Company: ekko
Founders: Oli Cook and Manish Vara
Website: https://ekko.earth/
About ekko
Established in 2019, ekko responded to the growing global focus on environmental responsibility among businesses, consumers, and shareholders. It offers a transformative app, debit card, and ecosystem, simplifying processes for businesses while making a meaningful environmental impact. ekko merges financial technology, marketplace capabilities, open banking features, and retail functionality into a single transformative application. ekko’s sophisticated technology stack leverages 100% cloud-based infrastructure for scalability and agility. Through machine learning and data aggregation, ekko curates the best-in-class sustainability data and initiatives from around the globe which ensures that their offerings remain relevant, effective, and adaptable to evolving environmental challenges.
Challenges Overcome:
ekko has faced several challenges in its journey as a business. Firstly, navigating the fundraising market has proven to be challenging, although maintaining a focus on good economics promises long-term benefits. Secondly, the decision-making and buying cycle from larger organizations has slowed down, posing hurdles, especially as the company scales and relies on significant deals. Additionally, there is a prevalent ‘fear’ of greenwashing, which undermines proactive action towards climate change. ekko believes in embracing these challenges with boldness, advocating for genuine intent and courage in the face of adversity.
Environmental Impact:
ekko’s innovative platform turns retail transactions into environmental catalysts, seamlessly integrating sustainability benefits and empowering businesses to align customer engagement with ecological goals. For every five transactions, one ocean-bound plastic bottle is collected, and for every fifty transactions, a tree is planted. From real-time carbon tracking to tangible actions like offsetting and conservation efforts, this platform ensures that every transaction carries a purposeful environmental impact.
ekko collaborates with a wealth of climate impact partners to maximise overall impact, including Prevented Ocean Plastic, Conservation International, and Tusk. In collaboration with Tusk, ekko enables banks, merchants, and payment providers worldwide to embed conservatioon-centric dimensions into their offerings. Businesses can now empower customers to support diverse animal conservation projects globally, leveraging benefits accrued through ekko. This partnership curates a portfolio spanning 13 nations and diverse specializations, including anti-poaching and community-driven conservation efforts.
In 2024, ekko announced several partnerships with merchant facing brands such as Volt and Primis, helping to spread the impact across in merchant facing solutions. Customers using Volt at checkout can opt to remove a plastic bottle from the ocean, and a real-time counter displays the collective impact, emphasizing the immediate removal of plastic bottles. ekko’s collaboration with Primis infuses sustainable practices into the post-purchase customer journey, enhancing visibility into the environmental footprint of online purchases, and addressing a crucial gap in the shopping experience.
ekko stands out for its holistic approach, seamlessly integrating data with action. Their end-to-end sustainability infrastructure empowers businesses to offer unique and engaging experiences to customers, going beyond traditional solutions that focus solely on data or education. This approach has proven successful, with 64% of users reporting increased daily consideration of sustainability. By overcoming challenges, delivering tangible environmental impact, and leveraging cutting-edge technology, ekko has positioned themselves as leaders in the drive towards a more sustainable future.
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