The KPMG Nature Positive Challenge has returned for 2024. It is designed to encourage and support the growth of innovative startups and impact ventures working on ideas, solutions and technologies tackling complex environmental challenges associated with protecting nature and restoring biodiversity.
Applications have closed
See the winners and finalists of the KPMG Nature Positive Challenge 2024 as announced on 22 January 2025.
Meet our five finalists
KPMG Nature Positive Challenge winner: Levur
Levur creates sustainable oils to replace environmentally harmful palm oil.
Levur is reimagining how industries produce oils, offering a sustainable, scalable alternative to palm oil, a resource found in over 50% of supermarket products and responsible for deforestation, biodiversity loss, and significant emissions.
Using synthetic biology and precision fermentation, they brew palm oil derivatives - similar to brewing beer - to produce oils identified by customers in a controlled environment.
This innovative process also allows them to create tailored oil profiles, delivering enhanced functionality for industries like cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and food.
KPMG People’s Choice winner: Coral Maker
Coral Maker uses automation and AI to restore our precious coral reefs.
Coral Maker is a coral reef restoration company focussed on technology to scale the deployment of corals.
Their mission is to use scalable technologies to restore, create, and move coral reefs at the reef scale, supporting their continuation through climate change.
Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, yet 50% of corals have been lost worldwide due to climate change, and 40% of reef-building coral species are now at risk of extinction.
First Nations Category winner: Native Botanical Brewery
Native Botanical Brewery is brewing unique drinks with Australian bush foods, regenerating landscapes along the way.
By combining a mindful blend of traditional methods and cutting-edge technology - always with a deep respect for the environment, Native Botanical Brewery has blossomed into a thriving enterprise and is looking to scale up the production of native beverages.
By cultivating and promoting native bushfoods, they contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and the overall health of local ecosystems. Their commitment to traditional methods and minimal intervention aligns perfectly with sustainable land management practices.
Finalist: Lord of the Trees
Lord of the Trees is innovating with drone tech for sustainable pest management.
Lord of the Trees (LOTT) is pioneering sustainable pest management through innovative drone technology. In partnership with the University of Queensland, they've developed a revolutionary aerial insect sampling system that transforms how to monitor and manage agricultural pests.
It enables farmers to be proactive rather than reactive in their pest management approach, significantly reducing pesticide use while allowing them to spread beneficial insects to help strengthen ecosystems.
Finalist: Rainstick
Rainstick combines ancient Indigenous wisdom with modern tech to boost crop yields.
Rainstick uses electricity to mimic the natural effects of lightning to grow crops bigger, faster and more sustainably. Combining ancient wisdom with modern technology.
Inspired by the traditions of the Maiawali People of central west Queensland, Australia, they have built on a 10,000-year-old practice that acknowledges the influence of lightning on how plants grow.
Working to reduce extreme weather and climate change impact on food systems. They directly address the need for climate friendly interventions that increase crop yields so that farmers can be part of the solution.
Your opportunity to grow and scale
Do you have a nature positive solution that’s market ready, scalable, and delivers impact for a regenerative economy or sustainable food systems? If so, we want to hear from you.
We’re looking for innovative startups, social enterprises and impact ventures in Australia, Fiji or Papua New Guinea. This year we also have a dedicated category for First Nations startups.
What’s in it for you?
Five finalists will have access to:
A $250,000 pool of bespoke advisory services
Exclusive access to KPMG’s business leaders and specialist consulting teams to help take your venture to the next level.
$100,000 Nature Positive Challenge prize
Awarded to the winning venture by an expert panel. This is a no strings attached cash injection.
KPMG People’s Choice prize
An additional prize of $20,000 will be awarded to one finalist voted for and chosen by KPMG staff.
Industry networks
We’ll connect winners to beneficial industry, science, knowledge and community partners, and impact investors.
Judging panel
Timeline
10 October 2024
Applications open.
8 November 2024
Applications close, 11:59pm AEST.
29 November 2024
Five finalists are selected. Chosen ventures will be contacted.
Week of 9 December 2024
KPMG Nature Positive Challenge Pitch Event.
January 2025
Five finalists announced including KPMG Nature Positive Challenge Winner and KPMG People's Choice.
May/June 2025
KPMG Nature Positive Challenge Showcase Event.
FY25 ongoing
Ongoing KPMG bespoke advisory support for finalists.
Spread the word
Help spread the word throughout your community, so we can find and support organisations making a positive difference to nature regeneration and sustainable agriculture and food systems.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for ventures and eco startups to showcase their commitment to sustainability, receive specialised guidance, gain recognition, and potentially access investment opportunities, all while fostering a movement towards more environmentally responsible operations across industries.
We know this challenge is already having real impact. A growing ecosystem of promising startups are disrupting the way we value and regenerate natural capital in our region.
Connect with us
Terms and Conditions – KPMG Nature Positive Challenge 2024
The KPMG Nature Positive Challenge 2024 (the ‘Challenge’) is organised by KPMG (ABN 51 194 660 183) of International Towers Sydney, Tower 3, Level 38, 300 Barangaroo Avenue, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia (‘KPMG’, ‘we’, ‘our’, ‘us’).
In these terms, all references to ‘Applicant’ and ‘you’ refer to an applicant participating in the Challenge.
By participating in the Challenge, you accept these terms and conditions, both on your own behalf and on behalf of any company or partnership through which you enter the Challenge.
1 Entry requirements
General participation
In order to participate in the Challenge, you must:
- Complete an Application Form and optional supporting document before midnight AEST on Friday 8 Nov 2024 (the 'Closing Date'); and
- be available to attend a virtual pitch event during the week commencing 9 December 2024, if your entry progresses to that stage. Shortlisted Applicants will be informed of further details of this event in due course.
You may not submit more than one entry. There is no charge for participating in the Challenge.
2 Who can enter?
In order to participate in the Challenge, an Applicant must:
- reside in Australia, PNG or Fiji;
- be aged 18 or over (in the case of a director or manager of a corporate Applicant, and also in the case of an Applicant who is a natural person);
- hold an Australian Business Number (or equivalent in PNG or Fiji); and
- demonstrate positive outcomes for this year’s themes of regenerative economy or sustainable food systems.
The following persons are ineligible to participate in the Challenge:
- KPMG Partners, employees, contractors and their immediate family members; and
- KPMG audit clients, their related entities and each of their affiliates.
For the purposes of this clause 2:
- a “KPMG audit client” is a client of KPMG for which KPMG has provided audit services; and
- “related entity” has the meaning given to it in the Corporations Act 2001 and APES 110 (Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants).
By participating in the Challenge, you warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements set out in this clause 2.
3 Assessment process
Applications submitted through the online application form will be assessed after the Closing Date. KPMG will evaluate applications against the criteria referred to in the application form, including: impact, team, innovative solution and business model.
Subject to KPMG’s applicable screening and independence checks, five finalists will be shortlisted and invited to pitch their solutions to an expert panel comprised of both KPMG and non-KPMG members. One of these finalists will be a First Nations business (according to Supply Nation’s definition, an Indigenous business is one that is at least 50% owned by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person/s.)
The panel’s selection of the winner will be final, and Applicants will be notified of the result in writing. Finalists will be provided with written or verbal feedback on their pitches. The winners will be notified in writing by close of business (AEST) on 24 January 2025.
KPMG Partners and staff will vote to determine which of the finalists will receive the People’s Choice Prize. The prize is a no strings attached cash injection. The winner of the People’s Choice Prize will be notified in writing before close of business (AEST) on [7 February 2024].
4 Prizes
Finalist prizes:
To assist with scaling up their businesses, and subject to applicable conflict and independence checks, the five finalists will each receive up to A$50,000 worth of pro-bono services from KPMG Australia. Finalists will be entitled to access these pro-bono services from the date they are selected as finalists, until 31 December 2025. Finalists will also be entitled to identify their business as “a finalist in the KPMG Nature Positive Challenge”.
First prize:
The winner will receive a cash prize of A$100,000.
Subject to any written directions from KPMG from time to time, the winner will be entitled to identify their business as “the winner of the KPMG Nature Positive Challenge”. For the avoidance of doubt, this does not include any right to reproduce or publish the KPMG logo or brand.
People’s Choice Prize:
The winner of the People’s Choice Prize (as voted by KPMG Partners and staff) will be entitled to identify their business as “the winner of the People’s Choice Prize in the KPMG Nature Positive Challenge” and will also receive a cash prize of A$20,000.
In all instances, prizes are not transferable.
5 Costs
Applicants are solely responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary technology and internet access to participate in all virtual and online aspects of the Challenge.
KPMG takes no responsibility for any fees or costs that may be incurred by Applicants in participating in the Challenge (including expenses, travel, taxes and currency conversion costs). Such costs remain the full responsibility of the relevant Applicant.
6 Privacy
All personal information that we collect, use or disclose in connection with the Challenge will be handled in accordance with our privacy policy.
7 Intellectual Property and Publicity
By participating in the Challenge, each Applicant:
- warrants that all material that it provides to KPMG as part of the Challenge is its own original work;
- warrants that all material supplied to KPMG as part of the Challenge does not infringe any intellectual property rights of any other person; and
- grants to KPMG a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use any intellectual property included in their pitches and submissions, including their name, logo, brand and image (including of any corporate entity or partnership participating in the Challenge), for the purpose of administering the Challenge and for KPMG’s own internal purposes. This may include:
- sharing application content with judges within and external to KPMG for the purpose of judging and evaluating submissions, including within its network of KPMG member firms;
- sharing pitch content with KPMG staff for the purposes of voting for the People’s Choice Prize; and
- using Applicants’ names, logos and pitch content to promote the Challenge on KPMG’s internal and external websites and social media channels, including to promote the impact of prizes provided to Applicants under clause 4.
8 Breach of terms
KPMG may, at its sole discretion, reserve the right to exclude you and/or your company from participating in the Challenge and any future challenges or competitions operated by KPMG if:
- you breach these terms or conditions, or if KPMG suspects that you have breached these terms and conditions;
- you infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights; or
- you do anything which (in KPMG’s discretion) could bring KPMG’s reputation into disrepute.
Notwithstanding anything else in these terms, KPMG reserves the right to suspend, cancel, or vary the Challenge and/or the prizes referred to in clause 4, where it (in its absolute discretion) deems it necessary to do so.
9 General
To the extent permitted by law, we will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate a winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of you entering or taking up a prize in this Challenge, except where it is caused by our negligence or that of our employees. Nothing in these terms and conditions affects your statutory rights.
These terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia, and the parties irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of that State.
© 2024 KPMG, an Australian partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organisation of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved. The KPMG name and logo are trade marks used under license by the independent member firms of the KPMG global organisation. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
