Start-ups across Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong have an opportunity to access funding and expertise from Bupa to develop solutions that improve the health of people and the planet.
The 2023 eco-Disruptive program connects selected start-ups with Bupa’s people along with £25,000 in initial funding to help create solutions to some of the planet's biggest challenges.
As part of the global competition, start-ups will also go in the running to win £200,000 in additional funding to further scale their solution.
According to Roger Sharp, the chief sustainability and corporate affairs Officer at Bupa Asia Pacific, “We want to start a movement for sustainable innovation by harnessing the passion of our people and the start-up communities across the Asia-Pacific region.
“Unlike big businesses, start-ups often have the ability to move fast and innovate which is valuable given we are all in a race to Net Zero. That’s why supporting the start-up community is a really important strategy for us.”
This is the third year the eco-Disruptive program has been running, with Australian start-up Cassava Bags Australia winning the global competition in 2022.
“By working with innovative start-ups who are focused on sustainable solutions, we’re working to create a culture for our people to find new ways to address environmental issues and to consider how we can restore and regenerate nature, especially in our cities," added Mr Sharp.
“We can’t wait to see what our teams and their start-ups develop across Asia-Pacific over the coming months!” Roger said. Bupa’s 2023 eco-Disruptive program is now open for expressions of interest from start-ups across Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong with applications closing on 22 August.