The winner of SEB’s Company of the Future special prize is Naturist. The company produces granules made from ecological hemp and peas. The granules turn into a minced meat-like superfood when in contact with water and a pan. They contain twice as much protein as beef.

The company hopes that their product will help turn fast food into an affordable superfood while nurturing the environment, binding carbon dioxide and preserving clean water.

“The Naturist team is comprised of daring, ambitious and creative entrepreneurs who are committed to reducing the ecological footprint of meat production. What’s more, they are capable of clearly assessing the environmental impact of their activities, which is an important factor in attracting investors and ensuring further growth. According to the team members, their alternative product called CRUMP consumes nearly 400 times less water and its carbon footprint is 24 times smaller than that used in meat production,” explains Andra Altoa, Head of Customer Data and Strategic Transformations at SEB Baltics.

The entrepreneurs admit that one of the biggest challenges the food industry is facing today is to keep up with the demand for plant-based food, particularly proteins. The problem concerns millions of people who are in the process of reducing or giving up animal protein intake, be it for health or ethical reasons. As the human body needs protein every day for its health and functioning, their business idea and solution focus precisely on catering to this need.

After the presentations of the top 3 Ajujaht teams that were in contention for the SEB-sponsored special prize (the presentations were delivered during the largest sustainability festival in the Baltics on 7 October), the jury chose the best business idea that met all the criteria of the Company of the Future.

The top 3 teams that competed for the special prize were as follows:

Kõnekindlus, which manufactures and sells speech therapy games and technical aids developed in collaboration with specialists. The games and technical aids are aimed at solving speech impediments and supporting speech development.

MyCeen, which develops compostable building materials and interior design products based on mycelium and organic waste materials.

Naturist, which produces granules made from ecological hemp and peas. The granules become a minced meat-like superfood when in contact with water and a pan. The product contains twice as much protein as beef and keeps for two years at room temperature.