Sustainable Development Outlook 2024: Market Data & Insights

The sustainable development market is driven by renewable energy initiatives and regulatory changes, as well as old challenges like housing and access to basic services. This outlook on sustainable development explores key market data as well as areas of innovation and their implications for stakeholders worldwide.

The 2024 Outlook on Sustainable Development explores a market that emphasizes the growing awareness of the global community regarding environmental and socio-economic issues. The report highlights the sector’s dynamic growth, diverse workforce, and investments from key stakeholders. It also provides insights into sustainable agriculture, climate change mitigation, and geospatial analytics through firmographic data.

This sustainable development report serves as a reference for stakeholders within the industry, investors, policymakers, nonprofit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and economic analysts, providing a snapshot of the industry’s health to map its trajectory for innovation and growth in the coming years.

StartUs Insights Sustainable Development Report 2024

Sustainable Development Outlook 2024 | StartUs Insights

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Executive Summary: Sustainable Development Outlook 2024

This report is created using data obtained from the Big Data and AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering more than 4.7 million global companies, as well as 20K+ technologies and emerging trends. We also analyzed a sample of 4200+ sustainable development startups developing innovative solutions to present five examples from emerging sustainable development industry trends.

  • Industry Growth Overview: The sustainable development market experienced a 9.24% growth rate last year with over 7100 companies involved.
  • Manpower & Employment Growth: The industry employs over 710000 workers globally. There was an employee growth of 42000 new jobs in the last year.
  • Patents & Grants: Companies within the sector have secured more than 2040 patents, while over 560 grants have been awarded. This underscores strong support for sustainable initiatives.
  • Global Footprint: Key country hubs include the US, India, the UK, France, and Canada. Major city hubs feature London, New York City, Singapore, Vernon, and New Delhi.
  • Investment Landscape: The average investment value per funding round stands at USD 51 million. The industry has attracted over 430 investors and closed more than 1100 funding rounds.
  • Top Investors: Major investors include the International Finance Corporation, European Investment Bank, Rabobank, and more, with a combined investment value exceeding USD 600 million.
  • Startup Ecosystem: Highlights include five innovative startups such as myotwin (Human Heart Muscle Digital Twin), enim (Metal Revalorization from Circuit Boards), Orbify (Natural Assets Intelligence), INPROTIN (Insect-based Nutrition Solutions), and Paragon Impact (Impact Management SDG Grading System)
  • Recommendations for Stakeholders: Government and regulatory bodies should implement and enforce effective policies targeting fair and sustainable industry practices. They should also provide incentives for investments in green infrastructure. Businesses and corporations must integrate sustainability into their core strategies, adopt circular economy principles, and enhance transparency through ESG reporting.

Explore the Data-driven Global Sustainable Development Report for 2024

The Sustainable Development Report 2024 uses data from the Discovery Platform and encapsulates the key metrics that underline the sector’s dynamic growth and innovation. Our database includes 4200+ startups and over 7100 companies that reflect industry participation. Over the past year, the industry experienced 9.24% growth. This showcases steady expansion. Further, the companies within the sector secured more than 2040 patents and over 560 grants.

The global workforce in this industry exceeds 710000 individuals, with employee growth in the last year adding over 42000 jobs. Major country hubs include the US, India, UK, France, and Canada, while top city hubs feature London, New York City, Singapore, Vernon, and New Delhi. This provides an overview of the sustainable development landscape and demonstrates its growth and innovative capacity.

What data is used to create this sustainable development report?

Based on the data provided by our Discovery Platform, we observe that the sustainable development industry ranks among the top 5% in the following categories relative to all 20K topics in our database. These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the industry’s key metrics and inform the short-term future direction of the industry.

  • News Coverage & Publications: The industry gained wide news coverage with over 31000 publications last year.
  • Funding Rounds: There are over 1100 funding rounds recorded in our database. This shows strong investor interest in sustainable development initiatives.
  • Manpower: Globally, the industry employs 710000 workers and added over 42000 new jobs in the past year.
  • Patents: Companies secured 2040 patents, which reflects high levels of innovation.
  • Grants: The industry also received 560 grants. This emphasizes support from various funding bodies.
  • Yearly Global Search Growth: The annual global search growth for sustainable development is 10.3%. This further indicates the rising public interest.
  • and more. Contact us to explore all data points used to create this sustainable development report.

A Snapshot of the Global Sustainable Development Industry

The sustainable development industry shows strong growth and active investment. It employs over 710000 people and added 42000 new employees in the past year worldwide. This highlights its rapid expansion and rising workforce demand. The industry also includes more than 7100 companies, which reflects a diverse ecosystem committed to sustainable initiatives.

Explore the Funding Landscape of the Sustainable Development

Investment in this sector remains strong. The average investment value per round is USD 51.1 million. Over 430 investors have actively participated in more than 1100 funding rounds. This further demonstrates strong financial support and confidence in sustainable development ventures. Moreover, more than 460 companies have secured investments, highlighting the widespread impact of funding within this space.

Who is Investing in Sustainable Development?

The sustainable development market has attracted financial backing from the top investors, who have contributed to a combined value of over USD 600 million. Here’s the investment details:

Explore the growing trends in sustainable development along with the firmographic data:

  • Sustainable Agriculture is a key trend in sustainable development and has over 2600 companies. These companies collectively employ 174K+ individuals and highlight the substantial workforce dedicated to advancing sustainable farming practices. Over the last year, the sector saw the addition of 15K+ new employees. Further, its annual trend growth rate stands at 9.24%.
  • Climate Change Mitigation remains a critical focus within sustainable development. Over 1200 companies are involved in this trend. These organizations employ 95K+ individuals and added 8K+ new employees in the past year. Moreover, the annual trend growth rate for climate change mitigation is 11.75%.
  • Geospatial Analytics is an emerging trend in sustainable development that has 451 companies. These companies employ 15K+ individuals and added 2K+ new employees in the last year. The annual trend growth rate for geospatial analytics is 16.27%. This rapid expansion shows the increasing reliance on geospatial data for informed decision-making.

5 Top Examples from 4200+ Innovative Sustainable Development Startups

The five innovative startups showcased below are picked based on data including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a platform demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.

myotwin builds a Human Heart Muscle Digital Twin

German startup myotwin develops an excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) measurement system for recording electrophysiology, calcium oscillation, and contractility. This system provides insights into the impact of novel substances on human heart muscle functionality. This non-invasive measurement enables sterile long-term analysis for several months and ensures high reproducibility. myotwin’s platform also supports efficacy and toxicity testing during the preclinical research stage. This reduces the risk of potential drug-induced side effects in later clinical phases.

enim revalorizes Metals from Circuit Boards

Canadian startup enim develops a solution for revalorizing metals in printed circuits. The process begins with shredding circuit boards to facilitate metal handling and harvesting. Initial harvest involves washing cycles of increasing intensity to collect various metals. Next, the plastics processing removes plastics to optimize extraction and maximize precious metal valorization. The final harvest uses a wash to extract gold and other precious metals as ingots, without cyanide or mercury. The reintegration involves returning collected metals like gold, copper, silver, palladium, lead, and tin into the closed-loop production chain.

Orbify offers Natural Assets Intelligence

Polish startup Orbify develops a data platform for ESG and sustainable development. The platform supports the environmental component calculation of ESG Risk Ratings. Its AI-powered remote sensing analyzes key natural asset attributes like vegetation, soil, air, and water quality. Businesses define project areas or supplier land plots and upload field data. The platform provides insights into the collected data and generates reports. Orbify’s technology enhances the accuracy and efficiency of environmental assessments.

INPROTIN develops Insect-based Nutrition Solutions

Guatemalan startup INPROTIN makes NUPROGIN FRASS, a natural and sustainable insect-based fertilizer for flowers, plants, vegetables, lawns, and soil care. This fertilizer contains Chitin, a natural biostimulant that enhances plant growth and immune systems. The application of insect frass to agricultural land supports the circular economy by reintroducing nutrients and organic matter into soils.

Paragon Impact provides an Impact Management SDG Grading System

UK startup Paragon Impact offers Paragon +Grading, a tool that guides businesses through a standardized methodology for assessing ESG and SDG impacts. It quantifies the scale, magnitude, and duration of impacts to provide detailed analysis. Further, its weighted algorithms create personalized and comparable performance results. Paragon Impact’s tool integrates the ESG and impact standards into a consolidated system and ensures compliance with growing regulations.

Gain Comprehensive Insights into Sustainable Development Trends, Startups, or Technologies

The 2024 Sustainable Development Outlook shows that the market is achieving progress despite global challenges. The growth in key areas such as sustainable agriculture, climate change mitigation, and geospatial analytics highlights its role in promoting transformative change. Reach out to us to explore all 4200+ startups and scaleups, as well as all industry trends impacting companies working to advance sustainable development globally.

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