- DRIFT Energy has been awarded the Startups 100 Sustainability Award
- The company was founded in 2021 by Ben Medland
- DRIFT was also awarded the COP 28 LeZero Global Innovation Award
DRIFT Energy, a tech company which designs green sailing catamarans to generate green hydrogen, has been awarded the Startups 100 Sustainability Award.
Founder Ben Medland set out to find an ‘all-green’ solution that would help combat our reliance on fossil fuels. As a result, the company dived into harnessing the power of the ocean using “true green” sailing catamarans that generate green hydrogen by sailing.
The catamarans use artificial intelligence routing algorithms to keep them in optimum weather conditions reading to deliver to port. It stores its energy through an on-board megawatt class electrolyser to produce and store gigawatts of green hydrogen.
DRIFT Energy has also recently raised £4.65m to further expand the fleet.
According to Startups.co.uk, the company’s commitment to sustainability is a core value that drives every decision of DRIFT Energy, with the company supporting several UN Sustainability Goals.
Medland is also focused on supporting the energy transition for the estimated 65 million people who live in Small Island Developing Nations.
Zohra Huda, editor, Startups, said: “DRIFT’s sailing fleet took the Startups 100 Sustainability Award by storm.
“We want to celebrate sustainability leaders that prioritise the health of the planet, as part of their company mission.
“DRIFT does this in spades – harnessing ocean winds to produce green hydrogen – and makes waves in the maritime industry, which has struggled with net zero commitments.
“No surprises this Startups 100 superstar is also a COP 28 Award winner with its inspirational least invasive, lowest footprint renewable energy class that feeds the shipping sector’s energy transition. It’s full steam ahead for DRIFT in 2025.”
The Startups 100 Index was first launched in 2008 and sets out to recognise resilient, game changing startups. Its process is a one-step online webform and every entrant is judged on its USP, innovation, market opportunity, industry recognition and funding earned.
Huda added: “As the first-ever Startups 100 made entirely of post-pandemic companies, 2025’s Index is a bellwether for the future of UK recovery and growth, and what the new world of business looks like.
“Every enterprise has been picked for peak performance in criteria ranging from financials, external validation and market opportunity, to idea innovativeness and strength of concept.”
Other companies that were shortlisted include Pulpatronics, PlantSea and Open Climate Fix.
Pulpatronics builds full-recyclable Radio Frequency Identification tags (RFID) using paper for clothing items that eliminates the need for plastic, metal and silicon components. It also provides real-time stock insights that scrap the need for manual data entry.
PlantSea was founded by Rhiannon Rees and creates biodegradable and compostable packing solutions that are made from seaweed and other plant-based materials.
Open Climate Fix combines AI, satellite imagery, live solar data and weather inputs to map cloud cover in real-time and predict how it will affect solar energy production. This helps energy grid operators and solar power users better anticipate fluctuations in solar power availability.
To find out more about the Startups 100 Sustainability Awards, click here.
