Polymateria named Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum

• The World Economic Forum announced its selection of the 100 most promising Technology Pioneers of 2021 - companies that are shaping industries from healthcare to retail and many more.
• This year’s cohort includes representation from 26 economies on six continents with reach far beyond traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley.
• Polymateria, which produces plastics that self-destructs in the natural environment, made it to the selection for its contributions in the field of circular design and prevention of plastic pollution.
• The British company supports Extreme E with catering materials and showcased its LyfeCycle innovation at the recent Ocean X Prix in Senegal.
• The full list of Technology Pioneers can be viewed at http://wef.ch/techpioneers21.

Polymateria, the London-based British tech company that last year produced the world’s first fully recyclable and biodegradable plastic, was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers”. Polymateria came through Imperial College London’s incubator system and counts a diverse portfolio of customers and partners from Indorama Ventures, to Hollywood Actress Robin Wright, purposeful auto racing series Extreme E, Rolling Loud Festivals, DAZN Sports TV network and the Indian Government.

The British innovators chose Extreme E’s Ocean X Prix to showcase LyfeCycle, a new solution for tackling the global plastic pollution pandemic. LyfeCycle is the world’s first plastic that quickly and safely degrades in the natural environment leaving no toxins and microplastics behind. While the technology allows recycling to happen, it was specifically designed to target the types of plastics that are most likely to end up in nature.

The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the use of new technologies and innovation that are poised to have a significant impact on business and society.

With their selection as Technology Pioneer, CEO Niall Dunne of Polymateria will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events and discussions throughout the year. Polymateria will also contribute to Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues.

“We’re excited to welcome Polymateria to our 2021 cohort of Technology Pioneers,” says Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum. “Polymateria and its fellow pioneers are developing technologies that can help society solve some of its most pressing issues. We look forward to their contribution to the World Economic Forum in its commitment to improving the state of the world.”

“It’s great to be acknowledged as a tech pioneer by the World Economic Forum”, said Polymateria’s CEO, Niall Dunne. “Since we were founded we’ve been obsessed with the scientific credibility and scale needed to solve the fugitive plastic crisis. This obsession has yielded a number of science based break throughs supported by & validated through new world leading standards specifically for the materials that are most likely to wind up in nature. It’s also clear that the ultimate beach head for innovation in this area is working with the next generation of consumers to empower them to champion the change needed from industry and other stakeholders and this will be our top priority in working within the WEF community.”

For the first time in the community’s history, over 30 per cent of the cohort are led by women. The firms also come from regions all around the world, extending their community far beyond Silicon Valley. This year’s cohort includes start-ups from 26 countries, with UAE, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe represented for the first time.

The diversity of these companies extends to their innovations as well. 2021 Tech Pioneer firms are shaping the future by advancing technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, biotechnology and many more. The full list of Technology Pioneers can be found here.

Technology Pioneers have been selected based on the community’s selection criteria, which includes innovation, impact and leadership as well as the company’s relevance with the World Economic Forum’s Platforms.

All information on this year’s Technology Pioneers can be found here: http://wef.ch/techpioneers21