Our finalists

We are delighted to announce our 24 finalists across the 4 competition categories.

About

From a competitive application round our interdisciplinary judging panel, made up of of scientists, industry specialists, entrepreneurs and investors, have selected the finalists that will go on to pitch at the final on 4 July. There will only be one winner crowned from each of the competition categories.

Take a look at this year’s leading tech innovators who are developing chemistry-led technologies that:

enable the creation or improvement of products and services across a wide product scope, potentially in combination with other complementary technologies.
are new processes and products that deliver significant energy generation, efficiency, or storage improvements, supporting sustainable energy as part of the transition to NetZero.
conserve resources, monitor, and reduce the impact on the environment and support the move to a circular economy.
ensure healthier lives and well-being for all, at all ages, including global healthcare challenges.

Enabling Technologies finalists

Imperial College London

Re-Inventing Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis

Imperial College London have innovated solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) to allow the synthesis of multiple peptide fragments on a single bead, departing from the conventional method of synthesising only one fragment per bead. This advancement promises to significantly boost the productivity of existing peptide analogues and facilitate the synthesis of first-in-class analogues.

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/pharmacy/people/profile/othmanalmusaimi.html

2024 finalists

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Plasma2X

Plasma electrified decentralised green ammonia production from air and water

Plasma2X have developed a revolutionary plasma electrocatalysis technology for sustainable and efficient green ammonia and fertiliser production under ambient conditions. This emerging technology can accommodate a high turndown ratio and rapid start-up and shutdown, offering great flexibility for decentralised ammonia production using intermittent renewable energy.

https://p2xinnovations.com/

2024 finalists

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Queen Mary, University of London

Plant-based barrier coatings as an alternative to plastic packaging

Queen Mary, University of London have developed a highly water repellent coating from 100% plant-based materials with antifouling and self-cleaning properties. The coatings provide the same barrier layer protection to water that is currently offered by plastics and therefore, on biodegradable substrates, can act as a compostable alternative to single use plastic packaging.

https://www.sems.qmul.ac.uk/

2024 finalists

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University College London

Recycling technology for transformation of clinical waste into valuable chemicals

The carbon recycling technology (CART) developed by UCL scientists is a distributed cleantech platform that combines small, modular on-site advanced recycling, material value recovery, and real-time data and insights, aimed at giving healthcare facilities and medical waste handlers a comprehensive end-to-end solution for end-of-use plastic waste.

2024 finalists

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University of Leeds

LowCat: A catalyst material for low temperature exhaust pollutant mitigation

University of Leeds have developed LowCat, a new material for removing toxic gasses including nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide from vehicle exhausts. LowCat functions at temperatures common in slow moving vehicles, where conventional emissions management technologies are not effective. LowCat does not use expensive platinum group metals, and is simple to manufacture.

https://www.leeds.ac.uk/lowcat

2024 finalists

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University of Nottingham

Photene: Advanced binding site analysis for drug discovery & biotherapeutics

Protein footprinting is a novel technology for mapping the binding sites of pharmaceutical, biotherapeutic and agrochemical products onto their protein target, at low cost and with high spatial resolution. Understanding how biologically active chemicals bind to proteins relevant to plant, animals and humans is critical to early-stage R&D of products.

www.photene.co.uk

2024 finalists

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Energy finalists

Eutechtics

EvoCarbon: Sustainable synthesis of carboxylic acids using CO2 as feedstock

Eutechtics have designed a catalytic chemical process for synthesizing "ultra-low carbon footprint" carboxylic acids from CO2 using bio-based deep eutectic solvents (DES). EvoCarbon operates at significantly milder temperatures and pressures than industrial methods, facilitates product isolation, material recycling, and reduces costs due to energy consumption.

https://eutechtics.com

2024 finalists

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Heriot-Watt University

GHG sealing technology for well abandonment and carbon/hydrogen storage

Rockit prevents evidently significant leaks of greenhouse gases for millennia by sealing porous rocks, fractures and fissures deep around wellbores with an acid-resistant mineral. It can be used for CCUS and hydrogen storage, addressing an ongoing global challenge of plugging thousands of existing and new wells quicker, better and safer.

http://rockit.rocks

2024 finalists

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Leaf-tech

Self-respiring membrane for advanced CO2 direct air capture

Leaf-tech's self-respiring membrane technology, which separates CO2 efficiently without the need for applied pressure, also delivers world-leading separation performance. This breakthrough significantly reduces the cost of direct air capture to under £150. Designed for scalability, our DAC system, built on this membrane, demands minimal maintenance yet ensures high performance.

2024 finalists

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Pipeline Organics

Enzymatic biofuel cell to generate clean electricity from industrial wastewater

Pipeline Organics' enzymatic biofuel cell, TankArc, generates direct current from the untapped resource of liquid organic waste in the food and beverage and other industries. TankArc’s enzymatic coating over its high 3D-printed surface area can be customised for individual customer waste profiles, providing clean, weather-independent, year-round electricity to user electrical plant.

https://pipelineorganics.co.uk/

2024 finalists

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University College London

Intrinsically safe high-power aqueous battery

The University of College London's technology introduces a safe, aqueous electrolyte with trace inorganic ammonium salts for high-power batteries. It shields the anode during fast charging, ensuring smooth zinc deposition. This approach delivers a safe, high-performance battery, ideal for various applications, from gadgets to renewable energy storage.

2024 finalists

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University of Cambridge

H2Upgrade - hydrogen production from industrial waste gases and solvents

Hydrogen is a promising carbon-free fuel but its current production methods rely on fossil methane or expensive electrolysers. In contrast, H2Upgrade converts zero-value industrial wastes into high-purity H2, enabling the waste-producing companies to become H2 producers and consumers, thus, promoting the H2 economy and distributed manufacturing.

2024 finalists

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Environment finalists

PlantSea Ltd

Plastic-free water-soluble packaging, made from seaweed

PlantSea have developed a highly innovative, environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic packaging. PlantSea water-soluble film is the only natural and plastic-free product that rivals the performance of PVOH for packaging laundry, cleaning, and personal care products (PVA/PVOH is a conventional water soluble plastic that causes significant microplastic pollution).

https://plantsea.co.uk/

2024 finalists

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AquaYell

High frequency ultrasound for degradation of forever chemicals

AquaYell have developed a process for the destruction of PFAS (per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances) using sonolysis (ultrasound cavitation). This process is catalyst- and chemical-free, robust for a wide range of solution matrices and produces no toxic effluent. Their process is highly scalable and is suitable for in-situ deployment.

2024 finalists

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BindEthics

Sustainable waste-derived adhesive for engineered-wood boards

BindEthics have developed innovative food waste-derived Bio-adhesives to replace formaldehyde-based glues used to make engineered-wood products such as furniture. Formaldehyde-based adhesives, the industry standard, are toxic, carcinogenic, and the reason why wood panels are not recyclable. Their sustainable solution, not derived from fossil fuels, reduces the CO2 footprint by 86%.

www.bindethics.com

2024 finalists

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Deakin Bio

A sustainable bio-based alternative to decorative ceramic tiles

Deakin Bio have developed a process to produce bio-based materials that are functionally equivalent to decorative ceramic tiles but avoid the need for high-temperature firing. This reduces the embodied carbon by approximately 94%. The bioinspired materials have a structure and chemistry similar to natural seashells, yet can be produced at scale.

www.deakinbio.com

2024 finalists

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Protonera

Turning contaminated plastics into green hydrogen to make recycling work

Protenera's proprietary technology promises profitable waste recycling by turning waste plastics into green hydrogen and other valuable organic molecules. They use novel catalysts that are functional at ambient conditions with high tolerance to feedstock impurities. Protpnera's technology promises a one-stop waste elimination method to increase the post-consumer plastic recycling rate.

www.protonera.com

2024 finalists

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ThioTech

Sustainable sulfur containing technologies for capturing toxic metal compounds

ThioTech utilise the low-cost and abundant industrial waste product, elemental sulfur, combined with sustainably sourced chemicals, to make high sulfur content materials that can be used as next-generation absorbents to remove toxic metal residues from water, oil, and gas, thereby preventing environmental release and contamination, potentially outperforming incumbent technologies.

www.thiotech.co.uk

2024 finalists

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Health finalists

Cardiff University

SunPad: Self-sanitising, reusable menstrual products for the global south

Cardiff University have developed a low-cost, photocatalyst-infused textile incorporated into the top layer of a reusable menstrual product. This textile has self-sanitising properties when exposed to sunlight, creating a safer product that reduces the risk of genitourinary tract infections, improving the lives of women and girls in the global south.

2024 finalists

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University of Bristol

Gold bio nanoconjugates for the rapid identification of microorganisms

The University of Bristol have developed a rapid, sensitive, and versatile bacterial detection platform using functionalised gold nanoparticles through a simple colourimetric shift from a minimal sample volume. This innovative technology has the potential for diverse applications in areas such as healthcare, food safety, agriculture, aquaculture, manufacturing and environmental monitoring.

www.dyador.com

2024 finalists

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Ignota Labs

SAFEPATH: Causal AI-driven mechanistic understanding of drug safety failures

Ignota Labs have developed a novel AI platform to understand the root causes of safety problems in drug discovery. By combining Deep Learning models to predict how the drug interacts with the body, with algorithms over complex data, we can understand the biological impact of those interactions, enabling drug failure turnaround.

ignotalabs.ai

2024 finalists

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University of Liverpool

Synthetic Teixobactins: multi-targeting super antibiotics to combat superbugs

The University of Liverpool have pioneered the designs and synthesis of a new class of antibiotics. Our synthesis platform is robust, automated, and scalable and uses low-cost goods. Synthetic teixobactins kill resistant bacterial pathogens without detectable resistance and have the potential to provide new treatment options to save countless lives globally.

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/systems-molecular-and-integrative-biology/staff/ishwar-singh/

2024 finalists

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University of Oxford

Broad-spectrum chemokine-neutralising peptides as therapeutics for autoimmune disease

University of Oxford have developed short peptides able to bind and neutralise the chemokine signalling network involved in inflammation. The peptides were developed from naturally occurring tick salivary proteins and functionalised using a rational drug design approach. Multi/Pan-chemokine inhibition aims to selectively inhibit pathological (autoimmune and) inflammatory responses without compromising wider immunity.

2024 finalists

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Vector Bioscience Cambridge

Agnostic drug delivery platform for targeted delivery and controlled release

Vector employs advanced porous nano shuttles, known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), to revolutionize cancer treatment. Their platform allows for precision medicine and drug delivery, minimising side effects by enabling targeted and controlled release of therapeutics, from small to macromolecules, including RNAs. This approach promises to significantly improve patient outcomes.

https://vectorbiocam.com/

2024 finalists

Take a look at the finalists across the four competition categories

2023 winners

As we wait to find out who will be the 2024 winners, you can read about what our 2023 winners have been up to.