2025 Startups 100 | Sustainability award winner and shortlist

With developed nations making lacklustre pledges to tackle global warming, there’s an increasingly muddied timeline for shifting away from a reliance on fossil fuels.

But there’s still hope for the climate cause thanks to the incredible work being done by forward-thinking companies. Innovative startups, including plenty from the UK, are stepping up with real solutions that make a difference. 

That’s why we’re proud to showcase the winner and nominees for the Startups 100 Sustainability Award. Read on to find out more about these amazing enterprises that are showing us what a sustainable future could look like.

WINNER – DRIFT Energy

Solar panels and wind farms are, naturally, dependent on weather conditions to produce renewable energy. This means they aren’t fully effective on their own, and only partially reduce fossil fuel reliance. 

This is something founder Ben Medland set out to tackle with DRIFT Energy. Instead of relying on land-based solutions, Medland dived into harnessing the power of the ocean, by designing “true green” sailing catamarans that generate green hydrogen simply by sailing.

DRIFT Energy’s world-class technology is impressive enough, but the company’s commitment to sustainability isn’t just something that it sticks on for show. Medland describes it as a core value that drives every decision it makes. DRIFT Energy supports multiple UN Sustainability Goals, and Medland is particularly focused on how he can help support the energy transition for the 65+ million people who live in Island Nations.

Plus, having recently raised £4.65 million to further build out the fleet, DRIFT Energy has also proved that there’s plenty of wind in its sails when it comes to investor interest.

This unwavering dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. As well as ranking in our own Startups 100, DRIFT Energy has won major awards for its fresh approach to renewable energy, including the COP 28 LeZero Global Innovation Prize. 

Its achievements and dedication to making a real difference for the environment make it a well-deserved winner of the Startups 100 Sustainability Award.

SHORTLISTED – Pulpatronics

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags on clothing aren’t something we think about much. The clever tech is often used for scanning items in modern retail checkouts. But, once discarded, those small tags can add up to a significant amount of waste, with over 30 billion single-use tags ending up in landfills every year.

But is it possible to have eco-friendly RFID tags? That’s exactly what Pulpatronics has achieved by developing fully recyclable and non-toxic RFID tags. 

The conductive circuit is lasered directly onto paper, eliminating the need for plastic, metal and silicon components. What’s more, it also simplifies the inventory management process – providing real-time stock insights that scrap the need for manual data entry.

For long-term impact, if major clothing retailers were to switch to Pulpatronics tags, it could potentially reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by up to 2% annually. 

Such a shift would set a standard for more sustainable practices across retail. Pulpatronics proves that even something as simple as a sustainable clothing tag can go a long way.

SHORTLISTED – PlantSea

During her vacation in Bali, founder Rhiannon Rees was expecting to see beautiful landscapes and pristine beaches. Instead, she was confronted with the harsh reality of plastic pollution that marred the natural beauty of the island.

With the rise of ecommerce businesses and online shopping, so has the amount of single-use plastic materials used to package and ship products, contributing to increased waste and environmental pollution.

PlantSea’s biodegradable and compostable packing solutions are made from seaweed and other plant-based materials, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic packaging. Instead of being chucked away (or optimistically recycled, but ultimately shipped to a landfill), PlantSea’s biodegradable materials mean it can break down naturally, returning to the earth without any environmental harm.

PlantSea’s goal is all about creating accessible biomaterials and empowering people to choose a greener future. Its water-soluble film, used for dishwasher and washing machine capsules, aims to reach 5% market penetration in UK households within five years.

This alone could lead to a reduction of 2,000 tonnes in plastic production annually and save 7.97 million kg of CO2 emissions each year.

PlantSea’s unique approach makes it a standout contender for the Startups 100 Sustainability Award – demonstrating both environmental impact and forward-thinking solutions for a greener future.

SHORTLISTED – Open Climate Fix

Given the UK’s often less than ideal weather patterns (AKA lack of sun), solar panel efficiency can take a hit. Because of cloud cover, solar panels may not always meet energy needs, leading to increased dependence on fossil fuels like coal and gas to fill the gap.

While even the weatherman can’t get every prediction right, Open Climate Fix certainly comes close with its AI cloud mapping tool. By combining artificial intelligence (AI), satellite imagery, live solar data and weather inputs, it can map cloud cover in real-time and predict how it will affect solar energy production. 

This helps energy grid operators and solar power users better anticipate fluctuations in solar power availability while saving on a significant amount of CO2 emissions. Open Climate Fix is committed to making its solution accessible to grid operators, solar farms, and researchers, so that the technology can improve solar energy forecasting globally. 

By doing so, it aims to support the widespread adoption of renewable energy, promote energy system efficiency and contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions on a larger scale – making it more than deserving of its spot as one of our Sustainability Award finalists.

Click below to discover the nominees and winners for our other Startups 100 awards:

♿ Startups 100 DEI Award 2025
💝 Startups 100 Social Impact Award 2025
📣 Startups 100 Marketing Award 2025