THE FUTURE IS FUNGI AWARD
WINNERS
WINNER
Michroma
Michroma is transforming the way we colour and flavor. Using fungi-derived ingredients, they’re replacing petrochemicals with sustainable, natural solutions, pioneering a new standard for the food industry.
SECOND PLACE
Mycolever
Mycolever develops next-generation fungi bioingredients for personal care and cosmetics, replacing petrochemical, animal and plant-based inputs, advancing performance while driving sustainability.
THIRD PLACE
HIRO
Technologies
Creating the worlds first biodegradable diapers. Their fungi-powered approach breaks down plastics in months instead of centuries, demonstrating how innovation can regenerate both products and the planet.
THE FUTURE IS FUNGI AWARD
"This year’s winners show just how transformative fungal innovation has become," says Susanne Gløersen, Founder of the Future is Fungi Award.
- The worlds leading award for fungi-powered innovation
The Future is Fungi Award 2025 celebrates the world’s most visionary fungal innovators and science entrepreneurs. From 187 global entrants across 59 countries, the top three have emerged as leaders, paving the way in a global movement. They harness the intelligence of nature and use fungi to, transform industries, heal ecosystems and create a more regenerative future, proving that fungi can do more than we ever imagined. By collaborating with fungi, the winners are generating food color & flavors, texture, high-value sustainable ingredients, and biodegradable waste management, pioneering industrial systems that restore and amplify nature, humanity and planet.
This award is a global movement. Every startup represent the growing global wave of scientists and entrepreneurs committed to building a regenerative fungi-powered future.
Together, we accelerate the fungal revolution!
The Fungal Hall of Fame
Explore the pioneers leading the fungal revolution
The Fungi Hall of Fame spotlights the winners of The Future is Fungi Award, world’s leading fungal innovators and science entrepreneurs, harnessing nature’s intelligence to heal ecosystems, power industries, and build a regenerative future.
Discover the stories about this year’s winners
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be celebrating the winners with in-depth interviews and a series of podcasts. Step into what’s possible when we tap into the intelligence of fungi. Stay tuned and sign up for The Future Is Fungi newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn to be the first to know!
Calling all Science Entrepreneurs
Get ready, science entrepreneurs!
On 2nd February 2026, the Science Entrepreneur Award opens for applications. This Award empowers you to commercialize your discoveries into real-world impact.
2ND OF FEBRUARY IS YOUR
MOMENT TO SHINE!
ABOUT
The Future is Fungi Award is a global award backing bold founders and science entrepreneurs using fungi to tackle humanity’s and our planet’s greatest environmental challenges.
We support science-driven entrepreneurs and startups turning breakthrough ideas into real, scalable solutions. We aim to accelerate a global movement with a clear vision:
a regenerative world powered by nature.
Founded by Susanne Gloersen, a sustainability pioneer, a fungi investor and a global ecosystem builder. Her mission is to transtion to a more nature centric global system, where we co-operate with nature for the solutions humanity needs. Fungi can show the way.
TOGETHER, WE ACCELERATE THE FUNGAL REVOLUTION!
The award is back! Bigger, bolder and open for new pioneers.
GET READY FOR FUNGAL FAME!
2025 & 2026 AWARD
Startup
The 2025 Startup Award honors visionary startups using fungi to tackle our planet’s biggest challenges. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling fast, this is your chance to gain recognition, spark partnerships, and lead the future of sustainable innovation.
Winners:
1st place: Michroma
2nd place: Mycolever
3rd place: HIRO Technologies
Award Prize:
€250.000 investment
Access to an expert network
Fungal Hall of Fame
Science Entrepreneurs
A new award just for science entrepreneurs is launching in 2026, designed to help you turn groundbreaking research into real-world impact.
Applications open in
Q1 2026
You can win:
Financial prize
3-month venture builder program
Fungal Hall of Fame
Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and application info.
This isn’t just an award - it’s a launchpad. Access funding, partnerships and a global stage
AWARD PRIZE
STARTUP WINNER
1st place: Michroma
2nd place: Mycolever
3rd place: HIRO Technologies
Fungal Fame
The Future is Fungi Podcast
Article and video interview
External interviews
Other exciting promotional opportunities
Expert Network
Exclusive access to an expert network
Experts from 30+ leading organizations
Corporates, research institutions,
startup experts and organizationsOpening doors to growth, collaboration, and resources
Investment
SAFE Investment
Backed by a consortium of investors
Ecosystem investment to fuel you journey
WINNER
3 months Venture Programme
Financial Prize
Fungal Hall of Fame
SCIENCE ENTREPRENEUR
Venture Program
For top 5 science entrepreneurs
Learning how to build a startup
Digital programme
From mid March to mid June
Financial Prize
Financial prize to the winner
To boost your journey
Fungal Fame
The Future is Fungi Podcast
Article and video interview
External interviews
Other exciting promotional opportunities
TOP-TIER JURY
Juniper VC,
Jenny Kan
MIT Engine Ventures, Vinny Beranek
Filip Bredinger, EQT Foundation
Tarja Zudemberg, Fungi VC
Mridul Pareek, European Circular Bioeconomy Fund
Emily Stoler, Wyss Institute Harvard
Vauy Hill-Maini, Stanford University
Kristina Söderberg, SEB Greentech VC
The award’s mission is to back fungal pioneers blazing a trail for a nature powered planet.
NETWORK PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
AWARD SUPPORTERS
Gong Family Foundation
Martino Cortese
PARTNERS
NETWORK PARTNERS
MycologyDK
Special thanks to our contributors, including Jay Litcher (@cyansense) and Stephen Axford & Catherine Marciniak (@planet_fungi) for their stunning fungi photography, as well as Philip Bergman and Jason Pantino for their captivating video editing and audio contributions.