It’s been a huge few months for Ponda, a key Palus Demos partner. The company was named Innovator of the Year at the inaugural UK Pride in Our Planet awards and also secured a €2.76 million (£2.35 million) grant, all within the space of two months.
At the heart of Ponda’s approach is typha, a wetland plant grown on restored peatland and processed into BioPuff®, which is a plant-based alternative to both goose down and polyester. BioPuff’s lifecycle emissions are almost 90% lower than conventional alternatives, while its production supports biodiversity, improves water quality and boosts flood resilience.
In June, the company, which produces sustainable textiles, picked up the award, which recognises Ponda’s work in turning rewetted peatland into a source of regenerative materials. Ponda was chosen by a panel of independent judges from more than 300 entries.
“For Ponda, this recognition is especially meaningful,” said Julian Ellis-Brown, Ponda CEO, of the Innovator of the Year win.
“It comes at a time when the need to restore nature at scale has never been more urgent, and when the question of how to fund and deliver that restoration is becoming central to the climate conversation. Being selected from such a large and diverse field of entries is an important validation of the approach we are taking: that restoring ecosystems like Britain’s wetlands is not only an environmental necessity, but can also be built into a viable and scalable business model.
“At Ponda, we have always believed that nature recovery and commercial success do not need to be in opposition. In fact, we believe they must be aligned if we are to restore ecosystems at the speed and scale required.
“Britain’s degraded peatlands and wetlands represent one of the country’s most powerful natural climate assets, with the potential to deliver carbon storage, biodiversity recovery, water regulation, and long-term economic value when restored properly,” he said.
Then, in July, Ponda secured the grant to lead this wetland farming demonstration — one of the largest in the world.
The grant was awarded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and will be used to establish a 30-hectare demonstration site for growing typha over the next 30 months.
Led by Ponda, the consortium brings together fellow Palus Demos partners Liverpool John Moores University and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, alongside J&K Barnard Farms, Finance Earth and Berghaus, to demonstrate how productive wetland farming can generate environmental and economic value while helping establish a new UK biomaterials supply chain.
Combined with the DEFRA grant, Ponda has now raised €5.6 million (£4.77 million) in total funding to date.
Ponda’s biomaterial has attracted attention from the fashion world, including use by acclaimed designer Stella McCartney, and offers a sustainable alternative in a world quickly moving away from fast fashion. The company is also collaborating with Imperial College London to include Ponda’s plant-based insulation in university-branded clothing.
The Innovator of the Year award adds to an established run of awards for Ponda, including the H&M Foundation Global Change Award, Parley for the Oceans recognition, and PETA UK’s Best Vegan Down.
Mike Longden, Peatland Programme Technical Lead with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, said the DEFRA funding will support a project with significant economic and environmental benefits.
“Demonstrating a commercially viable approach to managing lowland peat at scale — one that improves biodiversity while supporting sustainable farming — has huge potential to transform how we manage these landscapes for the future,” he said.
Read more about Ponda’s wider work over on the Ponda blog.
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Ponda is opening up to its community through a crowdfunding round to support the next stage of growth, aiming to scale restoration and expand production of BioPuff.