Six Australian start-ups have received funding from Bupa to develop pilot solutions that positively impact the environment and people’s health through its eco-Disruptive program.
The eco-Disruptive program gives a selection of Bupa’s people the opportunity to work with start- ups and social enterprises on innovative solutions across transport, agriculture, recreation and other industries to improve people’s health and the health of the planet. The challenges set are part of a six-month sustainability competition and aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Through the initial competition phase, Australian start-ups have received around approximately $250,000 in total with an additional $350,000 potentially available to the winning team as part of a global vote.
The six Australian start-up finalists competing for the country final in November include:
- AirSeed: A startup that aims to plant 100 million trees a year using drones and artificial intelligence.
- Good Edi: An edible coffee cup that is fully compostable in two weeks and aims to solve the environmental issues stemming from the 2.7 million disposable coffee cups being sent to landfills in Australia every day.
- H2X: A hydrogen vehicle and generator maker, aiming to fast-track zero-emission transport and power supply.
- Australian Urban Growers: An online platform that enables people to upskill and grow their own fresh produce in a small space in a low maintenance way.
- PlaySport: An online marketplace across the sports, recreation and wellbeing industries, providing an engaging digital experience for the community to discover and participate in physical experiences.
- GetGreener: A marketplace app that guides people to greener options for everything they buy, then turns their purchase ‘carbon neutral’ to help end climate change.
Roger Sharp, Chief Sustainability & Corporate Affairs Officer, Bupa Asia Pacific said Bupa’s eco- Disruptive program aims to encourage a greater understanding of the link between personal health and the health of the planet for its customers, its employees and local communities.
“We have become increasingly aware that to have healthy people, we need to have a healthy planet with the World Health Organisation (WHO) calling climate change ‘the single biggest health threat to humanity.”
“By working with innovative start-ups who are focused on sustainable solutions, we’re empowering our people to find new ways to address environmental issues and to consider how we can restore and protect biodiversity, especially in our cities.”
“There’s edible coffee cups to reduce our coffee-loving waste, seed dropping drones and hydrogen-powered generators. Our people are extremely excited by the amazing ideas that these businesses had come up with to solve complex environmental issues and we look forward to crowning a winner at the upcoming Australian Eco-Disruptive Country Final in mid-November,” Mr Sharp said.
Australia’s finalist will then go on to compete to be the global winner of Bupa’s eco-Disruptive program announced on 1 December with the successful star-tup receiving $370,000 to further develop their solution.
Bupa also recently set two major milestones in its aim to improve the health of people and the planet by confirming its ambition to become a Net Zero business by 2040 and joining the UN’s Race to Zero campaign.
