UAE-based The Surpluss has become the first climate tech startup in the MENA to receive B Corp certification.
The Surpluss offers the world’s first B2B platform that allows businesses to convert underutilised resources into revenue through its own proprietary framework and patented technology. The startup said that this reduces the waste sent to landfills and offsets the carbon emissions spent in the manufacturing, supply, transport, and distribution of new products and resources.
B Corp status is certified by B Lab, a third-party non-profit and validates that a company has met an “extremely high” set of standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
The number of certified B Corporations worldwide has increased more than 30 per cent year-over-year for the past two years, totalling 8,051 in 2023, it was shared.
The Surpluss achieved a score of 86.7 on the B Impact Assessment, exceeding the average company score of 50.9.
Rana Hajirasouli, Founder and CEO of The Surpluss, said: “We are grateful and proud in equal measure for this ‘seal of approval’ after B Lab’s rigorous assessment. Realizing this milestone required incredible dedication from our entire team, who tirelessly reconfigured protocols and established new business processes to ensure we met the most stringent global standards.”
Surplus shared that to continually meet B Lab’s high standards, it has turned to Mena Impact, a mission-driven consultancy, academy, and think tank in the MENA region.
Mena Impact shared that it is committed to supporting the impact ecosystem in the MENA region and has been an ambassador of the B Corp movement.
Guided by B Corp experts at Mena Impact, The Surpluss was led through the certification process, which it said helped it establish and operate an ethical, sustainable, and cost-effective company, demonstrating that profitable businesses can also be a force for good.
Nadine Zidani, founder of Mena Impact, commented: “In the Middle East, the B Corp movement is just beginning. B Corp certification is globally recognized yet extremely demanding to obtain. We are committed to supporting the growth of the B Corp movement in the Arab World.”