The breadth and innovation of the Indigenous start-up community was confirmed overnight when KPMG Australia announced the winners of its annual Nature Positive Challenge.

NSW-based sustainable food & beverage startup, Native Botanical Brewery, took home the First Nations category and a share of $250,000 pool of tailored advisory services to help scale their business.

Indigenous-led startup, Rainstick, was named a finalist and a recipient of the advisory services prize pool.

This was the first year the Challenge had a dedicated First Nations category, with KPMG recognising and supporting indigenous knowledge and innovation.

Native Botanical Brewery was founded by Corey Grech, a proud Gamilaraay and Wonnarua man who celebrates and showcases the rich biodiversity of Australian native botanicals by producing unique and sustainable sourced food and non-alcoholic beverages, in a salute to the land's Indigenous heritage.

Ethical oil startup Levur took home the major $100,000 Nature Positive Prize at the annual Challenge, which champions innovative eco startups, and supports them to build scalable businesses with a positive impact on nature and that help solve environmental.

Challenge finalist Rainstick was another Indigenous-led business honoured at the Challenge, which showed the breadth and innovation of the Indigenous start-up community.

The company - inspired by the traditions of the Maiawali people of Central West Queensland - combines modern technology with ancient Indigenous wisdom to mimic the natural effects of lightning to grow crops, bigger, faster and more sustainably.

The 2025 Challenge focused on two new themes, regenerative economy and sustainable food systems – and attracted a record number of startups and the broadest range of entrants to date – including companies using drones to control agricultural pests, new technology to regenerate coral at scale, and Rainstick's innovative harnessing of electricity to grow crops faster and more sustainably.

Mr Grech said his native botanicals venture was a salute to the land's Indigenous heritage, actively restoring local ecosystems through planting native food species, while striving to build capacity of the burgeoning bush food industry and increase First Nations' participation within the industry.

"Our ambition at Native Botanical Brewery is to create a space that will not only house brewing, fermenting, seed propagation, roasting, and packaging facilities, but also serve as a welcoming hub for the community," he said.

"This will help give us valuable support as we take the next steps, so that more people can experience the unique flavours of native foods, learn about sustainable practices, and connect with the passion behind our mission."

Native Botanical Brewery will access KPMG's tailored advisory services and valuable industry connections and networks to help reach new markets for its range of native-infused products.

Rainstick co-founder Darryl Lyons, a proud Maiawali man, thanked KPMG for recognising what traditional knowledge and practices have to offer in the transition to a nature-positive planet.

"By harnessing our Traditional Knowledge and combining it with modern technology, we're showing that Indigenous-led innovation can help grow crops more sustainably, and nurture Country for future generations," he said.

KPMG Australia CEO Andrew Yates said the Nature Positive Challenge continued to unearth exceptional Indigenous innovators.

"Native Botanical Brewery was the deserving First Nations choice because of their mindful blend of traditional methods with technology and a deep respect for the environment," he said.

"The addition of a First Nations categorythis year aims to recognise the growth potential of Indigenous businesses and reflect how these communities, through Traditional Knowledge and practices, continue to play a leading role in promoting a harmonious relationship with the land.

"We are incredibly proud to be helping fast-track the growth of these amazing businesses, and we hope that they inspire the next generation of First Nations' innovators."

From the almost 100 applicants, five finalists were short-listed, who pitched to a panel of judges including WWF-Australia chief regeneration officer Nicole Forrester, Climate Salad co-founder Mick Liubinskas, and Jawun chief executive Shane Webster, as well as KPMG's national nature lead Carolin Leeshaa and Josh Geelan, KPMG enterprise lead partner for ESG & sustainability.

KPMG Nature Positive finalists:

· Coral Maker (Rudds Gully, WA) – a coral reef restoration company focused on technology to scale the deployment of corals.

· Lord of the Trees (Sydney, NSW) – pioneering sustainable pest management through innovative drone technology.

· Native Botanical Brewery (Erina, NSW) – a First Nations family business producing native beverages while actively restoring local ecosystems by propagating native food species.

· Rainstick (Cairns, QLD) – using electricity to mimic the natural effects of lightning to grow crops bigger, faster and more sustainably.

· Levur (NSW) – Major Nature positive Challenge winner this ethical oil startup engineers a yeast-based sustainable alternative to palm oil, offering an ethical alternative for all kinds of consumer products.