On this week’s episode of Profit Meets Purpose, Sustainable Times speaks with Karan Chopra, Co-founder of Earthena AI, and Kevin Vranes, Chief Product Officer at supply chain specialists Worldly, about how artificial intelligence (AI) is helping companies manage risk, improve efficiency, and find opportunity in an era defined by climate uncertainty.

On this week’s episode of Profit Meets Purpose, TJ Mitchell, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Arda Biomaterials, explains how waste can be repurposed to address the need for sustainable materials. 

Companies poised for “game-changing” success  must possess  much more than innovative ideas, according to Patrick Aisher, Chairman of Kinled Holding, who believes proof, scalability, and timing are critical elements. 

E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Old laptops gather dust in office cupboards, cables lie forgotten in drawers, and smartphones are discarded with every upgrade. The consequences stretch far beyond clutter. Unsafe disposal practices fuel health risks through open burning, sustain informal economies, and cause lasting environmental damage. Crucially, this also represents a potential revenue stream

niversity of Cambridge spin-out Xampla has raised $14 million in Series A funding to scale plant-protein materials designed to replace plastic packaging.

The Sustainable Times Startup Investment Summit will take place on 1st October at London’s Plaisterers’ Hall,

As shipping braces for tougher climate rules, GT Wings is betting that compact, high-thrust wind tech can turn compliance into competitive advantage.

Marks & Spencer has announced the launch of its first dedicated resale service via the official M&S x eBay store, allowing customers to trade in pre-loved clothes, shoes and accessories in exchange for vouchers.

K green transport startups face funding, scaling and industry adoption challenges. Learn how innovative companies overcome hurdles to drive decarbonisation. UK green transport startups are developing breakthrough technologies with the potential to dramatically reduce emissions. But they face common hurdles around scaling novel solutions, securing funding for capital-intensive R&D, and convincing traditional industries to adopt unfamiliar technologies. Success hinges on pro

The O-Hx Energy Vault is a patented high-density thermal battery designed to store and rapidly release cooling power for industrial-scale applications.

Welcome to LaundRe, the UK’s first and only industrial-scale denim laundry using sustainable finishing technologies. This circular fashion hub, combines high-tech reprocessing with deep design expertise. It is a full-scale rethink of how our clothes are made, re-made, and reevaluated in a time of climate crisis, mounting textile waste, and growing consumer scrutiny.

It’s not the first sector that springs to mind when talking about climate innovation. Financial technology, best known for streamlining checkouts, challenging traditional banks, or innovative lending (if at times questionable) might seem peripheral to the climate conversation.

Only 2% of applicants won an Innovate UK Smart Grant in 2024. Just two per cent.  If you’ve ever applied for innovation funding, certain that you have something genuinely innovative and yet still walked away losing, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The UK prides itself on supporting innovation and has a sizable budget to support it, but the system doesn’t always feel accessible, especially if you’re a startup working in sustainability.

Eighteen months after the kayak-in-kelp moment sparked his idea, Harland Evans is now leading Nature Based Limited. The company is developing kelp breakwaters, a natural, regenerative alternative to concrete to tackle one of offshore wind’s most persistent problems: floating turbines breaking under ocean stress.

Accelerator programmes play a vital role in shaping the startup ecosystem. Earlier this month, Sustainable Times attended the 2025 Amazon Sustainability Accelerator Demo Day, hosted by Growth Studio and Climate KIC at the Barbican Centre. The event offered a first-hand look at emerging innovations in sustainable consumer products. The day celebrated collaboration and showcased how accelerator programmes support early-stage startups with funding, mentorship, and access to new

Valued at $340 billion as of 2024, the global fintech market is expected to more than triple within the next decade, reaching $1.13 trillion by 2032. The sustainable fintech companies that stand to benefit from this growth are those that offer innovative technological solutions across multiple areas (such as payment processing, data analytics, lending services, and more) while creating a transformative positive impact on society and the environment.

Despite overwhelming evidence that female-led businesses deliver stronger financial returns, the UK’s venture capital (VC) landscape continues to underfund them. In 2023, just 2.1% of UK VC allocations went to all-female teams. By mid-2024, that figure had fallen to 1.8%.

n the world of consumer tech, scaling a startup requires more than a good product or a burst of early traction. Founders need expert mentorship, access to funding, and robust processes tailored to the unpredictable path of B2C growth. Tech-focused accelerator TRMNL4 recognises the unique challenges presented to founders in the consumer space and has devised a series of programmes to share their insights and connections. Increasingly, it is also using its expertise to support

ekko, a London-based sustainability fintech, has embedded this idea into its core technology, making every payment an opportunity for climate action. 

eBay may have started with a broken laser pointer in 1995, but 30 years later the digital marketplace is  pioneering a movement bigger than resale alone and has become a cornerstone of the circular economy. Alexandra Hiatt, Head of Buyer and Recommerce, spoke with Sustainable Times at Blue Earth Forum about how the company is approaching circularity and enabling small businesses and investors to do the same.