Ethical oil startup Levur wins $100,000 in KPMG Nature Positive Challenge

27 January 2025 Consultancy.com.au

KPMG has selected NSW-based ethical oil startup Levur as the latest winner of its annual Nature Positive Prize, with reef restoration company Coral Maker taking home the People’s Choice award.

Levur, co-founded by CEO and COO duo Tom Collier and Joanne Barber in mid-2023, was awarded the $100,000 major prize, and will together with its fellow four finalists share in $250,000 worth of tailored advisory services.

KPMG launched the competition in 2022, focusing this year on the regenerative economy and sustainable food systems, with Levur joining past winners Xylo Systems, a biodiversity intelligence platform, and alternative plastic producer ULUU.

“The goal of the challenge is to shape a better future by supporting entrepreneurship that is focused on helping people and planet. We are incredibly proud to be helping fast-track the growth of these amazing businesses,” stated KPMG CEO Andrew Yates. “Levur was the ultimate choice because of their highly innovative application of science and the scale of the challenge they are tackling.”

In a bid to counter the devastating effects of palm oil production, which is staple of a wide range of consumer products and has caused widespread deforestation, Levur has worked to produce a synthetic oil alternative identical to those found in nature but without the environmental harm, by using a precision fermentation process to guide microbes in a similar manner to brewing beer.

Collier, who is studying his doctorate at Macquarie, said winning felt like a pivotal moment for the young business; “It’s a validation of the mission our team has worked so hard to make a reality and a powerful reminder of why we started this journey; to protect our planet and create solutions that leave a lasting impact. Thanks to this prize, we’ll be able to scale faster and reach more markets.”

“We’re already seeing the strategic benefits of KPMG’s advisory support and the doors this will open, helping to commercialise our sustainable alternative to palm oil,” Collier continued, adding; “Creating long-term impact takes a village, and we’re deeply inspired by the work of our fellow finalists. We’re proud to be part of a community dedicated to driving meaningful change.”

Those finalists include Coral Maker, which took home the $20,000 ‘People’s Choice’ award as voted on by KPMG staff, and ‘First Nations’ prize-winner Native Botanical Brewery, along with Lord of the Trees, which adopts drone technology for pest management, and Rainstick, which uses electricity to mimic the natural effects of lightning to grow better and more efficient crops.

KPMG said the third cycle of its annual competition attracted a record number of entries, along with the broadest range of start-ups. The five selected finalists ultimately pitched to a panel which included former Fujitsu vice president Nicole Forrester, now chief regeneration officer at WWF-Australia, and KPMG’s national nature and sustainability leaders Carolin Leeshaa and Josh Geelan.

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