Technology

Annie Freeman is working to reduce the climate impact of software. 

Electricity consumption from data centres, artificial intelligence and the cryptocurrency sector could double by 2026. Annie is advocating for Xero and the software industry to contribute to climate solutions by adopting sustainable software practices. Following the leadership of the Green Software Foundation, she works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy-intensive digital operations, including AI and data centres. Her efforts focus on building energy-efficient software that mitigates environmental impact. Annie’s leadership aims to shift perceptions, positioning software as part of the climate solution rather than the problem.

Captivate Technology is commercialising a sponge-like adsorbent material that captures carbon dioxide.

This has the potential for affordable carbon dioxide separation and removal across industrial applications. Being trialled at five industrial sites in Aotearoa New Zealand, this new material allows carbon dioxide to be captured from any emissions source, opening up the possibility of significant emission reductions.

CarbonCrop aims to remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere through nature-based solutions.

Founded in 2020, CarbonCrop empowers landholders and businesses to capitalise on carbon stored within their forests. Using an AI-driven platform, CarbonCrop aims to simplify forest carbon management and enable nature-based decarbonisation at scale. By integrating technology and nature-based solutions, CarbonCrop delivers valuable environmental and economic benefits.

CarbonScape is challenging the graphite industry with its biographite technology.

The business uses forestry biomass as a sustainable alternative to traditional graphite production. This process not only reduces harmful emissions, but also sequesters carbon in the final product. Biographite is said to save up to 30 tonnes of emissions per tonne of material, compared to synthetic or mined graphite. As demand rises for graphite in battery production, CarbonScape’s innovation seeks to address critical resource and environmental challenges.

Cetogenix’s Ceto-Boost platform aims to revolutionise waste management by transforming organic waste into renewable carbon, nutrients and biomethane using hydrothermal oxidation.

This could provide a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and synthetic fertilisers in many applications, while addressing waste disposal challenges without residual waste. The technology is modular and containerised, offering flexibility and scalability, which facilitates rapid deployment across various settings.

ClimateTracker is the world’s first fully digital, machine-readable software for climate-related financial disclosures.

ClimateTracker offers a platform for climate-related financial disclosures, facilitating accurate, standards-based, auditable reporting that drives corporate climate accountability. By enabling real-time, evidence-based reporting, ClimateTracker helps organisations transparently track their progress towards sustainability goals, setting a new standard in financial and climate reporting. The ClimateTracker innovation brings the power of the financial system to bear on climate action, creating a scalable tool that enables measurable change.

Daisy Lab aims to innovate in the food sector, with a particular challenge to the dairy industry.

It’s developing the precision fermentation of yeast to create a range of products without the use of livestock. If technical and commercial challenges can be overcome, and the technology gains widespread acceptance, the potential is massive. It could see applications in supplementing and/or replacing conventional dairy produce, potentially helping to reduce land use, energy use, pollution and animal welfare issues. It could also help enable the development of specialist foods and beverages with higher protein, enhanced nutritional profiles, increased vitamins and even ‘nutraceutical’ additional medical benefits. This could play an important role in a climate-changed world with many billions of humans to feed.

Dougal and Sarah created ClimateTracker, a tool designed for streamlined climate-related financial disclosures. 

Recognising the financial system's critical role in addressing climate change, they’ve created this first purpose-built software compliant with Aotearoa New Zealand and IFRS standards. Their innovations include real-time tracking of organisational behaviour and enhanced stakeholder engagement tools. By improving accuracy and reducing reporting costs, Dougal and Sarah empower organisations to effectively measure and manage progress towards their sustainability goals.

Under Irina Miller’s leadership, Daisy Lab aims to innovate in the food sector, with a particular challenge to the dairy industry.

It’s developing the precision fermentation of yeast to create a range of products without the use of livestock. If technical and commercial challenges can be overcome, and the technology gains widespread acceptance, the potential is massive. It could see applications in supplementing and/or replacing conventional dairy produce, potentially helping to reduce land use, energy use, pollution and animal welfare issues. It could also help enable the development of specialist foods and beverages with higher protein, enhanced nutritional profiles, increased vitamins and even ‘nutraceutical’ additional medical benefits. This could play an important role in a climate-changed world with many billions of humans to feed.

Mutu has re-purposed more than 300 tonnes of resources, preventing waste from reaching landfills.

Mutu’s resource-sharing app facilitates the circular economy, by allowing businesses to list and share unused resources. Through this platform, Mutu helps companies reduce waste, cut procurement costs and track environmental impact. This also helps them achieve climate goals. With more than $3 million worth of resources listed, Mutu’s model offers a seamless way for businesses to implement sustainable practices, showcasing the environmental and economic advantages of resource sharing.

Marine whey from Nutrition from Water offers an alternative to traditional dairy whey made from marine microalgae, with less water use in the production process. 

This alternative aims to address the ecological downsides of traditional dairy, while providing an abundant nutrient-rich protein source. Through its production process, Nutrition from Water shows how innovations in food technology might meet nutritional needs while preserving natural resources.

Opo Bio works in cellular agriculture, enabling production of food products similar to meats.

The business uses cellular manipulation to produce proteins at scale. The idea is that this may supplant traditional livestock agriculture, reducing its ecological impact. Opo Bio aims to reduce the environmental strain of traditional farming. This could play a substantial role in global food systems.

Spherelose produces biodegradable compounds from plant oils and cellulose sourced from wood pulp, instead of fossil fuels or palm oil.

It’s made by physically rearranging cellulose from wood pulp into tiny spheres, then coating them with plant oil.

About US$50B of surfactants are used in cosmetics, cleaning, food and many other applications every year. 95% are made from fossil fuels or palm oil. The business offers an alternative.

Zincovery’s patented recycling process for zinc has an ambition to avoid more than 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year within a decade.

Zincovery’s technology has the potential to transform the zinc recycling industry with a solution to recycling zinc furnace dust. This dust is an industrial waste product from steelmaking that traditionally requires energy-intensive and environmentally harmful processes. The company has attracted significant investor interest, including a successful $10 million capital raise.