital trust there can be no digital business. How do startups deal with personal data and cybersecurity?
The 2008 financial crisis spread distrust in banks and sped up the acceptance of new kinds of money. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin now promise to provide transparent, democratic alternatives. Startups in the Philippines are disrupting old structures.
All over the globe, digital transformation is opening new paths for women. Female entrepreneurs in Indonesia are taking up those opportunities of independence to start a business. But how do the young founders cope with the challenges posed by the role? All have had to overcome hurdles thrown up by traditional structures, widely accepted clichés and investors who prefer to bet on men.
In India, public outrage over violence against women is skyrocketing. Entrepreneurs are no longer willing to let the devastating violations go unchallenged - and so they're trying to create safer cities with technology.
An entire generation of young people is rejecting the idea of unlimited economic growth on a planet with finite resources. Among them are social entrepreneurs in Indonesia looking for ways to do business that don’t harm the environment. The poles are melting. Sea levels are rising. Dozens of species go extinct every day. Environmental migration is already happening on a vast scale. It’s long past time to admit that the biggest threat humanity faces is climate change. In this episode of ‘Founders Valley’, we talk with Indonesian entrepreneurs trying to alter the rules of the game. They’re determined to run profitable businesses that are part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. We desperately need new sustainable concepts in business – but can humanity change?
Many undocumented migrants work in so-called “3D jobs” - dirty, dangerous and demeaning professions. Millions live a life without any prospects. We meet entrepreneurs in Malaysia who are trying to give migrants back their dignity. This is Part 2 of a 3 part series "Founders Valley" With foreign workers contributing more than a third to Malaysia’s gross domestic product, migrants help shape the country’s economy and society. However, undocumented migrants tend to exist outside the formal infrastructure. Most of them work in low-skilled jobs in miserable conditions, often existing on the margins of society. Startup founders are helping improve the lives of migrants in Malaysia.
Children denied education; girls sold into brothels, lonely, neglected elderly people. Poverty defines the lives of millions. Social Entrepreneurs are trying to break the cycle of poverty – by tackling human trafficking, poor education and isolation. When it comes to happiness, people's dreams and desires are the same all over the world: a steady income, good health and opportunities for personal development. But those who come from poor backgrounds barely have a chance. Inequality begins in childhood. At what point is the course of someone’s life set? How can disadvantaged people guard against false promises? Who can they turn to for help? We meet three founders of social ventures. They want to overcome the barriers in society and are committed to improving equal opportunities and creating more social justice. Poverty means not only a low income, but above all a lack of opportunities to shape one's own life and advance in society. Many do not succeed in this on their own, but need support.