AND THE NOMINEES ARE…
Amongst all of the inspiring entries, 29 nominees were selected to move on to the final round of the WDCD Accelerator. This year’s shortlist sparks a bold reimagining of our future: from game-changing sustainable tech and circular designs to community-driven initiatives and climate-proof innovations.
Jardín Textil
A platform to explore the full cycle of natural dyes—connecting communities through seed banks, education, tradition, and circular textile practices.
Created by Melissa Jurado
DaphnoScape
Water remediation solution based on the superpowers of willow trees and other plant species.
Created by Dragos Dascalu
Loom – The Upcycling App
Loom is an upcycling app that connects you with 100+ designers to redesign your own clothes!
Created by Daisy Harvey
give give
a kid game experience to swap toys in your neighbourhood—because the most sustainable toy is already in someone else’s trunk.
Created by ninon moraw
Circular Cashback
A circular clothing system with circular products, rewarding consumers with cashback for returning used items for recycling, ensuring material reuse.
Created by Nicholas Haenny
Merova
A platform integrating LCA Principles into product design, visualizing environmental impacts in real-time for sustainable decision-making.
Created by Amitesh Singh
Atapand
Atapand is a nature-based solution that uses native plants to create sustainable seawalls, protecting coastlines and restoring biodiversity.
Created by Damian Mayaki
CHOCOLATE HAS A NAME
A storytelling-driven initiative reconnecting cocoa growing communities and consumers through design, education, and reparative actions globally.
Created by Adelle A'asante
Negotiating Boundaries
A regenerative design approach using "Seacrete", a dissolving biomaterial, to create habitats that adapt to sea-level rise and foster biodiversity.
Created by Lotte Wigman
Carbon Cell
A carbon-negative, plastic-free, compostable foam that delivers competitive performance in the packaging industry at low cost.
Created by
Lucid Life | Marama Ora
A living material encapsulating bioluminescent micro-algae, which emits light in response to touch and was inspired by corals’ symbiotic relationships
Created by Christopher Bellamy
ER Ocean Recherche
ER Ocean Recherche is a next-gen material company, converting marine biomass into a portfolio of materials: textiles and coated canvas.
Created by Eugène Riconneaus
Iro Iro Zero Waste
Transforming garment and textile waste into new material through a circular system rooted in indigenous craft.
Created by Bhaavya Goenka
Cuemái
Transforming tequila production waste into sustainable, plant-based textile materials.
Created by Alonso Hernández
Muntanya Lab Circular Studio
Design studio that through creativity transforms waste into products at an industrial level
Created by Mariajose Benitez
Designing Carbon Capture
Designing an industrial CO₂ removal technology that integrates with the landscape to bridge the gap between industrial innovation and design.
Created by Joshua Holetz
PAPILIO
PAPILIO is a public lighting solution powered by renewable wind energy that significantly reduces light pollution.
Created by Tobias Trübenbacher
mimycri by ANKAA
mimycri by ANKAA works alongside vulnerable folks in Athens to repurpose textile waste and redefine collective narratives around migration.
Created by Isabella Kalogianni
Pakha Project
Pakha automates single-blade fans for sustainable cooling, blending innovation with heritage while empowering artisans.
Created by Abhirup Dutta
Andao Company
We transform plastic waste into durable, eco-designed furniture - boosting education while reducing pollution in Madagascar.
Created by
IPS
The Institute for Postnatural Studies is a center for artistic experimentation from which to explore and problematize postnature as a framework
Created by Matteo Guarnaccia
Lighting Bathroom
Dignified sanitation and light through locally built, low-tech pavilions using renewable energy and sustainable material
Created by sangji han
Anuvad Innovation Studio
Anuvad combines Traditional craft and Electronics to humanize technology in a ubiquitous way, through E-textile applications
Created by Chhail Khalsa
fufu (feeding us, for us)
Fufu redesigns food systems through circular products, participatory storytelling, and community-driven strategy rooted in Black cultural continuity.
Created by Carmela Wilkins
Open Call
4 February – 31 March
Creatives everywhere are invited to submit their ideas through the Accelerator platform.
Nominate
March - April
WDCD team and our international advisors decide on a shortlist of nominees.
Triumph
April – May
Our international jury decides on at least 8 winners from around the world.
Sprint
June
Winning teams meet in Amsterdam for a week-long design sprint and pitch their solution at the WDCD Live event.
Accelerate
June - July
Winning teams enter a dedicated mentorship programme to strengthen and scale their impact.
WHAT’S NEXT?
On 6-7 May, our international jury will convene in Amsterdam to review all nominees and decide on 8 winning projects across all categories. The panel features leading figures from the fields of climate, design, business, and circularity, including René van Geer (Secrid), Danai Musandu (HPE Growth), and Yayra Agbofah (The Revival).
The winners have a chance to receive a grant of €7,777.77 through the Secrid Talent Award. They will also launch into a full-steam-ahead accelerator programme, which includes the opportunity to present their projects at the upcoming WDCD Live event in Amsterdam. Congratulations to all participants and best of luck to the nominees!
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