10 years of B Corp in the UK — and what it’s meant for us

We're taking 10 to reflect on where we started and where we are now.

Our interest in doing business differently started long before B Corp existed. We've always believed you can build a tech company that's ambitious and ethical. That growth and integrity don't have to be opposites. That being decent humans matters as much as being clever ones.

But belief only gets you so far. We needed a framework — something that could sharpen our intentions and challenge our blind spots. And, in 2022, B Corp gave us that.

It's helped us look closely at how we treat our people, where our money goes and what kind of impact we're really having. This isn't a "look at us" post — it's a moment to pause and make a small toast to the messy but meaningful work it takes to build a better business.

Why we became a B Corp

Doing the right thing shouldn't be an aside on the path to success — it should be how business is done. B Corp wasn't a dramatic shift for us at the time. It was the next step on our journey — giving shape to the values we already believed in and pushing us to turn good intentions into action.

Sure, having the badge is nice. But we genuinely wanted to be held to a higher standard. That's meant hard work, uncomfortable questions, and tough lessons — but also real progress and moments we're proud to celebrate.

What we were already proud of

By the time we achieved our certification, we were already:

• Recognising that our employees were human beings, each with unique needs
• Hosting our platform on infrastructure powered by 100% verified renewables
• Offsetting all employee emissions and planting trees with partners we trust
• Giving 1% of our revenue to environmental organisations we believe in

Becoming a B Corp forced us to connect the dots and build something more intentional. It gave language to our ideals, helped us join up the work we'd been doing for years, and showed us how much further we could go.

10 things we've done since becoming a B Corp

1. Joined the Business Declares movement, publicly recognising the climate and ecological emergency.
2. Appointed a Sustainability Officer to drive accountability and action across the business.
3. Planted over 4 million trees through trusted reforestation partners and offset every employee's lifetime carbon footprint — from birth to their last day at Krystal.
4. Launched .eco domains, helping more purpose-led organisations build a visible home for their values online.
5. Joined 1% for the Planet, committing 1% of our revenue each year to environmental and social causes.
6. Supported community and industry events such as Anthropy and edie, amplifying conversations around responsible business and sustainable technology.
7. Became a Living Wage Employer, ensuring everyone at Krystal is paid fairly for their work.
8. Launched new people-first policies — including carers' leave and menopause support — to build a more inclusive, compassionate workplace.
9. Introduced paid days for volunteering and personal development, empowering employees to support causes they care about and pursue their own growth.
10. Achieved ISO 27001:2022 certification, showing our commitment to keeping data secure and our systems protected.

What's changed since our certification

In a word? Focus.

Having the five impact areas laid out made everything sharper. It helped us embed these values into how we plan, hire, write policies, and make decisions — from supplier onboarding to emissions tracking to supporting our employees.

It's also given us hard questions to ask ourselves. Where are we accidentally excluding people? What does real accountability look like as we scale? Are we as transparent as we think we are?

We're not always quick with the answers. But we're learning to be more honest about the process.

What we're still working on

Some aspects of B Corp certification are difficult. Diversity and inclusion is one of them — we know we've got work to do. So is deeper supplier engagement and setting long-term carbon goals. These aren't checklist items. They're long-haul challenges that need care, not just urgency.

When B Lab released the new standards this year, we'll admit, it felt daunting. But it also felt right. This bar should be high. It made us go back to the start and ask: are we really walking the talk? Where do we need to stretch further?

We'll be publishing our first proper Impact Report in early 2026, covering 2024 and 2025. It'll lay out what we've done, what we haven't, and where we need to do better. We're not here to tell a polished story. We're here to tell the truth.

Inspired by others

There are too many brilliant B Corps to name, but here are a few we'd like to spotlight:

• Tony's Chocolonely, not just because their bars would vanish at every Krystal event, but because their mission to end exploitation in the chocolate industry is as bold as it is needed.

• .eco – buying a domain name has always been fraught with issues. With phishing scams, spambots, and false credentials running rampant, it's good to see a domain registrar taking accountability seriously – not just in their own company, but for everyone who purchases a .eco domain. And as it happens, we're currently offering .eco domains for £34.99 until 21 November.

• Wholegrain Digital — one of the UK's earliest B Corps and a leader in sustainable web design, helping shape initiatives like the Green Web Foundation.

Looking ahead

Being a B Corp isn't about resting on your laurels. There's always more work to do. Over the next year, we'll be:

• Launching our first full Impact Report
• Digging deeper into our supply chain
• Building more local partnerships
• Adding support networks for our employees
• And preparing for our first recertification on the new standards

We'd love your ideas, your challenges, and your support.

Because this isn't a campaign for us — it's a campaign for everyone. And you can join us today.

A small thank you to our fellow B Corps

To mark 10 years of the B Corp movement in the UK, we're offering 10% off all annual and bi-annual hosting packages for certified B Corps. Use code BCORP10 at check out and make sure your company name matches your listing in the B Corp Directory listing.

Already a B Corp hosting with Krystal?

We'd love to recognise that too. Just email impact@krystal.io with your company name and a link to your directory listing, and we'll make sure you get the same benefit.