If you’re working on something you believe in, keep at it — the world needs your solutions now more than ever
As the Enterprise Hub is an Official Nominator for The Earthshot Prize this coming year, we catch up with previous winners from our Hub, Pierre-Yves Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, and ask them to share their experience of winning the Earthshot prize... meeting David Beckham, and tips for aspiring change makers.
Back in December 2022, Notpla were announced as the first UK winner of The Earthshot Prize, for their alternative biodegradable solution to plastic made from seaweed and plants.
Co-founded by Pierre-Yves Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, both leaders have completed our Shott Scale Up Accelerator, which aims to foster growth and nurture the leaders of organisations with the potential to make a significant impact. As with all our Hub members, we take immense pride in championing ongoing success. The impact of the entrepreneurs we support is critical to our mission of harnessing the power of engineering and technology build a sustainable society.
As new Official Nominators for The Earthshot Prize this year, we took the opportunity to chat to Pierre and Rodrigo, asking them to share their insights into this relatively new, but hugely ambitious award, led by HRH The Price of Wales.
Notpla is making an incredible impact. Please do tell us about your organisation in your own words and the change you wish to make.
At Notpla, we’re working to solve a simple but massive problem: the world is drowning in single-use plastic waste, and we need alternatives that don’t harm the planet. We create packaging made from seaweed and other natural materials—things that
biodegrade naturally and don’t stick around for hundreds of years. From our edible Ooho bubbles to home-compostable food containers and flexible films; everything we design is focused on reducing our dependence on single-use plastics.
Tell us how you reached the point where you entered such an ambitious prize?
Our journey to Earthshot really started back in 2014 when we first began experimenting with seaweed as a material for packaging and Notpla was shortly born. Like many startups, we’ve been through ups and downs - celebrating huge milestones like our Ooho being used at the London Marathon to hydrate runners and taking our food packaging to industrial scale, while also facing the challenges of scaling a small team and bringing new ideas into a very established industry. Along the way, we learned the value of partnerships—working with everyone from national catering distributors to global policy-makers to make an impact.
By 2022, we were at a point where we knew we needed a big platform to amplify our work, and Earthshot felt like the perfect fit. It’s not just about the prize—it’s about being part of a global movement that aligns with what we’ve been trying to do from day one: inspire people to rethink what’s possible for packaging.
Describe the experience of winning the Earthshot Prize?
Winning The Earthshot Prize was a surreal moment. Having David Beckham announce it? That was a twist we didn’t see coming, and it’s something we’ll never forget. It was an amazing way to celebrate everything the team had worked so hard for, and the energy we felt, not just in the moment, but for months afterwards was just incredible—so many people, all focused on solving big challenges together and celebrating a company who were trying to create change.
What happened after was equally exciting. Suddenly, we were getting calls from companies and partners who hadn’t returned our emails before and media interviews with every major global TV network.
The recognition from Earthshot gave us a level of credibility and visibility that made a huge difference in opening new doors and we're still constantly reminded of how powerful it is to have a platform like this behind you.
How has winning Earthshot helped you?
The Earthshot Prize helped us scale faster and reach more people than we thought possible. It gave us access to networks, partners, and resources that accelerated our work, and it boosted our confidence as a team. It also helped us connect with a bigger audience to share our mission of creating a future without plastic. More than anything, it gave us a sense of validation—not just for us, but for anyone working on innovative solutions to global problems. Since winning, we've seen a swath of other material innovators in the space come up and be taken seriously by the industry.
Any tips for fellow leaders and entrepreneurs looking to scale and help make the world a better place?
- Stick to your mission: Knowing why you’re doing what you do helps guide tough decisions and attracts people who share your vision. We have a series of company values that we regularly remind ourselves of and one of these is "Nature is our north star" - we'll never produce something if nature doesn't agree with it.
- Don’t go it alone: Collaboration is key. Whether it’s finding the right partners, co-Founder or leaning on your team, you’ll achieve more when you work together.
- Learn from setbacks: Not everything will go to plan, but those moments often lead to the best insights. Keep going, even when it’s tough.
- Think big: The problems we’re trying to solve are huge, so don’t be afraid to push boundaries and aim high. This was really one of the biggest learnings from the Earthshot Prize with its own inspiration coming from President John F. Kennedy's “Moonshot” challenge in 1962 to land a man on the moon within a decade. You've got to think big! Winning The Earthshot Prize showed us that big ideas can make a big difference and that. If you’re working on something you believe in, keep at it—the world needs your solutions now more than ever.
About The Earthshot Prize
The Earthshot Prize searches the globe for game-changing innovations that will help us repair our planet, awarding the very best five solutions each year with £1 million to scale their work.
If you have a solution that is inspiring, inclusive and impactful, please get in touch with Patrick Woodcock for a further discussion about nomination for The Earthshot Prize 2025.
Nominations close at 12 noon on 11 December 2024.