January 15, 2025 /3BL/ - The Biomimicry Institute, a not-for-profit organization co-founded by Janine Benyus in 2005 to empower nature-inspired solutions for a healthy planet, today shared the Ray of Hope Accelerator Impact Report, showcasing the remarkable achievements of the program over the past five years. Since its inception, the Ray of Hope Accelerator has distributed $750,000 in non-dilutive funding to 49 impactful startups, 35% of which are women-led.
"Nature-inspired startups have the power to unlock a truly regenerative bioeconomy, one that works in harmony with our planet’s systems rather than against them,” said Sarah McInerney, Ph.D., Innovation Program Director. “For these past five years and for many more to come, we are committed to supporting a diverse portfolio of nature-inspired startups, equipping these visionary leaders with the tools to drive impactful, scalable solutions that go beyond sustainability and move us toward a future of abundance, resilience, and restoration."
Collectively, the accelerator portfolio companies have raised over $125 million in funding post-program completion to scale systemic solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. The 5-Year Impact Report showcases how these participants are addressing pressing global issues, including food security, the development of safe new materials, and innovative renewable energy solutions.
The Ray of Hope Accelerator, supported by its founding sponsor, The Ray C. Anderson Foundation, is open to innovations across industries, technologies, and geographies. Each cohort is united by a common thread: they are science-driven, inspired by nature’s strategies, and committed to addressing at least one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
"We at the Ray C. Anderson Foundation are incredibly proud to have supported the Ray of Hope Accelerator as it has flourished over the past five years,” said John Lanier, Executive Director, Ray C. Anderson Foundation. “The Biomimicry Institute ensures that startups learn from nature and thrive, creating new products, materials, and designs that address some of the biggest challenges of our time. As Ray Anderson was so fond of saying, these startups are 'doing well by doing good' with the natural world as their guide."
On Wednesday, February 12, the Biomimicry Institute will host a virtual Demo Day, featuring the 10 innovative nature-inspired climate tech startup companies from the 2024 Ray of Hope Accelerator cohort, presenting their new technologies and products in a pitch-style event. To register for the event, click here.
For more information about the Biomimicry Institute and the Ray of Hope Accelerator, please visit www.biomimicry.org.
About the Biomimicry Institute
The Biomimicry Institute is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 2006 that empowers people to seek nature-inspired solutions for a healthy planet. To advance the solution process, the Institute offers AskNature.org, the largest free, living database of biological strategies for sustainable innovation. The organization also offers biomimicry curriculum and educator resources, including the Youth Design Challenge, a multidisciplinary, project-based challenge that teaches students to solve problems through biomimicry; a Biomimicry Launchpad incubator program; and the Ray of Hope Accelerator supports nature-inspired startups to scale systemic solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Most recently, the Institute launched a new collaborative initiative called Design for Transformation which will pilot technologies that convert discarded clothes and textiles into biocompatible raw materials.