Unreasonable

Before Unreasonable Fellow Annie Ryu ever sold a single jackfruit meatball, she was standing under the thick heat of an Indian street market, staring at a fruit the size of a toddler. She wasn’t there to start a food company. She was there for medicine, for maternal health. But the fruit stayed with her — not just because of its texture or taste, but because of what it represented: abundance hiding in plain sight. That moment sparked a journey that would take Annie from Harvard Medical School to the farms of southern India, where she partnered with local growers to build the largest global supply chain for jackfruit. Along the way, she founded The Jackfruit Company and later launched jack & annie's, a consumer-facing brand bringing this underused, nutrient-dense fruit to grocery store shelves across the U.S. in the form of burgers, sausages, meatballs, and more. Now, in a food industry reckoning with the limits of over-processed plant-based meat, Annie’s quiet revolution is gaining serious recognition. The Jackfruit Company has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Food for 2025, a nod to the brand’s unique approach to real food, climate-smart sourcing, and meaningful farmer partnerships. Congratulations to Annie and the entire team on this well-deserved milestone. Learn more about Annie here: https://lnkd.in/exYYmM6K And you can read more about The Jackfruit Company here: https://lnkd.in/ep2UvASZ

In 2016, Unreasonable Fellow Eileen Murphy stood on a stage and shared an insight born from personal experience: “It just struck me that it was absolutely not fair that those students wouldn't get an education, because we didn't equip the teachers with the tools that would make it possible.” At the time, ThinkCERCA, her innovative literacy platform, was already beginning to show promise. Seven years later, Eileen’s vision is becoming a reality. Today, we're thrilled to share that ThinkCERCA’s Core English Language Arts Curriculum (Grades 6 to 12) has earned the prestigious "all-green" rating from EdReports, the leading independent reviewer of educational materials in the US. This rare achievement confirms what educators across the country have already experienced: ThinkCERCA delivers exceptional, personalized literacy instruction that empowers students of all backgrounds and abilities. When Eileen left her leadership role at Chicago Public Schools to found ThinkCERCA, she wanted to build a solution to a problem she'd seen in countless classrooms: the challenge of meeting diverse student needs while nurturing critical thinking and communication skills. ThinkCERCA’s unique platform now supports educators in thousands of schools, equipping students with the literacy and critical thinking skills necessary to thrive in today's complex world. Congratulations, Eileen, and the entire ThinkCERCA team on this powerful milestone! Learn more about Eileen herehttps://lnkd.in/ebjHrtPY And you can read more about ThinkCERCA here: https://lnkd.in/eMBU7A_2

What a gift it was to spend this last week in service to the community that gathered for our Unreasonable Impact UK/Europe gathering (https://lnkd.in/ggUrUZrG). To our co-founders and partners at Barclays, to the 14 absolutely brilliant and courageous entrepreneurs, and to the 33 mentors who came together around a shared goal of supporting a portfolio of companies that can take us into a brighter future. I know I speak on behalf of our entire community and our team when I say I feel both blessed and privileged to be playing even a small roll in supporting the courageous efforts of all the ventures below: ? Common Objective ? CyanoCapture ? Epoch Biodesign ? Farmforce ? LIVIN farms ? Material Evolution ? Natcap ? OCEANIUM ? Onego Bio ? Orbital Marine Power Ltd ? Pivotal Future ? Qpinch ? SmartHelio — Predictive Solar Software ? Switchee Gratitude for Kirstie Mackey OBE, Caitlin Manning, Cathreen Wong, David Farrow, Nick Chuter, Simon Ollerenshaw, Aarti Singhal, Abdul Qureshi, Rachael Reid, Daniela Ibarra-Howell, Andy Boyd, Andy Middleton, Helena Sans, Neal Baer, Nick Kislinger, Jorge Oller, Jo Barnard, Ulf Stenerhag, Shimi Shah, Simon Nestel, Mario Solari, Gwen Safa, Jules Lennon, Markus Reymann.... LinkedIn won't let me tag any more ?? ) who have joined us and are joining us on this journey as partners, mentors, and investors in our community... I'm sending you all my deepest gratitude.

Unreasonable Fellow Cameron Frayling discovered that biodiversity, arguably the most important metric of our planet’s health, remains severely under-measured. Currently, only a handful of reliable multi-year, multi-species biodiversity datasets exist worldwide. Most biodiversity data today is collected inconsistently, often poorly verified, and sometimes entirely incorrect. Recognizing this critical gap, Cameron founded Pivotal to provide accurate, verifiable, and affordable biodiversity data at a global scale, enabling investors and businesses to reliably track nature’s true state and take meaningful action. Pivotal combines advanced ground-level sensors, satellite imagery, and AI-powered analytics to precisely measure biodiversity across large areas of forests, farmland, and coastlines. By digitally capturing biodiversity at scale, without the high cost or limitations of traditional manual methods, Pivotal helps major companies and asset managers understand the health, resilience, and value of the ecosystems they depend on. The demand for reliable biodiversity data has propelled rapid growth: in 2024 alone, Pivotal increased its revenue by over 800% and expanded its monitored area tenfold for the second consecutive year, all while cutting costs to just 1% compared to traditional approaches. Cameron has been selected to join the Unreasonable Impact UK & Europe 2025 cohort, a collaboration between Unreasonable and Barclays dedicated to scaling businesses that merge profit and impact. Through this programme, Pivotal will gain access to world-class mentorship, resources, and a powerful global network to accelerate its growth and maximise its impact. You can learn more about Cameron here - https://lnkd.in/ehp9QUuC And you can learn more about Pivotal here - https://lnkd.in/eR47wTV4

Unreasonable Fellow Valerie Dejaeghere spent over 20 years at a major oil and gas company, witnessing firsthand the industry's challenges with energy waste and carbon emissions. Three years ago, she decided to address these challenges directly, stepping into the CEO role at Qpinch, a Belgian startup based in Antwerp. Qpinch solves a problem Valerie understands deeply: industries waste enormous amounts of heat, letting valuable energy disappear into the atmosphere. Using a patented chemical heat pump, Qpinch transforms this waste heat into carbon-neutral steam without relying heavily on electricity, helping factories lower both their emissions and energy costs. Under Valerie’s leadership, Qpinch has grown rapidly, securing global partnerships and building megawatt-scale installations in Antwerp. With installations already proving their effectiveness, Valerie and her team are focused on scaling globally, driven by their mission to significantly cut industrial CO? emissions while improving energy efficiency for large processing plants worldwide. Valerie has been selected to join the Unreasonable Impact UK & Europe 2025 cohort, a collaboration between Unreasonable and Barclays dedicated to scaling businesses that merge profit and impact. Through this programme, Qpinch will gain access to world-class mentorship, resources, and a powerful global network to accelerate its growth and maximise its impact. You can learn more about Valerie here - https://lnkd.in/eTvWjThb And you can learn more about Qpinch?here -https://lnkd.in/ervR_Gsk

When Unreasonable Fellow David S. K. was a medical student at Oxford, he saw a big problem: the world produces billions of tons of CO? every year, but captures less than 0.1% of it because traditional methods are expensive and hard to scale. Inspired by nature, David wondered if biology could offer a simpler, better solution. David founded CyanoCapture, using tiny microbes called cyanobacteria that naturally absorb carbon dioxide faster than any other organism on Earth. These microbes use sunlight to quickly turn industrial CO? into useful products like bio-graphite for electric vehicle batteries and valuable ingredients for cosmetics. Starting from a small lab in Oxford, CyanoCapture quickly grew, partnering with industry leaders to sustainably produce beauty ingredients, and launching pilot projects in Portugal. David and his team are now prepared to expand this innovative solution, making carbon capture both easy and profitable for businesses around the world. David has been selected to join the Unreasonable Impact UK & Europe 2025 cohort, a collaboration between Unreasonable and Barclays dedicated to scaling businesses that merge profit and impact. Through this programme, CyanoCapture will gain access to world-class mentorship, resources, and a powerful global network to accelerate its growth and maximise its impact. You can learn more about David here - https://lnkd.in/ecEDPD5C And you can learn more about CyanoCapture?here -https://lnkd.in/eaC9XcQt

Eggs are a crucial ingredient in food manufacturing, used in everything from baked goods to sauces and snacks. But the egg supply chain is fragile, plagued by price volatility, avian flu outbreaks, and increasing sustainability concerns. Unreasonable Fellow Maija Itkonen saw a major opportunity—not to reinvent eggs, but to reinvent how they are produced. As co-founder and CEO of Onego Bio, Maija leads the development of Bioalbumen?, a bioidentical egg protein made without chickens. Using precision fermentation, the company’s proprietary Trichoderma reesei fungus produces ovalbumin, the key protein in egg whites, with superior efficiency and a significantly lower environmental footprint. The result is an animal-free ingredient that delivers the same foaming, emulsification, and binding properties as traditional egg whites, but with 90% lower climate impact and 95% less land use. Maija has been selected to join the Unreasonable Impact UK & Europe 2025 cohort, a collaboration between Unreasonable and Barclays dedicated to scaling businesses that merge profit and impact. Through this programme, Onego Bio will gain access to world-class mentorship, resources, and a powerful global network to accelerate its growth and maximise its impact. You can learn more about Maija here - https://lnkd.in/g64BQfpA And you can learn more about Onego Bio?here -https://lnkd.in/gzppqTE6

Exciting times! ???? Our founder & CEO, Katharina Unger, is currently at Unreasonable Impact UK & Europe 2025, a programme in partnership with Unreasonable and Barclays, dedicated to scaling businesses that drive both profit and impact. At LIVIN farms, we’re pioneering modular, automated BSF factories to transform organic waste into high-quality insect protein, oil, and fertiliser—helping industries reduce reliance on overfished oceans and resource-intensive crops. With six projects across Europe and cutting-edge innovations, we’re scaling sustainable feed solutions at a global level. Through this programme, Katharina is connecting with world-class mentors, investors, and fellow entrepreneurs, gaining valuable insights to accelerate our mission. We’re excited for what’s ahead! ??

For Unreasonable Fellow Tamsin Lejeune, the idea that sustainability should be a commercial advantage, not a cost, has shaped everything she’s built. From working with grassroots artisans in Bangladesh to leading global initiatives for ethical business, she’s seen firsthand how purpose-driven enterprises can transform industries. But she’s also seen the roadblocks: too often, businesses doing the right thing struggle to compete in a system that rewards unsustainable practices. That’s where Common Objective (CO) Tech comes in. Tamsin is using AI and digital technology to shift the incentives, giving ethical businesses the visibility and opportunities they deserve. CO’s platform has already brought together 65,000 professionals and 28,000 businesses, rewarding sustainable practices with up to 5,000% more engagement. Tamsin has been selected to join the Unreasonable Impact UK & Europe 2025 cohort, a collaboration between Unreasonable and Barclays dedicated to scaling businesses that merge profit and impact. Through this programme, Common Objective will gain access to world-class mentorship, resources, and a powerful global network to accelerate its growth and maximise its impact. You can learn more about Tamsin here - https://lnkd.in/edwTm4U5 And you can learn more about Common Objective?here -https://lnkd.in/ej39QHRp

If someone had told Unreasonable Fellow Elizabeth Gilligan years ago that she’d be running a cement company, she probably would have laughed. But one experiment led to another, first in a converted garage, then with machines bought off eBay, until she found herself at the helm of Material Evolution, leading a breakthrough in ultra-low carbon cement. Liz is tackling one of the world’s biggest environmental problems: cement production, a major contributor to global emissions. Using AI-driven alkali-fusion technology, her company has developed a process that cuts carbon by up to 85% without sacrificing strength or performance. In just five years, they’ve scaled from grams of material to an 18-ton-an-hour production facility, securing major investment and industry recognition along the way. Liz has been selected to join the Unreasonable Impact UK & Europe 2025 cohort, a collaboration between Unreasonable and Barclays dedicated to scaling businesses that merge profit and impact. Through this programme,?Material Evolution will gain access to world-class mentorship, resources, and a powerful global network to accelerate its growth and maximise its impact. You can learn more about Liz here - https://lnkd.in/ehVGtFby And you can learn more about Material Evolution?here -https://lnkd.in/e9yFh7w9