Designing Connection, Sustainably: The Start-Up Rethinking Tech's Social Footprint As tech start-ups race to capture users and scale fast, Tribela is taking a different path — one grounded not in disruption, but in responsibility.

The platform, still under development, promises not only a fresh approach to digital connection, but a business model intentionally built around sustainability, ethics, and impact.

"Tribela is designed as a sustainable business in the fullest sense of the word," says founder and CEO Natalie Boll. "As a purpose-led company, we believe technology should contribute positively to people, communities, and the planet. That mindset shapes not only how we operate, but how we build." That mindset is tangible in the platform's design. The company is currently developing tools to track its impact across multiple dimensions - environmental, social, and ethical. One such feature is their upcoming Green Profile Mode, which, Boll explains, "will give users the option to have their data automatically purged every 90 days. It's a small but intentional step toward reducing digital storage demands and lowering our carbon footprint."

At a time when most platforms thrive on data accumulation, Tribela is looking to reduce it - not just as a gesture, but as part of a deeper philosophy. "Sustainability is also embedded in how we approach growth," Boll says, "favouring thoughtful, values-aligned partnerships and regionally adaptive models that support long-term resilience, not just scale." Balancing that purpose with profit is one of the perennial tensions for mission-driven start-ups. Boll, however, is unapologetic in her belief that sustainability and financial viability aren't at odds. "We believe purpose and profit can and should coexist," she says. "Tribela is designed to prove that you can build a platform that prioritises sustainability goals, including environmental targets and user wellbeing, and still operate as a high-impact business."

More than just internal culture, Boll says the company's values are legally built in. "Our purpose is written directly into our business articles, ensuring every decision is values-led from the start." But what about investors - particularly in a start-up ecosystem still largely defined by fast returns and aggressive scale? Are sustainability metrics now part of the equation? "It depends," Boll says. "Many investors who focus on sustainability are looking to fund companies where sustainability is the entire theme – for example, clean tech, renewable energy, or climate solutions." That narrow focus, she argues, misses a broader and perhaps more powerful opportunity: transforming everyday industries from within.

"At Tribela, we believe this focus can sometimes overlook the bigger opportunity: making core industries like social media more ethical, responsible, and sustainable," she says. "We're not a clean tech company – we're a next-generation platform that puts sustainability into the design of connection itself: from data minimisation, to well-being-first engagement, to reinvesting in social impact."

For Boll, sustainability isn't a bolt-on - it's foundational. "True systemic change also means rethinking industries beyond those traditionally labelled 'green.'"

As digital platforms continue to shape culture, discourse, and community at global scale, Tribela is betting that values-led design isn't just good ethics — it might just be good business, too.