Healthcare fund Bupa backs six startups tackling sustainability

Six Australian and New Zealand startups have scored funding from private health fund Bupa as part of its Eco Disruptive program, to help them develop pilot solutions that improve people’s health, as well as the planet’s. 

The program gives the startups involved the chance to work with Bupa’s expert teams to build their ideas faster with strong market fit.

It provides £25,000 (A$47,000) to each startup  – across ANZ it’s around A$280,000 in total – with £200,000 (A$380k) up for grabs to the winner of the program’s global final.

Last year it was won by Australian startup Cassava Bags which is using plant-based materials to cut plastic waste with 100% natural biodegradable bags that dissolve in water in minutes.

The winning startup also gets to embed its solution within Bupa and Cassava Bags is now rolling out its products across the company’s operations. 

Bupa APAC chief sustainability officer Roger Sharp is central to the global healthcare fund’s broader goals. 

“eco-Disruptive is a vital program for us at Bupa because the healthcare sector has a significant environmental impact due to energy-hungry settings like hospitals, dental clinics and retail stores,” he said.

“We are extremely excited by the amazing ideas that our teams have come up with to solve complex environmental issues. We are in a hurry with our journey towards Net-Zero because our planet cannot afford decades of more complacency.“

The six local startups are:

XFrame, which has created a modular construction system that minimises waste, made from natural, renewable materials which effortlessly clip together, eliminating the need for nails, screws, or adhesives. 

Office of Planetary Observations, which uses urban data to help people understand where greening is required and where extreme weather exposure is most likely.

DiaperRecycle, which diverts used nappies from landfill and recycles them into other products. 

ClimateClever is a dashboard that enables businesses to achieve their ESG (Environment, Social & Governance) goals by understanding and controlling their direct and indirect carbon footprint. 

CoolSan has developed ChillSafe which is placed in a cool room or fridge to absorb water vapour to keep food fresher for longer.

Medsalv is a New Zealand-based startup that aims to eliminate healthcare waste by creating safe, reusable medical devices.

Image by Freepik.