Auckland clean technology company Mushroom Material nominated for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize
NZ Cleantech Expo exhibitor Mushroom Material has been nominated for an Earthshot Prize, the annual environmental competition led by Prince William, the Prince of Wales.
Mushroom Material makes mushroom-based packaging in a bid to eliminate non-recyclable plastics from the environment.
Mushroom Material CEO Shaun Seaman, who founded the business in 2020, says the nomination is “big news” for the Mt Roskill-based company.
“The Earthshot Prize is the world's most prestigious environmental award. This is what happens when you back science, back nature, and back a team that refuses to accept that the packaging industry cannot change,” Seaman says.
Organised by the Earthshot Prize Trust, Earthshot Prize finalists will be announced in September, with five winners revealed at a gala in Mumbai, India, in November. Winners will each receive £1 million (NZ$2.28 million) to further their work.
Mushroom Material was nominated in recognition of its mycelium-based pellet technology, a fully biodegradable alternative to expanded polystyrene that integrates directly into existing packaging moulding equipment. The approach allows manufacturers to replace expanded polystyrene without changing their machinery, supply chains, or production processes.
Mushroom Material was one of 32 clean technology companies that exhibited at New Zealand’s first national Cleantech Expo in April, organised by Auckland Council and held at Auckland University of Technology.
“The Cleantech Expo was a great chance to connect with others working in the same space and showcase what we’re building here in Auckland. There is so much exciting innovation in Aotearoa so it's s always valuable to be part of events that bring us all together and help build momentum around practical climate solutions,” Seaman says.
More than 500 registered visitors attended the Cleantech Expo, which also saw the launch of the Cleantech Impact Report 2026, produced by the MacDiarmid Institute.
Pam Ford, General Manager of Auckland Council’s Economic Development Office, congratulates Mushroom Material for its success so far.
“We are so pleased for Shaun and his team. Mushroom Material’s nomination for the Earthshot Prize shows just how ingenuity born and fostered in Tāmaki Makaurau can succeed on the world stage. We have the magical ingredients to help innovators thrive here in Auckland.”
Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington nominated six New Zealand companies for the Earthshot Prize this year. The university is one of two organisations in Aotearoa accredited to make nominations.
Besides Mushroom Material, nominated Auckland companies are AgriZero NZ, Sea Cleaners Trust and Critical.
The global Earthshot Prize search identifies the most ambitious and inspiring solutions to the planet’s greatest environmental challenges across five goals or ‘Earthshots’: ‘Protect and Restore Nature’, ‘Clean our Air’, ‘Revive our Oceans’, ‘Build a Waste-Free World,’ and ‘Fix our Climate’.
