10 Top Sustainable Startups to Watch in 2023

Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation, tech, and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up the best sustainable startups of 2023 that startup-lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow.

Disclaimer: With so many sustainable startups launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.

• Location: Paris, France
• Funding: Series B, €37.5 Million

Agricool recycles used shipping containers into urban farms to grow local, pesticide-free produce that is available to all communities. By optimizing the lighting, air quality, and irrigation required for any successful farming operation, Agricool has developed a farming method that is 120x more productive than conventional farming methods.

• Location: San Francisco, California
• Funding: Post-IPO Debt, $632.5 Million

Grove Collaborative is an increasingly popular home and personal care product brand that creates hardworking, environmentally-friendly products. Their product line ranges from laundry and home to pet and beauty products with an ambitious goal of being 100% plastic-free by 2025.

• Location: New South Wales, Australia
• Funding: Series B, A$155 Million

Loam Bio previously known as Soil Carbon Co., develops technology that allows crops to be inoculated with symbiotic microorganisms to create healthier, better soil by capturing carbon in the air and reintroducing it back into the soil. Plus, farmers will be able to trade carbon offsets to ensure they are financially supported and working toward a more sustainable future.

• Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
• Funding: Series Unknown, $45.7 Million

Too Good To Go is an app that was created to tackle food waste. The app allows consumers to buy discounted food from cafes, restaurants, hotels, shops, and manufacturers that would otherwise be wasted.

• Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
• Funding: Product Crowdfunding, €1.6 Million

LastSwab is an eco-friendly startup that is reducing single-use waste by creating a reusable cotton swab. Their product is a cotton swab alternative that can be used at least 1,000 times due to its easy to clean design and various swab options for multiple application purposes.

Feeling inspired? Learn how to launch your company with our guide on how to start a startup.

• Location: Boise, Idaho
• Funding: Crowdfunding, $3.3 Million

Hempitecture is a sustainable insulation startup that specializes in HempWool®, an insulation alternative made with roughly 90% hemp fiber and 10% binder. The fiber used in Hempitecture products are farmed in the US and Canada in an effort to capture carbon dioxide from the air — resulting in products that are better for the planet and people alike.

Check out our interview with the founder of Hempitecture!

• Location: Escondido, California
• Funding: Series Unknown, $30 Million

Materra is an eco-friendly farming company that is innovating the building and maintenance of farmland to enhance both quality and sustainability. With their services, farmers are able to build a longer-term outlook for their business that is beneficial for them and the environment as well.

• Location: Richmond, Virginia
• Funding: Series Unknown, $208.9 Million

TemperPack is creating sustainable packaging solutions for perishable food and life science industries. Their fully curbside recyclable insulated packaging is the first of its kind and offers both manufacturers and consumers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional packaging that still protects their products from damage.

• Location: New York, New York
• Funding: Seed, Undisclosed

Dropel is a textile startup that creates life-proof fabrics from natural fibers that are resistant to spills, stains, and more with their patent-pending technology. By creating stronger fabrics, garments will have longer lives in consumer closets.

Discover more top startups in NYC.

• Location: Netherlands
• Funding: Undisclosed

Grow a Wish is an ambitious and innovative startup that sells greeting cards with a twist. Each card is laced with tiny seeds that, when planted, result in beautiful flowers and a lasting memory. Additionally, Grow a Wish has developed a wish-giving program for disadvantaged people to receive sponsorship that will make a wish of theirs come true.

Recommended: Check out our full list of the top startups to watch in 2023!