49. Canopey

Sustainability Award Shortlisted

In recognition of a sustainability leader that prioritises the health of the planet as part of its company mission.

Startups 100: Sustainability Award

Founder: Thomas Panton, Hugo Douglas-Deane, and Abrar Rauf

Year founded: 2021
Website: canopey.com

Various greenwashing scandals have made buyers sceptical about the ‘sustainable’ labels that adorn their purchases. But confirming a brand’s eco-credentials remains tricky for the discerning consumer.

Checking and researching green claims, educating yourself on green materials and manufacturing, and finally tracking your impact accurately are all still separate parts of user journeys. With 45% of global emissions coming from the consumer industry, shopping sustainability shouldn’t be this bureaucratic.

That’s where Canopey steps in as the go-to platform for eco-warriors. The Norwich-based startup brings thousands of sustainable products together into one online marketplace, all of which have been rigorously vetted to ensure they won’t cost the Earth. As a result, users have a convenient and digitised method to save the planet and shop guilt-free.

The Norwich-based startup brings thousands of sustainable products together into one online marketplace.

Prior to founding Canopey, founder and CEO Thomas Panton spent years campaigning for Greenpeace and working in the events industry. While preventing festival waste from becoming incinerator fodder, he saw the need to shop sustainably from the get-go.

The startup has already made big strides in the sustainability front. Since its official launch, their community of over 8,500 users has already saved over 1,000kg of CO2, 520kg of plastic waste, and 160,000 litres of water. They’ve also planted more than 12,500 trees, covering the equivalent of nearly four and a half football pitches.

At the heart of the platform is the unique Canopey Calculator, which looks at the gram-per-gram breakdown of a product using material Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data from trusted academic sources. That means customers get accurate data on the footprint of their shopping to bring a real solution to mindful purchasers.

Customers can get accurate data on the footprint of their shopping to bring a real solution to mindful purchasers.

Canopey is part of Techstars’ Sustainability Paris accelerator, a pre-seed investor with a portfolio of companies worth over $100 billion. The startup is also backed by Innovate UK and raised £260k in seed funding early last year.

Plus, its founders haven’t forgotten their activist roots. As a mentor at Imperial College London’s Climate Tech accelerator, and a recognised LinkedIn campaigner for green issues, Thomas tells us he wants to “bring the sustainability conversation into the mainstream” by calling greenwashing and labour practices in large consumer brands.

By 2028, Canopey is net-zeroing in on becoming the ultimate hub for sustainable living, encompassing daily activities, travel, and experiences. Wanting to buy greener in 2024? Join the Canopey club.