2024 Startups 100 | Sustainability shortlist and award winner

WINNER – Seep

Laura, an eco-conscious shopper, was horrified to discover that while her local supermarket was brimming with eco-friendly options, the cleaning aisle was stuck in a plastic time warp. Determined to clean up this mess, Laura founded Seep, the UK’s first-ever plastic-free cleaning accessory company selling biodegradable sponges, cloths, and brushes.

Forbes requested impressive stats from every Startups 100 entrant, and Seep didn’t disappoint. Their 2022 impact report revealed that their compostable products have diverted over 19,000 tonnes of waste from landfills, keeping the planet cleaner and greener.

Seep’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond just their products. They’ve partnered with ON A MISSION, a non-profit organisation dedicated to reforestation, to help fund the planting of 626,700 trees, creating a cleaner, greener future.

At the same time, after 12 months of rigorous preparation and assessment, Seep became the first B Corp-certified cleaning accessories business. Not only that, it ranked in the top 5% of all B Corp members, giving it Best for the World (BFTW) status for environmental impact. Now, it’s cleaned up at the Startups 100, and can add a Sustainability trophy to its case!

What did Chris Forbes have to say? 

“Despite a small team the numbers are phenomenal,” Forbes assesses. “Seep also has a very high B Corp score which underlines it’s not just a tall tale, but truly impactful.

“Seep has also demonstrated a huge amount of measurable impact on limited capital injection, delivering significant revenues,” Forbes enthuses. “This is a perfect example of a great sustainable story, and a great business.”

SHORTLISTED –  Canopey

Inspired by Amazon – and yet very, very different – Canopey is the sustainable marketplace that puts all the world’s verified, sustainable products (including our winner, Seep) in one, easy-to-find place.

Canopey’s USP is its carbon calculator, where shoppers can see their sustainable impact instantly. By the time of its launch in September 2023, Canopey’s community of 8,500 had saved over 520kg of plastic waste and 160,000 litres of water – and planted more than 12,500 trees, covering the equivalent of nearly four and a half football pitches.

Part of Techstars’ Sustainability Paris accelerator, and having recently received an Innovate UK grant, Canopey next plans to build out its educational platform features, and zero in on planned campaigns with major environmental charities.

As a self-professed “big fan of people reporting big numbers of carbon and waste savings,” Forbes expresses a liking for “the ambition on Canopey’s marketplace project”.

SHORTLISTED –  Jude

Feminine hygiene products are some of the worst contributors to the global plastic pollution crisis. In an industry that’s built on disposability, Jude is a disruptive force.

Alongside its main bladder supplement product line, the company also sells liners and pads – every layer of which is made using the sustainable plant-based material, bamboo. Its wrappers are made from corn starch and are 100% degradable within 100 days, while its recyclable boxes are made from wood pulp and use 50% less glue than rival products.

Jude’s commitment to sustainability extends to their manufacturing process as well. Its supply chain is powered by 80% solar energy, while production uses 20% less water. And despite these eco-conscious practices, Jude remains affordable, with a box of 120 liners costing just £13.75 per month.

Forbes particularly singles Jude out for the firm’s superfast growth. “I was impressed with Jude’s strong traction in the market”, he notes, “combined with impressive fundraising and building a team quickly. Great products too.”

SHORTLISTED –  Renais Spirits

In the world of premium spirits, innovation can be rare. But Alex Watson (a drinks industry veteran) and his sister Emma Watson (an actress and environmental activist) decided the sector was ripe for change. Together, they founded Renais Spirits, the gin brand that’s not just delicious, but also deeply committed to sustainability.

The heart of Renais Gin lies in its unique ingredient of upcycled French pressed wine grape skins. These skins, once destined for the discard pile or animal feed, are now transformed into the gin’s base spirit, giving it a distinctive flavour profile.

Renais has also partnered with Mushroom® Packaging for its plastic-alternative packaging that breaks down naturally at home in under 50 days. And if that wasn’t enough, Renais is proudly carbon neutral, having offset a whopping 176,620 KG of carbon through the accredited ClimatePartner program.

Forbes gives points to Renais Spirits for its “impressive raising of capital and clear ambitions. The use of mushroom packaging is a clever idea.”

SHORTLISTED –  UNDO Carbon

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says we need to remove 10 billion tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere every year by 2050 to keep our planet habitable. That’s a daunting task, but one that Jim Mann, founder of UNDO Carbon, is determined to tackle head-on.

UNDO’s weapon of choice? Rocks. Enhanced rock weathering technology, to be precise. This nature-based carbon removal solution harnesses the power of minerals to permanently lock away CO₂ from the atmosphere.

In 2021, UNDO partnered with Stripe Climate to pilot its groundbreaking technology. Since then, UNDO has made significant progress. Having so far spread over 140,000 tonnes of silicate rock on more than 200 farms, capturing over 35,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in the process, it is laying the foundation for a more sustainable future; one rock at a time.

Forbes was intrigued by UNDO’s application of rock weathering as an emergent sustainable technology. “This is a very interesting business that has scaled very quickly,” he praises.