Beyond the Judging Room: Innovation Zero Awards Facilitate 60+ Mentorship Connections

The Innovation Zero Awards connect purpose-ready clean technology startups with the corporate buyers, investors and experts who can help them scale. This year, alongside the usual programme of pitching, judging and networking, we trialled something new: mentorship matchmaking between Awards participants and our judging panel, and we've already facilitated more than 60 connections.

The idea was simple. This year's panel brought together over 100 judges from leading global organisations, including Airbus, InnoEnergy, ENGIE, Dow, Volvo, Diageo, BASF, British Business Bank, Shell Ventures, Tide Bank, Bulgari, Equinor, National Grid, Aramco and ScottishPower.

"Almost all our judges represent either a sustainable procurement function, an ESG or sustainability team, or a corporate venture capital division within their organisation," says Nastasya Savina, Director of the Innovation Zero Awards. "That means they understand first-hand what corporate buyers are actually looking for in sustainable solutions. We wanted to put that expertise directly in front of the companies that could benefit most, rather than limiting it to the judging room."

How it worked

Each judge was given a curated shortlist of Awards participants, put together according to criteria they set themselves, whether that was sector, growth stage, technology type or a particular challenge they wanted to help solve. From that list, judges could choose any number of companies they wanted to speak with. Only once a judge made their selection was an introduction made, so every match was one the judge had actively chosen rather than one assigned to them.

Amandeep Kalra, the CEO of Greenflip commented: "We were matched with two incredibly experienced people exactly in the industry we wanted acccess to, one has turned into a pilot and the other remains as our advisor. Youd be a fool not to apply for this incredible opportunity"

What it means for Awards participants

For the startups involved, this was a rare chance to get direct time with an industry figure who understands their space in depth. In practice, that's meant candid feedback on commercial strategy, sharper thinking on positioning and, in several cases, an offer to open doors, whether that's an introduction to a potential customer, investor or partner within the judge's own network. For early-stage companies, that kind of access can be difficult to come by, and having it arrive through a trusted, curated process makes it far more valuable than a cold approach would be.

Behrouz Azadmehr from Hydrozure put it plainly: "I want to strongly emphasise that this experimental mentorship matchmaking is a brilliant and invaluable initiative. Connecting deep-tech founders directly with industry leaders is one of the most impactful features of the Innovation Zero Awards, and I highly encourage you to keep it for future cycles!"
Kanwal Yasir, co-founder of Renobo, felt the same way about the wider opportunity it opened up: "The Innovation Zero Awards provided a valuable platform to showcase Renobo alongside other innovative climate solutions. Beyond the recognition, the programme created meaningful opportunities to connect with experienced sustainability professionals and expand our network within the climate innovation ecosystem. I appreciate the initiative's commitment to supporting early-stage innovators and would highly recommend it to startups working to address sustainability challenges."

What it means for judges

For judges, the benefit runs in the other direction. Rather than sifting through the full pool of applicants, they're presented with a shortlist already filtered against the criteria that matter to them, then given full control over who they follow up with. It's an efficient way to build relationships with the companies most relevant to their own dealflow or strategic interests, and several judges have told us it's given them visibility of startups they wouldn't otherwise have come across.

Clive Ji, Senior Business Development Manager from Dow Company commented "Participating in the Mentorship Matchmaking program has been highly valuable for me to better assess the strategic relevance of innovations, while also allowing me to share industry perspectives that may help startups refine their value proposition. These interactions help me create stronger connections with the external innovation ecosystem, increase visibility into early-stage opportunities, and supports the identification of potential partnerships aligned with future business and technology needs of our company."

Early signs

The scheme is still running, with full results expected in October, but we've already facilitated more than 60 matches and the early feedback from both sides has been encouraging. Judges have appreciated the quality and relevance of the shortlists, and participants have valued the chance to speak candidly with someone outside their own network who has no stake in the outcome beyond wanting to see good ideas succeed.

What's next

Given the strength of the feedback from both sides, we're pleased to confirm that mentorship matchmaking will continue in the next round of the Innovation Zero Awards, with further improvements planned to make it even more valuable for participants and judges alike. We're preparing to open that next round, and we'll share full details soon. Whether you're a climate technology innovator looking to connect with corporate buyers, investors and industry experts, or you'd like to get involved as a judge yourself, please express your interest via this form. We'd love to hear from you, whichever side of the table you're on.