Sketchnote Christiane Manow-Le Ruyet
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The month of December is already in full swing. However, at IO we’re taking a look back at the month of November. After all, we still owe you a Start-up of the Month! Each workday at IO you can follow those innovation-mad pioneers who are trying to bring the unexplored world of the future and science fiction into the present.

Our editorial staff will choose a weekly winner from all these participants and these weekly winners will compete against each other for the monthly trophy at the end of the month. And as we are not averse to a bit of democracy, our readers also get to have a say.

The winner of the Start-up of the Month November is … *drum roll* – Field Factors from Delft, a company that has come up with a solution for draining excess rainwater.

Het team van Field Factors, plus een onderzoeker en twee afstudeerders
The team from Field Factors, including a researcher and two graduates. Also with founders Wilrik Kok (left) and Karina Peña (right).

The system, called Bluebloqs, ensures that 95 % of all rainwater can be stored underground in a basin. Not only does this storage technology keep our feet dry, it also looks pretty green. The system can be seen at street level as a plant bed. This enhances the appeal of the surrounding cityscape. Rainwater can be stored for months and reused at any time thanks to the compact storage basin which simultaneously purifies the water. The largest job that the team around Karina Peña, (who originally comes from Spain and has also been nominated for the Viva 400), has so far gotten, was to install a rainwater sewerage system near the Kasteel football stadium, home to the Dutch Sparta football club. The football field is watered in a sustainable way via this basin.Tthe square in front of the station has become a lot greener and the local residents are no longer bothered by flooding. A very relevant monthly winner, so congratulations!

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Check out our other monthly winners here: Innovacarbon (Juni), Munevo (July), Metodo Sancal (August), E-bot (September), High Performance Battery (October). All monthly winners are automatically nominated for the first Innovation Origins Start-up of the Year Award which will take place next year.

Want to read more about start-ups? You can read more articles here.