Future Icons Awards
Winners 2025

Pioneers of plant-based paints, the B Corp accredited Edward Bulmer Natural Paint team are changing the paint industry with their award-winning, beautiful, and environmentally friendly natural paints. All the paints are freshly mixed to order; all packaging is 100% bio-degradable and/or recyclable even down to the stickers on the sample pots. The wall paint itself can be returned to the earth as it is compostable.

What the judges said: ‘This is clearly a bold and committed brand with impact in its DNA.’

Naturalmat has been hand-making beds and mattresses with natural and organic materials in their Devon-based workshop on the banks of the River Exe for 25 years. They buy all of our key raw materials directly from responsible sources, manufacture everything under one roof and only sell directly to customers through their showrooms and website. 

What the judges said: ‘Great work sourcing wool from local farmers and supporting South West businesses. They are also a Fair Trade company, as well as having a certified organic plantation in Sri Lanka. Deeply impressive.’

Allect International Design Group is a sustainable ecosystem platform comprising three design houses: Rigby & Rigby, Helen Green Design, and Lawson Robb. Their specialisation lies in creating bespoke design solutions that seamlessly blend innovative aesthetics with sustainability. 

What the judges said: ‘A highly impressive statement of intent, with a robust plan, set of commitments, certifications and awards.’

MAIE designs forever home pieces, made to order by local craftspeople from natural and non-virgin materials. They offer second-life services and a lifetime guarantee for furniture pieces and are completely transparent about their supply chains. 

What the judges said: ‘I love the ambitious vision of re-inventing the furniture industry.’

Established over 100 years ago, Kaldewei is a family-owned company now headed up by the fourth generation.  The head office and manufacturing facility known as Kaldewei World is in Ahlen, Germany, where they design and create 100 percent recyclable bathtubs, washbasins and shower trays They collaborate with the WWF and have introduced bluemint® steel to reduce their carbon output. 

What the judges said: ‘ An extremely impressive pivot of a 100-year-old business to focus on sustainability, and to address steel specifically.’

Neolith produces beautiful and sustainable surfaces for the home, working with premium companies to offer stunning designs that look and feel like noble materials but are made through an ingenious sintering process that is not only better for the environment but also long-lasting.  

What the judges said: ‘Great use of recycled materials and I like the use of carbon capture.’

Naturalmat was the first  B Corp-certified bed and mattress company in the UK. They are the only company to offer a mattress refurbishment service through its Mattress for Life Initiative™, designed to reduce tonnes of landfill waste by extending the life of their mattresses.

What the judges said: ‘The closed-loop recycling system is unique and compelling. A great example to the wider industry.’

A small business driven by Alexandra’s passion for quality and craftsmanship since its inception 14 years ago. Rooted in the importance of peerless craftsmanship using considered materials, and making their designs as much as possible within the UK, these are artists’ pieces which are built to last for generations.

What the judges said: ‘Superb artistry, craftsmanship and a commitment to doing good.’

Since launching in 2011, House of Hackney has been known for its distinctive nature-inspired interiors, Recently, the company started a transition to become a measurably regenerative business, aiming to restore its biggest impacts on nature and beyond, including human wellbeing, through every aspect of its operations. In October 2023, with the support of Lawyers for Nature, they made Mother Nature & Future Generations a company director, the second British company to do so.  

What the judges said: ‘This is what business should look like: not just focused on impact but designed to demonstrate how a better, regenerative, economy could work.’

Johnstons of Elgin, established in 1797, is known for its craftsmanship in designing, weaving, and supplying the finest cashmere and wool products. Located in Scotland, their mills integrate traditional techniques with modern technology while embracing industry-leading sustainability-related frameworks such as the Zero Discharge of Harmful Chemicals (ZDHC).

What the judges said: ‘Reinventing an industry of the past for a sustainable future is not easy – congratulations on all that you are doing.’

Goldfinger is an award-winning social enterprise, crafting bespoke and made-to-order furniture from sustainable and reclaimed materials, diverting waste from landfill and reducing carbon emissions. They have also created two social outreach programmes to address inequalities in their North Kensington community: the Goldfinger Academy and People’s Kitchen.

What the judges said: ‘High-end furniture from a social enterprise with strong social and environmental initiatives – what’s not to like?’

With an understanding that lighting is an energy-consuming industry, Soho Lighting creates responsible and beautifully designed lighting interiors, with plenty of innovation of its core. They also support fellow interior brands on their journey to B Corp accreditation and do community outreach; from collecting cardboard waste from other businesses (for packaging) to implementing community projects, such as working with schools to engage young people in sustainable thinking and design.

What the judges said: ‘Education is mission critical for a sustainable future, and that starts in schools. Congratulations on the pilot and progress so far.’