Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the circular economy. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups advancing sustainability.
Out of 1 918, the Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Startups advancing Sustainability
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2 093 000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 1 918 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 1 913 sustainability solutions, get in touch.
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Sulfotools provides Sustainable Chemicals
Chemical manufacturing requires a large amount of organic and inorganic solvents that serve as reaction media. Even though some of these solvents are organic, their discharge has adverse effects on human health and the environment. This is why startups and scaleups are developing chemical processes that avoid the use of organic solvents and replace them with harmless chemicals like water.
German startup Sulfotools offers an alternative peptide production process technology. The startup’s Clean Peptide Technology uses water-soluble protective groups for industrial peptide production. The solution lowers material costs as well as provides a solvent-free end product with a lower carbon footprint. This clean peptide serves as raw material for pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetic manufacturers.
Mushroom Material develops Sustainable Packaging
The demand for single-use packaging is increasing day by day. Synthetic polymers are readily available and inexpensive but create waste management issues due to their non-biodegradable nature. These materials remain on the surface of the earth and disrupt the ecosystem. To overcome this, startups and scaleups are innovating in sustainable packaging solutions that prevent the accumulation of packaging waste.
Mushroom Material is a New Zealand-based startup that develops a mushroom-based alternative to styrofoam packaging. The startup’s material uses a combination of mycelium, the vegetative part of mushrooms, and fibrous agricultural waste. The material is completely biodegradable and offers the same protective properties as polystyrene. As a result, it easily replaces and fits with existing processes. The startup also tailors the product according to customer specifications.
Novamera enables Sustainable Mining
Traditional mining methods are energy-intensive, involving large expanses of land and generating large amounts of waste. These traditional processes greatly affect the geography of an entire area and, at the same time, pollute the air, water, and soil. To tackle this, startups and scaleups are offering sustainable mining solutions that utilize land and other resources in a greener and cost-effective manner.
Canadian startup Novamera provides sustainable mining solutions to extract steeply dipping, narrow vein deposits. The startup’s Sustainable Mining by Drilling (SMD) process identifies vein shapes and is highly flexible to changes in vein geometry. The SMD system uses cloud-based software that identifies veins and hosts rock interfaces all while intuitively adapting to the environment. This way, the startup’s solution maintains the environmental integrity of the site and the backfilling process reduces surface waste.
PolyMaterials makes Supercapacitors
With the effects of climate change becoming more profound, the transition to renewable energy sources like solar and wind are inevitable. But the current technologies available for renewable energy generation are insufficient to utilize the full potential of an unlimited source of power like the sun. This is why startups are providing solutions that improve the capacity of renewable energy production units.
PolyMaterials is a US-based startup that develops supercapacitor technology. Poly3-Scap, the startup’s supercapacitor, uses a normal sponge or cloth to prepare the substrate for the electrode, making the supercapacitor assembly highly flexible. Poly3-Scap supports devices operating on variable power sources like solar or wind energy.
Lightyear develops Solar-powered Cars
The transition to electric mobility is still dependent on the electric grid which prevents electric vehicles (EVs) from attaining the degree of flexibility fossil fuel-powered vehicles enjoy. To improve the flexibility of EVs and make them more sustainable, startups are offering mobility solutions that require less energy input from the grid. These technologies also avoid the need for a vast network of charging infrastructure.
Dutch startup Lightyear develops a solar car that is a highly flexible solution for sustainable mobility. Lightyear One is the startup’s energy-efficient long-range solar car with a low drag coefficient and lightweight body. The solar panels on the car’s hood and roof avoid the need for charging on a daily basis and the in-wheel motor technology provides maximum efficiency and traction. The vehicle also has an integrated thermal management system that captures and re-uses residual heat to ensure optimal operating temperature with minimum energy loss.
Discover more Sustainability Startups
Startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on bioeconomy, waste management, renewable energy transition as well as cleantech. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing sustainability, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more sustainability solutions, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download one of our free Industry Innovation Reports to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
