Browse Stories

Discover sustainable business success stories and find inspiration for your next venture.

11 stories
G
75
Circular Economy
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Goterra

Goterra: Shipping Container Insect Farms That Eat Food Waste

Modular shipping container units filled with black soldier fly larvae process organic waste on-site, producing protein for animal feed and fertilizer for farms.

Waste ManagementB2B
8.7
Integration
6.7
Proof
6.7
Pathway
T
83
Circular Economy
T
Toast Ale

How Toast Ale Proves Waste Can Become Premium Product

This UK brewery turns surplus bread from bakeries into award-winning craft beer, reducing food waste while replacing expensive malted barley with a free ingredient.

Food & BeverageD2C
8.0
Integration
8.0
Proof
9.0
Pathway
M
79
Circular Economy
M
MUD Jeans

MUD Jeans: The Netflix of Denim

A Dutch denim brand proving you can look good without owning anything—they lease jeans and turn old pairs into new ones in a fully circular model.

Fashion & ApparelD2C
8.7
Integration
7.3
Proof
7.3
Pathway
G
85
Social Enterprise
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Greyston Bakery

Greyston Bakery: We Don't Hire People to Bake Brownies

The bakery that supplies Ben & Jerry's brownies pioneered Open Hiring—no interviews, no background checks, no resumes. Just show up ready to work.

Food & BeverageB2B
8.0
Integration
8.7
Proof
9.0
Pathway
N
74
Climate Tech
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Notpla

Notpla: Packaging That Disappears Like Fruit Skin

Two Imperial College students invented edible water bubbles from seaweed, replaced 500,000 plastic items at the London Marathon, and won the Earthshot Prize.

ManufacturingB2B
8.7
Integration
7.7
Proof
5.0
Pathway
B
83
Social Enterprise
B
Barefoot College

Barefoot College: How Illiterate Grandmothers Became Solar Engineers

A college in rural India trains illiterate grandmothers from 96 countries to become solar engineers—using sign language, color-coded circuits, and no textbooks. They return home to electrify their villages.

Energy & UtilitiesNonprofit
8.0
Integration
8.3
Proof
8.7
Pathway
E
83
Climate Tech
E
Ecosia

Ecosia: The Search Engine That Plants Trees

A search engine that uses 100% of profits to plant trees, having funded 200+ million trees while pioneering steward-ownership to ensure mission permanence.

TechnologyMarketplace
8.3
Integration
8.7
Proof
7.7
Pathway
G
91
Social Enterprise
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Grameen Bank

Grameen Bank: The $27 Loan That Sparked a Global Revolution

An economics professor lent $27 to 42 families during a famine and discovered that the poor were the most creditworthy customers banks had ever ignored. 50 years later: $39 billion disbursed, 10 million borrowers, Nobel Peace Prize.

Financial ServicesService
8.7
Integration
10.0
Proof
8.7
Pathway
W
83
Climate Tech
W
Winnow

Winnow: AI That Watches the Trash and Tells You What to Change

A camera and scale under the kitchen bin uses AI to identify wasted food, helping Hilton, IKEA, and Marriott cut food waste in half and save $100M+ annually.

TechnologySaaS
9.0
Integration
9.0
Proof
6.3
Pathway
S
85
Climate Tech
S
SELCO India

SELCO India: Proving the Poor Could Pay for Solar

An IIT engineer returned from the US to disprove three myths: that the poor can't afford solar, can't maintain technology, and social enterprises can't be profitable. 29 years and 2 million installations later, the myths are dead.

Energy & UtilitiesService
8.7
Integration
9.0
Proof
7.7
Pathway
T
86
Circular Economy
T
Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go: Turning End-of-Day Food Into Million-Dollar Business

A marketplace app connecting consumers with restaurants and stores selling surplus food at a discount, saving 400+ million meals from waste.

Food & BeverageMarketplace
9.3
Integration
8.7
Proof
7.3
Pathway