Inaugural Cohort 1 Graduate the Subak Australia Accelerator
What a year! What a brilliant initial cohort of climate-focused smart environmental change-makers. Congratulations to Subak’s graduates of our first Accelerator program in Australia!
What started for most as a new endeavour to explore their capacity as new not-for-profits, the program has enabled them to grow into established organisations. They have incredible missions that are making a positive impact on climate change and the environment. Over the past nine months, Blue Carbon Services, Good Rating, Open Corridor, and Uncharted Waters grew with Subak’s expert mentor program and the support of a curated curriculum and resources.
Starting with an initial three-month Accelerate Phase with a focus on business strategy, planning, marketing, technology, data, operations, and funding, the members all progressed to the next six-month Grow Phase. Here their focus was funding and scaling their businesses through investment and pitching advice.
These now influential members have joined our Subak Alumni. They are inputting their valuable data into Subak’s global data catalogue so all the world can benefit from better resource and emissions management, better consumer choices, and future food and water security. We will continue to support these organisations and our next cohort to expand their impact.
We are so proud of all their achievements and the growth each member achieved during the course of Subak Australia’s program. We can’t wait to see them excel as we all share data to save the planet!
Highlights from each member:
Blue Carbon Services had a busy year! It set up a mobile hatchery to nurture sporophyte growth and move around New Zealand to various sites. Its major research into the symbiotic relationship between mussels and giant kelp to expand commercialisation opportunities of kelp aquaculture is most valuable. It also studied the viability of kelp aquaculture for carbon sequestration. Find out more about their research and projects here as they continue exciting collaborations with many institutes and universities to expand their research.
Blue Carbon Services hired a new employee for marketing/ comms and is currently applying for grants and looking for investment opportunities to further its research and reach maximum impact.
When the team at Good Rating started at Subak, it had a team and an idea. Now, it is a company well on its way to making a significant impact as it rates supermarket products on their environmental and climate impact. No greenwashing allowed!
The company is now about to launch its first rating release. Early next year, every muesli bar for sale in New Zealand will have a rating comparing their impact on climate change!
The company has created its website landing page that will release categories rated from ‘The Best and the Worst’ using data in partnership with The George Institute. The Good Rating has already had great media coverage including from New Zealand’s largest digital news platform, RNZ!
The Good Rating is also aiming to grow its team to increase both its fundraising and revenue-raising capabilities!
Open Corridor has developed many digital tools that aggregate data sources on economic and sustainable options for cities and communities. Its platforms and tools have expanded throughout the year with councils and local governments partnering with Open Corridor and using its models to plan for smarter cities.
Open Corridor is working on many important and exciting projects to provide policymakers and city planners with timely information on how to implement sustainable practices within financial limitations. Throughout the program, the not-for-profit has increased its numbers of new partnerships; which will be key in continuing to expand across the country and see their tools flourish!
It is about to launch a new digital tool so keep an eye out for an exciting announcement next year!
Uncharted Waters started as a new idea to expand consultancy research into a business model. We cannot believe how much has been achieved in the past year! In addition to rebranding itself over the past few months, Uncharted Waters has created the alpha version of its digital twin! The company has collated data sources on crop losses across the globe for better preparation for food shortages with the increasingly changing climate.
Uncharted Waters’ data has contributed to a few policy documents such as providing the data analysis behind a recent study for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and will feature in the second edition of the Future Water Challenges assessment.
The not-for-profit is in the process of discussing partnership and collaboration opportunities with Heinekin and others. It also was invited to pitch at a few conferences including Australia's prestigious Purpose Conference as well as the NSW Department of Industry.
Subak Australia Online Graduation
Uncharted Waters also won the pitch competition at the Subak Australia Online Graduation - CONGRATULATIONS!!