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Pitch for the Planet
Each year, the TOI program culminates in the ‘Pitch for the Planet’ competition, as part of TOI's Grade 8 Innovation Program. Teams from schools across NSW compete to impress real VCs (investors), successful startup founders, and sustainability experts.
All participants receive a certificate and micro credentials for their completion of the course and pitch. In 2025, winning teams each received cash prizes from industry sponsors Schneider Electric and Quest Payment Systems, a glass trophy, and the following industry prizes:
- A design and visual storytelling workshop at Canva
- A communications workshop with the Delta Goodrem Foundation
- A NSW Parliament visit highlighting women in leadership, at the invitation of The Hon Courtney Houssos, Minister for Finance, Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement, and Minister for Natural Resources; Acting Minister for Education
- A year long subscription to Forbes Magazine, from Forbes Australia
- Two laptops for each winning school provided by One Education (in the true spirit of TOI, both our winning teams decided to donate their laptops to schools where students did not have their own devices).
Students Apply their Learning
As an opportunity to apply their learnings from the six month TOI innovation curriculum, student pitches demonstrate a mix of technical STEM skills, entrepreneurship, and soft skill development such as teamwork, confidence and communication skills. Most importantly, students work together to solve a real world sustainability case study, addressing ‘wicked’ problems challenging both industry and the environment.
Solving a Sustainability Case Study
As part of the case study, students must consider key sustainability concepts, including environmental and ecological determinants. Students conduct ethnographic research, hearing directly from stakeholders impacted by the problem space (e.g. scientists, farmers, business owners, or policy makers), and evaluate existing market solutions and constraints (environmental, economic and social). Students consider how new innovations can be used for good.
Pitching Innovations to Investors
The competition itself spans two days, with 50-100 teams competing. Student teams travel from across the state with their teacher mentors. When presenting, teams have 8 minutes to share their problem, market research, solution, product ideation / prototype, opportunity / market size and business and/or impact model. Finally, students have 2 minutes to answer questions and convince the judges to invest in their innovative solution and team.
Two Days / Two Winners
2025
2024
2023
Real World Case Study
The case challenge was provided by our cornerstone partners UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute. Thank you to co-sponsors Tank Stream Labs, One Ventures and Quest Payment Systems.
In 2025 students pitched solutions to a real world sustainability case challenge, ‘Cool Communities’, exploring how Australian towns and cities are responding to the growing challenges of a warming climate, with a focus on heat, liveability, and stormwater management. Students investigated how rising temperatures, increased flooding, and urban development are affecting the health, comfort, and sustainability of our built environments. They considered how design, technology, and innovation can help create cooler, safer, and more resilient communities across both metropolitan and regional Australia.
In 2024 students pitched solutions facilitating Australia's transition to electric vehicles. While our contribution to global emissions is small, Australia is one of the highest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. Australia’s per capita emissions from fuel combustion are significantly higher than the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average. The transport sector (road, rail, ship and air) is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in NSW. We need to find ways to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles. What would you pitch?
In 2023 students pitched solutions for reducing emissions in the dairy industry. There are many steps in the life cycle of dairy products. All steps of this process produce emissions in various ways. The Australian dairy industry has made a commitment to minimise their environmental footprint and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, while global demand for dairy is expected to increase by approximately 60 percent by 2050. Considering this, impactful changes are needed to ensure the Australian dairy industry can reach their 2030 target.
Sponsors
The future is bright because of you.
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So Many Powerful Solutions!
Ministers and Special Guests
Every year a range of high profile community leaders take time out of their busy schedules to speak at, support, and judge Pitch for the Planet. Whether they are delivering a keynote, exploring the hub with the students, giving feedback, or answering candid questions, these special guests remind students that ‘becoming’ an innovator is also about personal growth, leadership, and community service.
This year we give special thanks to our Government representatives and our wonderful keynote speakers:
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Dr Cathy Foley, Australia’s former Chief Scientist
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Dr Eser Zerenturk, Manager of Innovation Research Acceleration at the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer
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Delta Goodrem, and Delta Goodrem Foundation
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Jessica Box, Co-Founder and CEO of Matched (formerly Head of Growth at Linktree)
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Lottie Dalziel, Founder - Banish and 2023 NSW Young Australian of the Year
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The Hon Courtney Houssos, Minister for Finance, Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement, and Minister for Natural Resources; Acting Minister for Education
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The Hon Jodie Harrison MP, NSW Minister for Women
Thank you to our judges of both the competition heats and grand finals:
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Dr Jaclyn Aldenhoven, Director, Strategy & Programs (Future Industries) - Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer
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Laetitia Andrac, CEO and Co-Founder - Understanding Zoe
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Philip Argy, Committee - Sydney Angels
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Dr Jesse Bergman, Senior Project Officer – Reviews, Committees, and Special Projects - Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer
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Giles Bourne, Co-founder - Scalare Partners
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Sam Carew, Head of Energy and Infrastructure - Design and Build
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Lottie Dalziel, Sustainability Expert Founder - Banish, and 2023 NSW Young Australian of the Year
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Jodie Frew, Country Manager ANZ - Qumulo
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Andrea Gardiner, Founder & CEO - Jelix Ventures
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Ebonnie Goss, Lead Consultant - Public Sector People
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Tegan Grace, General Manager, Digital Power, Schneider Electric
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Dr Jason Graham-Nye, Chair - Circular Australia
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Brendan Hill, Partner - Ten10 VC
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CJ Jones, Head of Design for Generative AI - Canva
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Silk Kadala, Investment Manager - Blackbird
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Steve King, Startup Advisor - Remarkable Tech
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Karen Lawson, CEO & NED - Save the Children Global Ventures
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Michael Lucas, Principal Advisor - Manufacturing Catalyst
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Christina Lumsden, Head of Project Delivery, Technical and Innovation - Veolia
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Tara Mahapatra, Co-Founder and COO - Unleash Health
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Irfan Malik, Co-Founder & CEO - inQ Innovation Global
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Carly Martin, Corporate lawyer & Founder - Foundher X, Venture Bench & Venture GC
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Nicolette Maury, CEO - Avani Solutions
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Crystal McGregor, General Manager - Tech Ready Women
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Antonia Mijatovic, Investment Manager - Airtree
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Rhianna Miller, Director of Marketing & Community - OneVentures
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Phil Morle, Partner - Main Sequence
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Yasminka Nemet, Future Skills Lead, Australia & NZ - Microsoft Education
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Angela Plaisted, Principal - Croga Consulting
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Rolee Satyam, Chief Data and Analytics Officer - Westpac
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Fiona Sims, Enterprise Sales Director | AI Business Solutions - Microsoft ANZ
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James Stewart, CEO - Always Carbon
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Nina Stott, Director, Social Impact - Airtrunk
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Danielle Owen Whitford, Founder & CEO - ex Pioneera
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Jasmine Wiklander, Senior Recruitment Consultant - Design and Build
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Dr Eser Zerenturk, Manager, Innovation & Research Acceleration - Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer
Bosco College's Team 'Equatone': 3D Digital Model
Hall of Fame
Congratulations to all of the teams who compete each year. Special mention goes to our yearly winners and finalists.
2025
Winners
Day One
Cool Paths, St Ursula's College, Kingsgrove
Runner-up PARKIT, Corpus Christi Catholic High School, Oak Flats
Day Two
Co2Zero, Montgrove College, Orchard Hills
Runner-up Plat-a-pouch, Narrabri High School
Finalists
Day One
Green Beam, Woolgoolga High School
Seal and Save, Woolgoolga High School
Day Two
Hempsulate, Aquinas College, Menai
Generation Green, St John Bosco College, Engadine
2024
Winners
Day One
Wattway, St Ursula's College Kingsgrove
Runner-up Solaris Energy, St Vincent's College Ashfield
Day Two
Greenbay, Corpus Christi Catholic High School Oak Flats
Runner-up Snapcharge, Ravenswood School for Girls
Finalists
Day One
Karbon Koala, Endeavour Sports High School Caringbah
Swap N' Go, Marian College Kenthurst
Green Drive, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College, Kensington
ECMaps, St Patrick's College Sutherland
Day Two
Tirenergy, Coolah Central School
Eco Link, Murrumbidgee Regional High School Griffith
EV-lution, Narrabri High School
Eco Switch, Woolgoolga High School
2023
Winners
Day One
DairyWay, Rutherford Technology High School
Day Two
Synetic, St John Bosco College
Finalists
Day One
Calm Milk, Maitland Grossmann High School
Oxen, Ravenswood School for Girls
MuPu, Maitland Grossmann High School
Day Two
BioFarm, St Luke's Catholic College
Equatone, St John Bosco College
The Milk Logistics, Moorefield Girls High School
2022
Winners
Day One
Insolar, St Ursula's College, Kingsgrove
Day Two
Eco-Crate, Ravenswood School for Girls
Finalists
Day One
PinkWire, St John Bosco College
Prowano, Cabramatta High School
Project Plant, Tangara School for Girls
Day Two
Agrifirma, Ravenswood School for Girls
Huskly, Maitland Grossmann High School
SeaFeed, Maitland Grossmann High School
2021
Winner
Current Care Sea Repair, Cerdon College
Runner-up
Tangara School for Girls
Finalists
Tangara School for Girls
Montgrove College
Caroline Chisholm College
St Ursula's College, Kingsgrove