Last Wednesday, Wilderlands attended the KPMG Nature Positive Launchpad event held in Sydney. The event celebrated the four teams selected to be part of the KPMG Nature Positive Challenge program that supports the best startups tackling biodiversity loss and the blue economy; with Wilderlands selected alongside Xylo Systems, Hullbot, and Restore Blue.

The event gave a glimpse into the future of how businesses have the potential to save biodiversity

The evening kicked off with a welcome from KPMG COO Eileen Hoggett who spoke passionately about why supporting startups tackling nature challenges is important to KPMG. 

This was followed by a panel led by Kylie Little featuring Carolin Leeshaa from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, Mick Liubinskas from Climate Salad, Charlotte Connell from Greenhouse, and Ben Lindsay from Investible. Together, they delved into the current state of the biodiversity market, the influential impact of the latest Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) release, and when we might see a wave of businesses making nature-positive commitments.

The founders of the challenge took to the stage for a lively discussion led by Kylie Little. Each founder shared their visions and reflected on their journeys so far. They explored how we can work with businesses to reach nature-positive goals.

Ash Knop, CEO and Co-founder of Wilderlands expressed his gratitude for the chance to engage with such an attentive audience that holds the potential to drive meaningful change.

Wilderlands’ journey with KPMG

In the last four months, we’ve had the privilege of participating in the KPMG Nature Positive Challenge. This initiative is dedicated to nurturing startups in the fields of biodiversity and the blue economy, offering them access to a generous prize pool of $250,000 in advisory services funds, which have been distributed among the participating teams. Additionally, the program provides valuable opportunities for engagement with industry leaders, mentorship, and a host of other benefits to support our growth and impact.

The support we’ve received from KPMG over the past few months has been invaluable and the level of engagement right from the top has been felt throughout the business. The partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing the most pressing biodiversity challenges.

Wilderlands looks forward with anticipation to the exciting announcements we have in store over the coming months.