Remember the old proverb 'none of us is as smart as all of us'? It's something a small group of companies took to heart earlier this year, setting up GreenXchange for sharing of intellectual property for green product design. The initiative is hosted by Creative Commons, with Nike and Best Buy leading the way.

With GreenXchange, companies can not only share research, innovation and design amongst themselves, but can also make patents available to the public. Each contributor to the exchange commits to a non-assertion pledge, which allows the patent to be used in other research for green product design. GreenXchange recognises that green innovations can be shared across a variety of industries, often with a different purpose, and will not necessarily pose a threat in terms of competition. If a company is concerned about sharing product design with competitors, they can opt to designate selected patents to be made available for sustainability uses. GreenXchange also aspires to use technologies that support networking and knowledge sharing to promote open innovation in the 'digital commons'.

If it works, the concept could greatly accelerate the development of green innovation, helping some of the world's best brands work together toward the same goal, and start to think differently in terms of how they share ideas. (Related: Online library of green building materials.)

Contact: science@creativecommons.org
Website: www.sciencecommons.org/projects/greenxchange

Spotted by: Jenny Lau

With cycling gaining ground as a regular mode of transportation, flat tires and broken chains are on the up, too. Which creates an opportunity for bike-loving entrepreneurs: mobile bike repair shops.

In the Netherlands, for example, we've spotted companies like Fix Fiets and Bikemobiel, both of which do house calls in vans or trucks outfitted as mobile workshops. Service is even more mobile (and emission-free) in Cologne and Berlin, where stranded cyclists can call a 'Radambulanz'—a cycling mechanic with a small trailer containing tools and spare parts for fixing flat tires and performing other common repairs.

While some mobile repair services tack on a small trip charge for coming to a customer's home or workplace, rates are generally comparable to those charged by brick and mortar bike shops. And although they've been popping up in Europe over the past few years, mobile services are far from commonplace. Time to launch a well-branded Geek Squad of bike fixers? (Related: Vending machines for bicycle parts — In the US, the AAA will be offering roadside assistance for cyclists in Oregon and Idaho.)

Website: www.fixfiets.nl — www.bikemobiel.nl — www.fahrradambulanz.com — www.radambulanz.de

Spotted by: Martina Meng — Raymond Kollau — Judy McRae

For committed pet owners, the joy of holidays is often diminished by the guilt associated with leaving a faithful friend behind in strangers' hands. Aiming to spare pets and their owners the anguish that can result, SwapaDog is a new network that helps dog owners in the same area connect and exchange pet care when they go out of town.

With sites serving both the UK and the US, SwapaDog provides pet owners with a way to find other like-minded members in their area so that they can get to know each other and agree to exchange pet-sitting services when the need arises. Basic membership on the site—offering access to an array of dog-related tips, discounts, news and links—is free, while introductory pricing on a full membership, including access to other members, begins at GPB 9.97 or USD 17 for one year. (Ultimately, a full annual membership will cost GBP 25 or USD 47.) The result, SwapaDog says, is not just better pet care for the dog and less worry on owners' part, but also savings of some GBP 200—or USD 370—per dog in kennel bills for a two-week stay.

Beyond lending, peer-to-peer services have already extended to include mentoring, camping and shipping; why not pet care too? One to bring to the rest of the canine-friendly world...? (Related: Social networking for dogs — RFID collar tag helps dog owners meet new friends — Flexible pet ownership.)

Website: www.swapadog.com
Contact: www.swapadog.com/contact_us.php

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Earlier this month, we spotted MyEex and Earth Aid, two initiatives that reward consumers for reducing household energy use. Taking a different approach is US-based Positive Energy, which compares households' energy consumption, adding a social twist to being green. The company works with local utility companies, which use its software to add persuasive information to customer bills. Instead of just listing their own energy use, it adds information for households on the same street or block, showing how the consumer measures up in comparison to all of their neighbours, as well as to the energy efficient ones. Households with low energy use are encouraged with smiley faces beside their usage.

Positive Energy's approach combines technology, marketing and behavioural science, based on the idea that social pressure is more effective than enforced pressure from far-off governments and regulatory agencies. By changing the customer's mindset, long-term changes in consumer behaviour are likely to be brought about, saving both energy and money.

While MyEex and Earth Aid use money as motivation, Positive Energy works on a transformative level by comparing individual practices against normative values, making low energy use a societal norm. Utility companies in other parts of the world: time to add some Positive Energy to your billing process? (Related: Energy meters get tweeting.)

Website: www.positiveenergyusa.com
Contact: info@positiveenergyusa.com

Spotted by: Jenny Lau

Aiming to connect advertisers with local sports teams, Sport Driven has created a platform where sport clubs, agencies and individual athletes can list commercial opportunities and find financial backing.

For GBP 30 per year, teams and athletes can create a profile and list the individual sponsorship options they’re offering, like ‘match day’, ‘back of shirt’ or ‘calendar’, along with basic terms like price and duration. A premium membership of GBP 99 a year gives access to a few more bells and whistles, such as uploading images and maintaining a larger contact database. Advertisers can search the database to find local or national opportunities that best align with their budgets and marketing plans.

Launched earlier this month, the British startup will have to sign up a significant number of teams and athletes before it becomes a one-stop-shop for advertisers and sponsors. If it does, it could be an indispensable tool for an industry that's constantly exchanging visibility for financial backing. One to bring to your local market?

Website: www.sportdriven.co.uk
Contact: www.sportdriven.co.uk/support.php