Sustainable startups: Innovations addressing environmental and social challenges.

Sep 18, 2023 | Blog

Today, we’re diving into the world of sustainable startups. These change-makers aren’t running startups for profit but want to make our planet a better place. It’s hard to ignore the impact of startups in our daily lives—from food delivered to your desk from your favorite restaurant to the electric car you drive to work. These companies are creating new innovative solutions to address environmental and social challenges.

11 Environmentally sustainable startups to watch in 2023

With the current shift in trends, more and more people are looking for environmentally conscious businesses. This has resulted in a surge of startups dedicated to protecting the planet.

Below are some of these green trailblazers making waves in the startup scene in 2023.

1. Biome makers

It’s a fact that commercial farming has degraded the quality of soil due to excessive use of fertilizers and harmful pesticides. Rejuvenating soil health has become a top priority for most countries toward a more sustainable future. And Biome Makers is working towards it.

Based in Silicon Valley, Biome Makers is a startup founded in 2015 by Alberto Acedo and Adrián Ferrero. Since its inception, this biotech firm’s mission has been to improve soil health by empowering farmers worldwide. The startup is also encouraging farmers to upgrade their
agricultural practices and business. The firm provides farmers with a detailed analysis of soil fertility, biodiversity, and overall health, enabling them to make informed decisions.

Biome Makers is taking it a step further. They are developing a virtual assistant that will revolutionize farming by harnessing the power of AI and combining it with their expertise in soil management and crop production. This will assist farmers in increasing their crop production and quality.

2. Aurora solar

Renewables are the energy sources of the future. As the world is gradually shifting from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources like solar, there has been a surge of startups specializing in solar energy companies. Aurora Solar offers software solutions that enable these companies to design and sell solar panel systems to customers remotely.

3. Treeapp

Deforestation is a major environmental crisis, leading to climate change and loss of biodiversity. Treeapp is a startup dedicated to combatting this global issue, and that too with smartphones. With Treeapp, you can plant a tree anywhere in the world in just one minute. Yes, you heard that right. This startup was founded by Godefroy Harito, Leo Ng, and Jules Buker in 2019.

Within its first year, the startup earned its first milestone of planting 230,000 trees across the globe. The founders made using the app very easy. Customers select a reforestation project to support, plant a tree, and monitor its global impact. And it’s all free.

4. Bluebird Climate

Bluebird Climate is a software startup dedicated to assisting brands worldwide in assessing their sustainability practices. The software targets the consumer products industry, which is responsible for significant carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The startup aims to decarbonize the industry by empowering brands to develop and promote products with minimal or zero carbon emissions.

In addition, Bluebird Climate also wants to assist these consumer brands in finding customers passionate about companies with sustainable business practices.

5. Viva Maris

Viva Maris is a German startup dedicated to safeguarding the ocean. By focusing its efforts on education, nutrition, and raising awareness, the company wants to limit the human impact on the oceans and preserve the ocean’s biodiversity. One of their major innovation is producing food with ocean algae. Additionally, Viva Maris provides employment opportunities for former fishermen and actively contributes towards preserving natural marine algae.

6. Algenesis

Plastics are the biggest source of pollution in the oceans. Algenesis is a startup that’s trying to solve this problem by producing fully biodegradable plastics derived from algae. Founded by Dr. Stephen Mayfield in 2016, the company uses its own patented Soleic technology to produce this high-quality, renewable product. Additionally, Algenesis’s product line includes footwear and materials for surfboards.

7. FuelGems

Despite all the hype from the media and environmentalists, fossil fuels are here to stay and will still be the primary source of energy in most countries. Sure, developing electric or hybrid vehicles may be a solution, but you still need fossil fuels to manufacture and run them.
Though some startups are working on developing alternative energy sources, FuelGems has taken a different route. Founded by entrepreneur Kirill Gichunts, FuelGems is working on making fossil fuels ‘greener.’ The startup has developed a fuel additive that significantly reduces the emissions from petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, and biofuels.

8. Next Gen

Next Gen is a food startup that produces by providing food alternatives to animal-based products. Co-founded in 2020 by Timo Recker and Andre Menezes, the company aims to minimize the environmental impact of traditional farming and the use of animal products by providing plant-based alternatives.

Next Gen’s signature product, TiNDLE, is a plant-based chicken alternative that can be used to make burgers, nuggets, tacos, and more. TiNDLE tastes just like farm-raised chicken but with significantly less environmental impact. According to Next Gen, TiNDLE requires 74% less land and 82% less water than conventional chicken farming. Furthermore, TiNDLE generates 88% fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

9. CommonVC

Founded in 2019 by Dhruv Boruah, CommonVC aims to assist entrepreneurs in building their own eco-friendly startups by providing them with the necessary resources. This innovative startup also strongly emphasizes offering community-based solutions to environmental challenges. Since its inception, this startup has remained dedicated to assisting founders to create sustainable and impactful companies that make a difference in the world.

10. Krill Design

We are all more or less familiar with the phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Based in Italy, Krill Design is a design startup that truly believes that you can repurpose waste into something useful. Their flagship product, the Ohmie Orange Lamp, is an innovative light fixture that is made entirely from Sicilian orange peels that is fully compostable. This sustainable startup aims to resolve food waste by creating exquisite, well-designed products.

11. AMP Robotics

Even though there have been a lot of technological advancements when it comes to recycling, most of the methods are inefficient, given that not all recyclable materials can be recycled. This results in waste, which eventually ends up in landfills.

AMP Robotics, established by Matanya Horowitz in 2015, offers an ingenious solution. This recycling robotics startup uses AI technology to identify and sort recyclables, ensuring that all materials are effectively recycled and utilized. By reducing waste and streamlining the recycling process, the company hopes its recycling technology can potentially increase the production of goods made from recyclable materials.

Conclusion

These are some of the innovative startups that are working towards addressing the environmental and social challenges we are currently facing. From biodegradable plastics to fuel additives, these sustainable startups are ushering in a new era of eco-friendly solutions. As more and more countries are pivoting towards sustainable and environment-friendly approaches to solve issues related to pollution, food and energy security, and technology, we expect to see more startups like these come up with innovations we never expected before.

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