Kelpi wins prestigious Barclays Entrepreneur Award

South West cleantech firm Kelpi has been recognised at the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards 2024 in London.

The Bristol company's CEO and co-founder Neil Morris was crowned the winner of the Start-Up category, receiving the prestigious award from Dragons' Den star Sara Davies and unanimous plaudits from the judging panel.

Kelpi emerged victorious from a competitive field of more than 1,000 entries across all industry sectors, and is one of just nine category winners to scoop an award.

Kelpi is a world-leading sustainable materials innovation company. Using seaweed and natural plant-based oils, Kelpi has created unique, biodegradable coating materials for paper, card and fibre which provide the sort of barrier to water, oxygen, greasy and acidic contents that could previously only be achieved by fossil fuel plastics.

Among the eight finalists in the start-up category were Aberdeen-based carbon capture innovators CCU International, Liverpool-based off-grid energy specialists Enturi, and AI-powered acoustic resident monitoring company Earzz Limited, based in London.

Neil Morris, CEO and co-founder of Kelpi, told Tech South West: "Wow - what an evening! Winning this Barclays Entrepreneur of the Year Award is a powerful validation of our team's innovative spirit and unwavering commitment to making a meaningful impact in sustainable innovation. This recognition not only celebrates our current achievements but also fuels our excitement for the journey ahead."

The win at the Barclays Entrepreneur of the Year awards follows Kelpi's recent success as the Start Up Enterprise of the Year at the Global Good Awards, underlining the company's growing reputation for excellence and innovation.

Dan Pritchard, director of Tech South West, said: "Kelpi represents exactly the kind of innovative startup we need to be championing. Their remarkable success at the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards isn't just about winning a prize - it's about demonstrating how technology can be a powerful force for environmental solutions. By tackling plastic pollution with cutting-edge approaches, they're showing that entrepreneurial spirit and ecological responsibility can go hand in hand."