Orba at Next Fest 2025: From Idea to Investment
Recognised on the Sustainable Business Network’s Next List
In 2025, Orba was named on the Sustainable Business Network’s Next List, a selection of innovators and entrepreneurs who are helping shift Aotearoa towards a cleaner and more regenerative future.
Being included is meaningful for our team and community. It acknowledges the years of material science, testing, and design work behind the Orba Ghost, our multi-award-winning sneaker that uses over 95 percent plant-based materials and is created to tread lighter throughout its life cycle.
Speaking at Next Fest: “From Idea to Investment”
As part of being named on the Next List, Orba was invited to present at the Next Fest gala event. We were one of five finalists invited to speak on the theme From Idea to Investment.
In his talk, co-founder Scott Anderson shared the story behind our mission to help solve the global crisis of synthetic waste by beginning with shoes.
“Shoes are a necessary and complex product, with up to 40 components hidden inside them. To make a shoe biodegrade, we have developed innovations across ten of those components, including our bio-rubber made from natural latex, plant oils and waste-stream materials.”
Scott also highlighted the scale of the challenge facing the footwear industry:
- Around 24 billion pairs of synthetic shoes are produced every year.
- Many contain plastics and petrochemicals that can remain in the environment for hundreds of years.
- The waste generated each year could fill 19 million Olympic swimming pools, circling the Earth several times before a typical synthetic shoe decomposes.
These figures illustrate why new materials and new design approaches are urgently needed.
Our Approach: Science, Renewable Materials, and Real Solutions
Orba designs footwear using renewable, low-impact materials that can break down safely at end of life when shredded and composted in controlled environments.
Key features shared during the pitch included:
1. Bio-based Rubber Innovation
Our proprietary rubber is certified by the USDA at over 95 percent bio-based. It replaces petrochemicals with natural latex, plant oils, rice husk ash and other waste-stream materials.
2. Renewable Uppers
Flax, kenaf and ramie fabrics form a durable four-layer upper made using water-based adhesives. These materials avoid the toxic chemistries normally associated with synthetic dyes and solvent-based glues.
3. Responsible Manufacturing
Orba’s Tier 1 factory is certified under BSCI standards. We also support smaller suppliers through ILO SCORE training so they can continue to improve workplace and environmental practices.
4. A Lighter Footprint
Our independently verified life cycle assessment shows a carbon footprint of 7.8 kg CO2-eq per pair, which is about half that of a typical synthetic shoe.
These innovations form the basis of our mission to reduce waste and pollution from footwear while still delivering comfort, durability and style.
Why This Moment Matters
The Sustainable Business Network Awards bring together people and organisations who are looking for better ways to make and use everyday products. As we shared with our community in our email after the event:
“It is meaningful and important for us all to support New Zealand’s growing sustainability-focused community, to meet, share our stories and see first-hand the work other leading organisations are doing.”
Although Orba did not take home an award on the night, the recognition reinforced the importance of long-term, science-backed innovation and the support we receive from the people walking with us.
Watch the Presentation
Video: “From Idea to Innovation” at Next Fest 2025
(Embed the MP4 using the Shopify section or custom HTML block.)
The Story Behind the Story
Much of Orba’s journey began with co-founder Marshall Westlake. Marshall helped build Indonesia’s footwear industry and later saw first-hand how synthetic shoes were contributing to major environmental harm.
His insight that materials should be able to return safely to the earth became the starting point for the Orba Ghost. Today, more than 6,000 pairs are in use, helping demonstrate that renewable materials can perform at the same level as synthetic alternatives.
We Leave No Trace and We Are Only Getting Started
Next Fest was an important milestone, but it is one step in a much larger path. We are preparing to scale our innovations, grow production responsibly, expand global availability and continue developing our Sole to Soil end-of-life programme.
To learn more about our materials, certifications or sustainability approach, visit our
Sustainability page.