Our conversation explores the strategic imperative for Europe to bolster its domestic battery and electric vehicle economy, examining the lessons learned from past initiatives and the potential pitfalls of over-reliance on external supply chains.

We dissect the roles of governmental policies and targeted investments, drawing insightful comparisons with historical successes such as the US Apollo program, as we consider how best to foster innovation and growth in the European context.

The discussion also navigates the complex interplay of various energy sources -- from the resurgence of nuclear power and the expansion of solar and wind, to the potential role of hydrogen, and even the controversial prospect of coal's return amidst escalating energy demands driven by advancements in artificial intelligence.

A significant portion of our conversation is dedicated to the often-overlooked backbone of our energy system: the electricity grid.

We explore the challenges posed by aging, centralized infrastructure and the urgent need for digitization to accommodate transformative technologies such as vehicle-to-grid solutions.

Furthermore, we highlight the crucial gap in understanding between the automotive sector and energy suppliers, emphasizing the necessity for greater collaboration and foresight in planning for the massive power requirements of future electric vehicle fleets.

Join us as we unpack these multifaceted issues, offering a comprehensive overview of the strategic decisions and technological advancements that will define Europe's energy and automotive trajectory in the years to come.

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Planet A is rewriting the playbook by giving its in-house science team veto power on investment decisions, ensuring every portfolio company addresses the world's critical planetary boundaries—not just carbon.

Join us as we explore:

• The rigorous lifecycle assessments that separate true impact from greenwashing.

• Why cost parity is the key to mass adoption of green tech.

• The unique challenges and massive potential of investing in hardware startups.

Tune in to discover how Planet A is proving that commercial success and environmental regeneration can - and must - go hand in hand.

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In this episode, we sit down with Chris Moyer, founder of Echo Communications, a Washington, D.C.-based strategic communications firm. Chris works at the intersection of climate tech, clean energy, and policy, helping innovators tell their stories effectively when public opinion and political levers are being pulled in the opposite direction.

• The Strategic Pivot to "Kitchen Table" Issues: Chris discusses why the climate movement is shifting away from talking about "half-degree temperature increases" to focusing on immediate costs. The most effective messaging today connects clean energy to a 30% lower electric bill for busy families rather than long-term existential threats.

• A "Speed Bump, Not a Wall": Despite the rollback of wind permits and new hurdles for solar on federal land, Chris remains optimistic. He views this current political period in 2025 as a temporary slowing of an inevitable transition, noting that robust investment in climate tech continues because the economic case is simply too strong to ignore.

• The Rise of Geothermal and Nuclear: In the current political climate, only a few clean technologies are finding favor with the administration. Chris highlights the growing interest in advanced geothermal and nuclear power, largely driven by the massive energy demands of AI and data centers.

• Fighting the "Misinformation Ecosystem": Chris shares a cautionary tale from the offshore wind industry, where misinformation contributed to a 15% drop in public support in less than a year. He provides advice for entrepreneurs on how to assert facts without being confrontational to win back public opinion.

• The Permitting Bottleneck: We explore why so much clean energy is "sitting in a queue" and why reforming the U.S. permitting system is the single most critical step to meeting growing electricity demand.

Join us for a masterclass in climate communications and a realistic look at how the energy transition is moving forward, one strategic message at a time.

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In this episode, we sit down with Kemp Gregory, CEO and co-founder of Renewell Energy, to discuss how his team is repurposing fossil-fuel infrastructure for the renewable energy age. By using fundamental physics and the massive depth of existing wellbores, Renewell is creating "gravity batteries" that move heavy weights to store and release energy on demand.

• The $450 Billion Problem: There are over 2 million idle wells in the U.S. that could take 100 years to clean up under current methods; Renewell offers operators a way to convert these liabilities into assets while meeting regulatory cleanup quotas.

• Mechanical Energy Storage: The system works by winching a 30,000-pound (15-ton) weight up and down a wellbore, providing a solution with zero self-discharge—meaning no energy is lost while the weight is held at the top.

• A "Win-Win" Business Model: By leveraging funds from oil companies that are already legally required to spend money eliminating wells, Renewell aims to drive the cost of storage down to an unprecedented $5 per kilowatt-hour.

• Scalability & Regulation: While they have already secured critical regulatory wins in California, Colorado, and New Mexico, the potential scale is massive—Kemp estimates that 10% of idle wells, or roughly 200,000 sites, are suitable for this conversion.

• Efficiency at Any Duration: Unlike chemical batteries, this mechanical system maintains the same round-trip efficiency whether it is discharging for one hour or 100 hours.

Join us as Kemp Gregory shares how his background as a petroleum engineer at Shell led to an innovation that could provide 5-10% of the total energy storage the U.S. grid needs to go green.

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Join us as we speak with Michael Smith, co-founder of Regeneration.VC, a firm dedicated to reshaping consumer value chains through the lens of environmental regeneration. While the firm is known for its strategic advisor Leonardo DiCaprio, the real stars of this show are the revolutionary businesses Michael and his team are funding.

Michael reveals how Regeneration.VC applies a rigorous, nature-first approach to funding innovation:

• The CRISP Measurement System: Learn about the Circular Regenerative Investment Sustainability Protocol (CRISP), the firm's proprietary method for ensuring that investments actively contribute to environmental healing and, critically, "do no harm." Michael explains how this system uses strict negative screens to avoid environmentally destructive practices from the start.

• The Toxics Challenge: Michael details the urgent, often-overlooked threat of toxic materials in consumer products, especially in industries like apparel manufacturing, and how Regeneration.VC targets companies dedicated to eliminating these harmful chemicals from our planet and our lives.

• Success in Circularity: Discover compelling case studies, including an investment in a company that transforms waste from the seafood industry into a compostable, soil-enriching alternative to Styrofoam.

• Impact vs. Returns: Michael shares his personal journey to impact investing and provides insight into the challenges and opportunities of aligning financial goals with a desire to contribute positively to the planet.

This conversation offers a deep dive into how strategic capital can move beyond mere sustainability and actively drive a regenerative future.

Takeaways

Investing with nature in mind is crucial for sustainability.

The CRISP measurement system helps ensure no harm is done.

Impact investing can yield profitable returns while doing good.

Reducing waste and increasing efficiency is key to circularity.

Toxics in consumer products are a growing concern.

Carbon markets are evolving, but challenges remain.

Voluntary carbon markets show promise for innovation.

Mycelium packaging startups face scalability challenges.

Optimism is growing in the nature technology sector.

Innovative business models can drive positive change for the planet.

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In a voluntary carbon market that is often described as "fragmented" and "confused," Matthew shares his journey from hands-on conservation work in Mozambique to building technological tools that bridge the gap between dreamers and dollars.

In this essential discussion, you will hear about:

• The Wild West Carbon Market: Why the voluntary carbon market is struggling, facing "significant headwinds," and the challenges of high-integrity credit development.

• The Funding Gap: The massive hurdle facing local developers—from small landowners to dedicated community groups—who have authentic, high-value projects but lack the institutional finance to professionalize.

• The Rise of NatureOS: How Matthew and his co-founder, Miguel Correia (an AI data scientist), are building tools based on machine learning and remote sensing to help projects quickly assess feasibility, reduce risk, and get closer to "bankable" status.

• Beyond Carbon: The emergence of new markets like Biodiversity Credits and how advanced technology can measure and monitor nature's services with a high degree of certainty, making nature one of the most valuable, yet currently unpriced, assets on the planet.

• Human Potential vs. AI: Matthew's unwavering optimism, even after a career seeing ecosystems struggle, and his belief that the human capacity for dedication and change will ultimately beat the challenges faced by the climate and conservation worlds.

Tune in to understand how data and technology are being deployed to unlock the capital needed for genuine, on-the-ground nature restoration.

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The episode explores World Tree's agroforestry model and its collaboration with 375 small farmers in the U.S., Mexico, and Costa Rica. The discussion covers how the cultivation of the fast-growing Empress Splendor tree provides a sustainable source of hardwood and offers farmers a potential income of $40,000 to $50,000 per acre.

Listen in to learn more about this collaboration, which seeks to reshape agricultural practices and provide financial opportunities for farmers.

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In this episode 135, Mari Granström discussed her company, Origin by Ocean, which focuses on producing bio-based and biodegradable chemicals from invasive seaweeds.

She shares her journey from a background in the chemical industry to developing sustainable solutions using seaweed, particularly in the Caribbean.

The discussion covers the challenges of building a supply chain, product development, and the landscape of the seaweed chemical industry, as well as plans for scaling operations and sourcing locally.

Takeaways

Origin by Ocean produces bio-based and biodegradable chemicals.

The company uses invasive seaweeds to create sustainable products.

Building a supply chain involves collaboration with local communities.

Alginate is a versatile product used in various industries.

Fukoidan is gaining recognition for its health benefits.

The seaweed chemical industry has a long history but needs modernization.

Raising capital is crucial for scaling production.

Customer feedback is essential for product development.

Local sourcing will be prioritized in future operations.

Europe has the potential to lead in sustainable chemical technologies.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Origin by Ocean

01:43 The Journey of Invasive Seaweeds

03:12 Building a Sustainable Supply Chain

04:50 Product Development and Market Fit

07:02 The Seaweed Chemical Industry Landscape

09:44 Challenges and Future Plans

13:02 Logistics and Local Sourcing

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Key Topics:

Understanding the environmental impact of traditional banking

Strategies for implementing green banking solutions

Insights from industry leaders on sustainable finance

The future of green banking and its global implications

Guest:

Tim Newell, founder of GreenFi

Subscribe now to stay updated on the latest in sustainable finance and join the conversation on how we can all contribute to a greener future.

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Paige, a marine biologist by heart who (surprisingly) transitioned to banking and consulting, shares the serendipitous journey that led her to co-found a company on a mission to change how we understand and manage coastal risks.

Prepare to have your perceptions challenged as Paige shows why oceans and the financial industry, far from being distant concepts, are intricately linked, especially when assessing global assets and exposures.

Key topics covered:

• Origin of Ocean Ledger: Started from Paige's marine biology background, desire to work in ocean space beyond pure science, and serendipitous discovery of her co-founder's satellite mapping research after her time in banking.
• Ocean & Banking Connection: Despite seeming disparate, Paige argues they're highly overlapped, as 70% of the world is ocean, impacting global assets and financial exposure.
• Current Stage & Funding: Spun out 1.5 years ago, raised first venture funding in January, and are launching their first product for the financial services industry, starting with insurance.
• B2B Sales Challenges: Acknowledged the slow pace of B2B sales in finance/insurance and strategies to de-risk (relationships, industry presence, focused product development, strategic opportunistic revenue).
• Ocean Ledger's Product: Offers a software/dashboard for hazard assessment of storm surge and erosion, providing historical insight, quantifying existing defenses, and analyzing coastline changes for risk pricing and vulnerability assessment.
• Target Markets: The initial focus will be on the US due to its high concentration of risk, with plans to expand to the Caribbean and Australia, where natural defenses are crucial.
• Storm Surge Analysis: Explained that their USP is not just the physics model, but how the seabed depth, natural features (mangroves, rocks), and historical shoreline changes (erosion, beach nourishment) influence storm surge damage.
• Satellite Monitoring: Utilizes satellite monitoring, capable of updating data every six days (though not always needed), providing high-frequency updates on coastline changes.
• Long-Term Vision: Aims to be world-class in risk management for businesses and governments, bridging the gap between insurance/broking and insured clients (ports, developers) to unlock funding for exposure reduction through natural or built defenses.
• Paige's Personal Connection: Reiterated her deep connection to the ocean, though she admitted it had been a few months since her last swim.

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We'll uncover the challenges of biomass procurement, the science of gasification, and Green Revival's vision for a future where waste becomes a cornerstone of the bioeconomy.

Key topics include:

* Gasification Process: This is the thermal method for converting biomass into usable products, focusing on its scalability and applications in energy production.

* Invasive Species Crisis: This chapter explores the ecological impact of invasive plants, with some states reporting up to 43% of their flora being invasive species. Discussions cover removal strategies, including manual extraction versus chemical methods.

* Community Engagement: The importance of local efforts and volunteer initiatives in managing invasive species and fostering awareness about environmental impacts.

* Business Challenges: Insights into the logistical hurdles of managing biomass supply chains and the nuances of negotiating with larger companies in the industry.

* Future Vision: Sydney's aspirations for Green Revival are to bridge the gap between waste management and bio-economy producers over the next few years.

This conversation aims to highlight how innovative approaches to biomass can mitigate environmental issues and create economic opportunities in the burgeoning bioeconomy.

The episode was recorded live in October 2024.

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Owen shares his 8-year journey from finance to becoming "hyper-obsessed" with decarbonizing apartment buildings, ultimately launching Shine in 2023.

Discover the unique challenges of bringing solar to multi-family properties and how Shine's specialized, turnkey approach is finally cracking the code.

From a projected $7 million in revenue this year (up from $500,000 only last year!) and nearly 2,000 units decarbonized, Shine is demonstrating that impact and profit can go hand-in-hand.

Join us to understand how innovation, persistence, and a deep understanding of market needs are driving the adoption of solar in an often-overlooked sector.

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We delved into Norrsken’s mission to foster impact-driven entrepreneurship, exploring innovative solutions for sustainability and resilience. 

With their unique perspectives on nurturing early-stage startups, Rebecka and Johan shared insights about their investment strategies and how they aim to make a meaningful difference in the world.

The episode was recorded on stage at Latitude59 in Tallinn. Norrsken is also part of the new Kasvuhoone (in English, greenhouse) initiative to create the largest incubator for future-oriented businesses.

Join us for a stimulating discussion highlighting the importance of combining business acumen with environmental responsibility.

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Join us as we welcome Boyan Slat, the founder of The Ocean Cleanup, a pioneering non-profit organization dedicated to ridding the world's oceans of plastic.

Boyan shares his vision and the innovative technologies being employed to tackle this global crisis. Discover how The Ocean Cleanup aims not just to clean up existing waste but also to prevent future plastic from entering our oceans.

With a mission that is bold enough to ultimately put themselves out of "business", Boyan discusses the organization's journey, the challenges faced, and the advancements in technology that make this ambitious goal achievable.

The episode was recorded on sidelines of Latitude59 conference in May 2025 in Tallinn.

Get ready to be inspired as we explore the potential solutions to a cleaner, healthier planet. Tune in to learn how each of us can play a role in this vital mission!

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She explains the company's mission to plant trees and combat climate change by allocating 100% of its profits to these efforts. Sophie elaborates on Ecosia's unique business model, its challenges in competing with larger search engines, and the importance of ethical choices in the digital realm.

"We need to take action online," Dembinski said. "Action is the antidote to despair."

The conversation also touches on the impact of AI on the search market and Ecosia's future growth plans.

Takeaways

• Ecosia is a search engine that plants trees.
• The company dedicates 100% of its profits to climate action.
• Ecosia operates as a for-profit company but gives all profits away.
• The search engine relies on advertising revenue to fund its initiatives.
• Ecosia focuses on biodiversity hotspots for tree planting.
• AI is disrupting the search engine market significantly.
• Ecosia aims to provide users with ethical digital choices.
• The company maintains high standards for tree planting projects.
• Ecosia is 200% carbon positive, using solar power for its servers.
• The future growth of Ecosia involves reaching new audiences and combating misinformation.

titles

Sound Bite

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The conversation covers the various products derived from timber, the investment opportunities available, and the benefits of direct ownership of timberland. John also addresses the risks associated with climate change and biodiversity, emphasizing the sustainability of timberland investments, which could be seen as an inflation hedge.

"The trees are steady growing, like clockwork," he said.

He concludes by outlining the current investment opportunities and the positive outlook for the timber industry in the US economy.

Takeaways

• Southview Timberland Investments was founded to offer timberland investment opportunities.
• The Southeast US region is the largest timber producer in North America.
• Timberland investments provide a hedge against inflation.
• Investing in timberland allows for direct control over assets.
• The timber industry is evolving with new technologies and products.
• Cash flow can be generated from timberland investments through various means.
• Sustainable practices are integral to timberland management.
• The timberland asset class is less volatile than public markets.
• Investors can access timberland through various investment vehicles.
• The current political climate is favorable for the timber industry.

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The NatureBacked podcast, direct from the vibrant atmosphere of Impact Day 2024, was hosted by Fiona Alston, who dives deep into the critical shifts shaping our energy landscape.

First, Fiona speaks with Charles Ogilvie, Executive Director of Ocean Energy Pathway.

Charles sheds light on the burgeoning world of offshore wind energy, explaining why the seas offer superior wind quality allowing for colossal turbines, and how his organization helps governments worldwide build sustainable offshore wind sectors. He addresses the crucial environmental balance, discussing how, counterintuitively, well-managed wind farms can potentially aid marine ecosystem recovery in previously degraded areas, alongside their primary role in climate change mitigation.  

Next, the conversation shifts to the intricate challenge of industrial transformation with Kristjan Kuhi, Management Board Member at Eesti Energia. Kristjan candidly discusses the journey of an 85-year-old company, historically reliant on Estonia's oil shale, as it pivots towards renewables like wind and solar, explores grid solutions like batteries and hydrogen, and even seeks circular economy applications for its legacy infrastructure. He highlights the internal and external drivers for this capital-intensive change and the forward-thinking required in R&D.

Recorded live (and featuring a brief, real-time electrical hiccup!), this episode offers compelling insights from the front lines of the energy transition. Tune in to explore the vast potential unlocked by tapping into ocean winds and the pragmatic realities of steering a traditional energy player towards a sustainable future, understanding what needs to be built anew and what must be fundamentally transformed.

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They discuss the undeniable need for physical infrastructure, the growing importance of grid tech and resilience, and why a laser focus on customer needs and business basics is paramount. How has the capital stack evolved, and what hard truths must founders accept to navigate today's market?

Takeaways

Muus Climate Partners focuses on advanced technology and decarbonization.

Natural disasters have impacted over 90% of Americans recently.

Grid technology is becoming increasingly important due to load growth.

Software alone cannot solve climate issues; physical solutions are essential.

Adaptation and resiliency are now central themes in climate investment.

Fundamentals in business are crucial, especially in uncertain times.

Founders must understand their customers' pain points to succeed.

The capital stack for climate tech has matured, allowing for creative financing.

Realism about market conditions is key for founders seeking investment.

Predictability and stability are vital for business success in the current climate.

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From navigating the maze of recycling systems to turning ocean waste into valuable resources, Elizabeth reveals the secrets to smarter, greener packaging.

Join us for a fascinating conversation that will change how you see the products you buy.

Takeaways

• Elizabeth Corbett has 25 years of experience in packaging solutions.
• Sustainable packaging is a top-of-mind conversation for many companies.
• Reducing the size of packaging can lead to sustainability and cost savings.
• Recycling practices vary significantly across different municipalities in the U.S.
• Ocean-bound plastic can be processed and used for various products.
• Creating a circular packaging system is a complex challenge.
• Education is key to improving recycling practices in communities.
• Sustainability can be integrated into packaging without significantly increasing costs.
• Brands should prioritize sustainability in their product development process.



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Join us as we speak with Dmitri Eivin, the co-founder and CEO of Sunfly. The episode was recorded live at Impact Day 2024 in Tallinn, Estonia.

While over 95% of sunflower seeds are traditionally relegated to oil and animal feed, Sunfly is pioneering a disruptive approach. Discover how they're utilizing 100% of the seed to create a remarkable range of plant-based, protein-rich, and top 14 allergen-free products – from delicious seed spreads to dairy and even meat alternatives – all while drastically reducing their environmental footprint. Prepare to be inspired by Sunfly's commitment to a zero-waste future and its powerful impact on land use, water consumption, and CO2 emissions.

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He shares insights into the practices that make agriculture more sustainable, the challenges faced in implementing these practices, and the importance of capital in driving change. 

The discussion also touches on the role of carbon markets and the future of regenerative agriculture as it gains traction among investors and consumers alike.

The Land Group has been quietly operating since 2016 from a base in Europe. It has acquired, and transformed 40,000 hectares of farmland in South America to drive a regenerative agriculture shift while delivering strong financial returns and asset appreciation.

Formally launching in September of last year, with €120 million assets under management, it’s now ramping up its focus on adaptive-grazing based approaches to regenerative agriculture.

takeaways

• Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving soil quality and biodiversity.
• The current agricultural model is unsustainable and needs transformation.
• Not all regenerative practices are financially viable or scalable.
• Adaptive multi-paddock grazing is a scalable regenerative practice.
• The journey to founding the Land Group began with turning around distressed assets.
• Regenerative agriculture is gaining interest among investors.
• Carbon markets are fragmented and challenging to navigate.
• The future of regenerative agriculture depends on capital availability.
• There is growing awareness and interest in regenerative practices among farmers.

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Anthony is a 4x founder and trailblazer in energy transition and critical minerals, driving investments that power global industries while balancing profits with environmental impact. 

His two passions — investing and outdoor adventures — converge in his role as a pioneer in the electrification of industries. From nickel for EV batteries to carbon markets to preserve forests to AI solutions that reduce the environmental impact of farming — Anthony focuses on investments that power the renewable energy revolution while driving high eco-friendly returns. 

Takeaways:

takeaways

• The energy transition is a necessary global shift.
• Nuclear energy is a key player in reducing pollution.
• Renewables like solar and wind have environmental costs.
• Critical minerals are essential for modern technology.
• Ethical sourcing of minerals is a complex issue.
• Consumers often disconnect from the sourcing of products.
• Less consumption could mitigate environmental impact.
• Investors can capitalize on the demand for critical minerals.
• Electric vehicles, while cleaner, still have significant environmental footprints.
• Awareness of sourcing can drive consumer behavior towards sustainability.

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Takeaways

Just Vertical builds indoor vertical farms globally.

Their systems are designed for ease of use and productivity.

They have grown over 350,000 plants in various locations.

Hydroponics allows for controlled growth conditions.

Indoor farming complements traditional agriculture, not replaces it.

The startup mentality drives their innovation and growth.

Farming remains a labor-intensive industry despite technology.

The consumer market for indoor farming is stable and growing.

Economic conditions are affecting food prices significantly.

Refining technology is crucial for future growth and sustainability.

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She shares her journey into environmental advocacy, the global legislative progress, and the role of international law in addressing ecocide.

The discussion highlights the cultural shifts needed to recognize the seriousness of ecological destruction and the potential impact of US politics on the movement.

Mehta emphasizes the need for a global acknowledgment of ecocide as a serious crime and outlines future milestones for advocacy efforts.

Takeaways

• Ecocide refers to severe and long-term harm to ecosystems.
• Criminalizing ecocide aims to create a moral stigma against environmental harm.
• Legislation is moving forward in various jurisdictions to address ecocide.
• International law can elevate serious environmental crimes to a new level of seriousness.
• Cultural shifts are necessary to recognize the value of nature.
• Ecocide law could restore the International Criminal Court's intended role.
• The US's non-membership in the ICC limits its influence on ecocide law.
• Advocacy for ecocide law is gaining momentum globally.
• The coalition of victim countries is crucial for advancing ecocide law.
• Future milestones include expanding diplomatic conversations and legal frameworks. 

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Ramanan also highlights the importance of consumer behavior in driving sustainable choices and offers advice for navigating the investment landscape in the coming years.

Takeaways

• Amasia focuses on sustainability and climate-related investments.
• Investing in software-based businesses is a key strategy.
• Behavior change is essential for addressing climate issues.
• The circular economy plays a crucial role in sustainability.
• Consumer choices can significantly impact sustainability efforts.
• 2025 to present challenges for sustainability-focused companies.
• Exploring alternative financing sources is vital for startups.
• Hope and passion are important for entrepreneurs in tough times.
• Investors should look beyond traditional VC funding.
• Sustainability is a mission worth pursuing.

We talked also about Ramanan's book In Our Hands: Getting To A Sustainable Planet With Behavior Change

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Alix talks about her journey from the World Bank to building WaterEquity with Gary White and Matt Damon to founding Lebec, an investment advisory.

Alix shares insights on the role of private investment, the need to integrate climate risk into asset valuations, and the urgency of sustainable solutions.

Takeaways

Innovative finance blends philanthropy and traditional finance to address sustainability.

Private capital is increasingly needed in water infrastructure investments.

Climate resilience is crucial as water demand will exceed supply soon.

Integrating climate risk into asset valuations can change investment dynamics.

Insurance companies reflect the actual costs of climate risks.

Water is a fundamental resource that impacts all sectors.

Investing in sustainable solutions can significantly boost the global economy.

Storytelling is essential to inspire action against climate challenges.

Young people can make a difference through conscious consumerism.

Collaboration among asset owners can drive innovative finance strategies.

The cover visual for the episode was created by Le Chat.

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The conversation with host Tarmo Virki explores the growing industry of atmospheric water generation, the environmental impact of bottled water, and the importance of community building and sustainable solutions.

Szur shares insights on future goals for 2025, focusing on collaboration between for-profit and nonprofit organizations to create lasting change.

Takeaways

Altitude Water focuses on creating pure water using nature's processes.

The company uses atmospheric water generation to harness humidity.

Ozone is a powerful natural purifier that Altitude Water utilizes.

The bottled water industry contributes to environmental issues.

Atmospheric water generation is a growing $3.6 billion industry.

Community building is essential for sustainable solutions.

Effective charity considers long-term impacts and sustainability.

Altitude Water aims to provide clean water access in remote areas.

The technology is designed to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Future goals include expanding community partnerships and disaster relief efforts.

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She emphasizes the importance of investing in companies that contribute to a just and sustainable economy while debunking the myth that impact investing cannot yield profits.

Hull also addresses the political challenges facing sustainable investing, the significance of diversity in asset management, and the urgency of transitioning to sustainable investment practices to combat climate change.

Takeaways

Nia Impact Capital focuses on investing with intention and purpose.

The firm has been fossil fuel-free since its inception.

Impact investing can be profitable and sustainable.

Research shows divesting from fossil fuels can yield better returns.

Political challenges exist but do not deter sustainable investing.

Young investors are increasingly conscious of their investment choices.

Women and diverse leaders are underrepresented in asset management.

Investing in women-led firms can lead to better economic outcomes.

The urgency of climate change necessitates immediate action in investing.

Collective action in investing can lead to significant societal change.

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Joonas shares insights on successful restoration projects in Estonia and the growing trend of companies supporting environmental initiatives, highlighting the need for a shift in how businesses perceive their relationship with nature.

Fiona Alston interviewed Plaan live at Impact Day festival in October 2024.

Takeaways

• The Estonian Fund for Nature focuses on marine issues, climate change, forestry, wetlands, and volunteer work.
• Investors should prioritize sustainable projects over fossil fuels and greenwashing.
• Collaboration between NGOs and companies can guide sustainable investments.
• Nature restoration projects are becoming legally mandated in the EU.
• Companies can be profitable while being environmentally responsible.
• The value of nature is often difficult to quantify in monetary terms.
• Successful restoration projects can attract corporate support without expecting returns.
• Mastercard's initiative shows how companies can contribute to environmental causes.
• The future of corporate responsibility includes more investment in nature.
• Changing perceptions about nature's value is crucial for sustainable business practices.

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Takeaways

• Norrsken operates as a hub for impact entrepreneurs.
• Impact investing is resilient even in tough VC market conditions.
• Anna's transition to impact investing was driven by her desire to create a better future for her daughter.
• The VC ecosystem is about building networks and finding the right founders early.
• Norrsken is exploring investments in alternative energy sources like fusion and geothermal.
• The recent political climate has heightened the urgency for impact investors.
• Anna envisions a future where all investments consider impact and profitability.
• The choices we make in spending and investing can drive change.
• There is existing technology to capture 90% of CO2 emissions.
• Funding needs to be directed towards impactful innovations.

The episode cover is made with Designer. Powered by DALL·E 3

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Goldsmith shares his unique approach to addressing climate change through humour, and his journey from experiencing climate anxiety to using comedy for resilience and connection. 

Goldsmith emphasizes the importance of confronting climate dread with laughter, his audience's reactions, and humour's role in motivating action. He also reflects on the collective experience of climate anxiety and the need for a supportive community to navigate these challenges. 

Cover picture: A humorous illustration depicting climate change is made with Designer. Powered by DALL·E 3.

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Founder Rob Cobbold emphasizes the importance of engaging the public in climate action through transparent carbon markets and the need for a holistic approach to valuing ecosystems. The conversation also covers sales strategies, the significance of Indigenous rights, project scaling, growth plans, and the integration of NFTs in their model, all while addressing the challenges of building trust in carbon markets.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Native and Its Mission

01:55 The Concept of Three by Three Meters

05:12 Challenges in Carbon Markets

07:47 Sales Strategy and Target Audience

10:33 Indigenous Rights and Land Ownership

13:48 Growth Plans and Marketing Strategies

16:57 Building Trust in Carbon Markets

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He emphasizes that individuals can make a difference without necessarily changing their diets and highlights the global perspective on factory farming, including the role of EU policies and the progress being made in animal welfare advocacy.

TAKEAWAYS:

• FarmKind helps tackle factory farming through charity recommendations.
• Factory farming refers to industrial agriculture with large numbers of animals.
• Animal agriculture significantly contributes to global emissions.
• Changing diets is not the only way to make an impact.
• Donating to effective charities can offset dietary impacts.
• Factory farming is growing rapidly in Asia and Latin America.
• EU policies have mixed effects on animal welfare.
• There are innovative solutions to reduce animal suffering.
• Progress in animal welfare is being made despite industry challenges.
• Elevating animal voices is crucial in advocacy efforts.

Episode cover picture made with Designer. Powered by DALL·E 3.

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They discuss the journey of starting tozero, the challenges of being a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry, and the innovative processes involved in recycling lithium.

Sarah shares her insights on the importance of purpose-driven entrepreneurship and the need for sustainable practices to combat the climate crisis.

In November tozero raised 11 million euros in a seed round led by NordicNinja. This fresh capital will be used to build tozero’s first industrial deployment plant, often referred to as a First-Of-A-Kind (FOAK) plant, boosting production of recycled lithium following the first commercial delivery in April by its operational Pilot Plant, and expand the team to support its ambitious growth plans. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to tozero and Its mission

07:42 The Journey of a Repeat Founder

13:20 Innovative Lithium Recycling Process

19:19 Female Leadership in Tech

21:32 Vision for a Sustainable Future

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He highlights the unique co-operative structure of Metsä Group, which forest owners own, and how this influences long-term business strategies.

The discussion covers various innovative projects, including textile fibers, carbon capture technologies, and the potential of mycelium in the bioeconomy.

Takeaways:

Sustainable use of raw materials is crucial for the future.

Innovations in textiles and carbon capture are key projects.

Mycelium and mushroom-based solutions are gaining traction.

Collaboration with external companies enhances innovation efforts.

The bioeconomy is a rapidly evolving field with many opportunities.

Investing in pilot plants is essential for scaling new technologies.

Networking is vital for discovering new investment opportunities.

The textile waste problem presents significant business opportunities.

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Teresė Škutaitė, head of the Green Tech Hub, discusses the impact of geopolitical shifts on the cleantech sector and the importance of energy independence.

At the same time, Biohifas founder Tomas Byckovas talks about the potential of alternative proteins and mycelium-based solutions. He highlights the supportive environment for startups and the need for improved access to capital and talent in the region.

Takeaways

Lithuania's green tech sector is rapidly growing due to geopolitical shifts.

Energy independence is a key driver for renewable energy innovation.

The startup ecosystem is diverse, with strong mobility and circular economy sectors.

Solar and wind energy are the main focuses of Lithuania's renewable energy strategy.

Challenges include access to capital and attracting talent in cleantech.

Alternative proteins and agri-food tech are emerging areas of innovation.

The government and agencies provide significant support for startups.

The EU's regulatory environment poses challenges for scaling businesses.

Mycelium startups are gaining traction in the alternative protein space.

Lithuania is positioning itself as a hub for green technology innovation.

The episode was recorded on the sidelines of Startup Fair conference in Vilnius in October 2024.

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"People are a huge opportunity for conservation," he said. "We need both policy change and individual action."

Jenks highlights successful initiatives by Rare, the impact of media on climate action, and the need for individual action in addressing climate change. He concludes with a call for a collective effort to shift behaviors and achieve conservation goals."Your individual behavior matters in climate change."

Rare is a global leader in driving social change for people and nature. For over 50 years, across 60 countries, it has inspired and empowered millions of people and their communities to protect our shared planet.

Each of Rare’s programs today — The Center for Behavior & the Environment, Fish Forever, Lands for Life, Climate Culture, and Innovative Finance — support the shared goal of driving collective action at the local level to address global challenges.

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Kaskeala emphasizes the need for businesses to move beyond traditional sustainability practices and focus on creating positive impacts, questioning existing business models and advocating for broader societal change.

Takeaways

• Kaskela has over 20 years of experience in sustainability.
• Protect Our Winters mobilizes the winter sports community against climate change.
• Climate change poses an existential threat to winter sports.
• Sustainability should focus on creating positive impact, not just minimizing harm.
• Businesses need to rethink their models for a sustainable future.
• The climate crisis has already crossed several planetary boundaries.
• Traveling to ski resorts contributes significantly to emissions.
• Companies must take ownership of their entire supply chain emissions.
• Corporate sustainability should not be a box-ticking exercise.
• The safe limit for CO2 in the atmosphere is 350 ppm, which we have exceeded decades ago.

"We've gone way beyond the point of the safe limit, but what are we doing every day? We're adding more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Each and every one of us, each and every company. So even if we miraculously stopped emitting today, we would still have a huge issue with too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," Kaskeala said.

"It's like having a bathtub. If the bathtub is the atmosphere and the water running in there is the carbon dioxide, we've had the tap on for centuries, decades, and the water is already overflowing. It's so high up that it's flowing over the edges of the bathtub. So our solution can't be just to turn the tap off by 5% this year, 5% next year. It'll just contribute to the problem even more. We need to close it, but then we also need to remove the plug and drain the excess water out," he said.

The episode was first aired live from the Impact Day event in Tallinn.

Kaskeala was interviewed by Fiona Alston.

Since the recording in October, Kaskeala also co-founded The Activist Agency

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He shares insights on how his personal experiences led to a shift in his lifestyle and the mission of Bolt to create cities that foster independence and community engagement. Villig emphasizes the role of education in building strong communities and advocates for a society where everyone cares for each other and the environment.

Takeaways

Sustainable living can lead to a happier lifestyle.

Urban planning should prioritize people, not cars.

Community independence is essential for family well-being.

Education is key to creating equal opportunities.

Leadership in schools can significantly impact student success.

Awareness of transportation choices can influence city planning.

Scaling a company requires a mission-driven approach.

Shared mobility can reduce the need for personal cars.

Building a community can combat loneliness and mental health issues.

A caring society is one where everyone looks out for each other.

The episode was recorded live at Impact Day in Tallinn by Fiona Alston.

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"It's not an easy endeavour, because there's a long history, over a century, of keeping these two powerful forces, the environmental movement and the free enterprise system separate in the United States. Our mission is to bring them together to create a mighty river of action," Selzer said.

The fund aims to protect five million acres of forest and contribute to the national goal of conserving 30% of U.S. land by 2030. The conversation highlights the importance of integrating conservation with economic vitality and the unique challenges and strategies in achieving these ambitious goals.

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The discussion highlights a research study that emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with nature, particularly through innovative products that incorporate natural microbes.

"We need to reconnect people back to nature," Sinivuori said.

"Every second person has a disease caused by one's own immune system."

Kari explains how urban living contributes to health issues and how their company, Uute, is working to bridge this gap by providing nature-derived solutions in consumer products. The conversation also touches on future aspirations for the company and the potential for their technology to revolutionize health and wellness.

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"By understanding the challenges that consumer brands and formulators are having, we can take those challenges and bring them back to the seed level," said Kathryn Cook.

NuCicer's promises its first commercial variety, NC1, has up to 75% more protein than a standard chickpea and offers strong yields and a shorter time to maturity.

"Our long-term vision is to provide growers with a regenerative crop that can be grown on tens of millions of acres," Cook said.

By increasing the adoption of chickpeas, NuCicer aims to replace animal-based products, improve soil health, and reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture.

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Hogan also stresses the importance of diverse approaches, including nonviolent direct action, to push for meaningful climate action.

She reflects on the challenges of maintaining optimism in the face of overwhelming climate news and the importance of focusing on grassroots solutions and effective communication.

Finally, she encourages a broad definition of activism, emphasizing that anyone who cares and acts on that care can be considered an activist.

Clover will be a keynote speaker at Impact Day in Tallinn in October.

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Despite its growth, the festival emphasizes reducing environmental impact through various measures, such as using reusable materials and encouraging digital participation.

The upcoming event in October will focus on the theme "less is more," aiming to minimize resource overuse.

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He highlights the importance of certified organic products and the benefits they bring to the environment and human health.

Dejan also discusses his efforts to educate people in North America about sustainability.

He emphasizes the need for a mindset change towards sustainability and the long-term benefits of organic products.

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"We still see a huge investment gap in the climate financing," Garoza said. "And it's not because these projects at the moment operating in Africa would be uninvestable. It's because of the capital providers. I would say that they don't have so much insight about the operations, operation facilities and specifics in those countries."

"Capital at the moment is the biggest need for all of us in this space. And now we need to unlock it. So, we need to work together with different stakeholders and just find a way how to do it. Where we need digitalisation, we need to bring it. Where we need different financing products, we need to find out and implement them," she said.

Garoza explains the benefits of bamboo, including its various uses and impact on local communities. She also describes the process of selecting and preparing land for bamboo planting, emphasizing the importance of community involvement and public participation.

The conversation touches on the challenges of land ownership and digitalization in Uganda, and the significant employment opportunities created by their projects.

The speakers discuss the future goals and milestones for 1MTN, including their ambitious-sounding target of restoring 1 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

The conversation also touches on the challenges of carbon project certification and the need for more specialists in the field. Finally, Garoza emphasizes the importance of trust and open-mindedness in the voluntary carbon market, encouraging people to explore and understand its opportunities.

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Harris highlights the importance of self-awareness and small actions in making a significant impact and introduces Venture Impact Score.

Venturebeam's first funding round was for Xocean, an Irish company developing autonomous underwater drones. The company raised a total of 30 million euros last month.

The episode concludes with a discussion of Venturebeam's future goals, including expanding its impact in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The episode was recorded from nature, so apologies for the distracting sounds of wind and birds in the background ;)

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"Your climate strategy is your business strategy today," Leonard stressed.

Leonard shares insights on the importance of leadership buy-in and cultural alignment for the effective execution of sustainability initiatives.

As we explore the growing consumer demand for transparency in environmental impact, Gerald underscores the urgency of genuine commitment to sustainability practices, with 2030 looming as a pivotal year for global goals.

Tune in as we uncover the power of education and storytelling in driving cultural change towards a greener future.

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The company has been operational since 2017, with a production facility in China, producing 4,000 tons of decarbonized plastic raw material annually. They are raising funds to scale production and expand operations to Thailand, leveraging the country's strong agricultural and polymer industries.

The company also plans to franchise its model to maintain low carbon emissions and costs, with a potential franchisee in East Africa.

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Compassiviste, structured like an octopus with various initiatives as tentacles, aims to educate the public on environmental issues, notably through a TV show designed to reduce carbon footprints. The movement's focus extends to ethical practices in production and consumption, and it collaborates with global charities to provide sustainable solutions for refugees through education and resettlement.

By 2025, Compassiviste seeks to make a significant impact, with projects like a publishing house for marginalized voices and innovative programs to foster environmental responsibility.

"2025 is our year. 2025 is the year where we will have an impact," Horriyat said.

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Founder Timo Haanpää highlights the material's flame resistance and aesthetic qualities, emphasizing the importance of design in sustainability.

He discusses the company's strategy to produce high-quality, desirable products with a focus on circularity, aiming to reuse materials to maintain or enhance their value.

Arkio Industries plans to scale production and explore applications for their material, with ambitions to use it in building structures eventually. The conversation concludes with reflections on the transition from software to tangible products and the challenges of introducing new material to the market.

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"We have a very large vision, and that is to build Aquaria into a technology solution for water that one day at least we have the option actually to replace tap water," said founder and Chief Executive Brian Sheng.

Sheng highlighted the vast amount of water available in the atmosphere and Aquaria's technology that captures it using low energy. He emphasized the lack of attention and investment in water solutions despite their critical role in climate change effects. 

"Our focus is on making atmospheric water capture more and more energy-efficient over time so that in the future we hit this point where we have the option to build city-scale, society-scale water infrastructure without pipes or large centralized infrastructure," said Sheng, whose company built last year water supply for some of the first homes in the world whose water supply comes from the air.

As a serial entrepreneur, Brian co-founded The Vanguard, Fresh VC, and he founded Asia Horizon.

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Founder Laimonas Noreika, with a background in FinTech, was inspired to start the company after learning about the financial challenges faced by farmers, he said in an interview on sidelines of TechChill conference in Riga.

HeavyFinance has evolved from a lending business to a climate-focused enterprise, leveraging a business model based on Verra standards to issue carbon credits to farmers who sequester CO2. They are now active in six European markets and are launching an Article 9 fund to further support regenerative farming practices. 

The company aims to create a financial ecosystem tailored for farmers, offering products like green loans to facilitate the switch to sustainable farming, with the ultimate goal of scaling up to meet the significant financial needs of small and medium farms across Europe.

The company is working on unlocking institutional capital and launching a securitization deal, with plans to expand its support and educational efforts in 2024.

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"It is now actually technologically and profitably possible to achieve this reduction, but a huge amount has to happen in terms of the scale of the capital investment, and so on," Kelly said.

He emphasizes the importance of making these technologies known to major companies and investors, as they are the key players in commercializing them on a global scale.

Martin highlights several technologies, including fuel cells and algae biorefineries, which can transform waste CO2 into valuable products. He also discusses the potential of converting desert land into productive agricultural areas using algae.

The challenges ahead for Innovo include raising capital and increasing public awareness about these technologies. Martin's vision is to accelerate the adoption of clean technologies, making them profitable for businesses and beneficial for the environment.

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Founder Shubber Ali shares his personal journey from a career in management consulting to becoming passionate about gardening and the environment after reading a book called "Nature's Best Hope." This book highlighted the issue of native plants being replaced by invasive species, leading to a decline in pollinators and birds. Shubber's mission with Garden for Wildlife is to educate people and make native plants accessible, aiming to restore natural habitats and support wildlife.

Shubber emphasizes the importance of native plants and compares the growing interest in them to the rise of organic and non-dairy products in mainstream stores. He encourages people to start small in their own yards to see the positive impact on local wildlife.

Shubber Ali highlights the benefits of exposure to nature for mental and physical health, referencing the book "The Nature Fix" and the concept of forest bathing. Shubber also addresses the critical role of insects, particularly pollinators like bees, in our environment and food production, emphasizing the alarming decline of native bee species. Garden for Wildlife, his company, aims to address these issues by making native plants accessible, creating habitats, and educating the public. They've expanded to 41 states and are working on localizing plant production to reduce carbon footprint and support local growers.

Shubber's passion for the environment is evident as he discusses the interconnectedness of various environmental issues and the simple, actionable steps individuals can take to make a difference.

We discussed the business and environmental strategies of Garden for Wildlife. Shubber Ali emphasizes the importance of applying business acumen to environmental issues and describes the company's innovative crowdfunding campaign, which allows customers to become investors.

The campaign also encourages the distribution of native plants through gift cards, aiming to increase biodiversity and support wildlife.

Additionally, Shubber outlines the company's new platform for not-for-profits, which helps them raise funds through an affiliate program. Garden for Wildlife is expanding its reach through partnerships with retail chains and aims to sign up growers on the West Coast to cover all 48 states. The overarching goal is to promote the planting of native plants globally, starting with a focus on the U.S. and Canada.

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A/O, launched in 2020, is the largest VC firm in Europe and globally in this sector. The company invests in various solutions, including satellite companies and AI, to address the industry's challenges, such as its significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Dewerpe emphasized the urgency of sustainable transformation in real estate and the current market conditions that create opportunities for innovation and change.

"40% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from real estate. So when you compare that to cars, everyone's so excited about electric cars, cars are high single-digit emissions. So when you think about aviation, it's 2%. So the order of magnitude is so staggering that it has to be a wake-up call for people," Dewerpe said.

"Okay, we're running out of time. Supposedly, by 2030, we'll need to be in a much better place than we are today. Where are we going to spend our time and our money?"

However, he noticed that the climate sector has become overheated lately, as many investors have raised climate funds over the last few years and startups have been unable to keep up with the investors.

"There's too much money for the amount of bankable opportunities right now," he said.

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But what if there was a way to make concrete more sustainable and profitable at the same time?

What if we could use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to optimize the design of concrete mixtures, reduce the amount of cement, and lower the cost and the carbon footprint of concrete production?

That is exactly what Concrete.ai, a company founded by Alex Hall, is doing.

We had a thorough deepdive into the vision, the concrete manufacturing technologies, and the challenges of transforming the concrete industry with AI.

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"That's why I'm here — because I truly believe that these are the only ones who can save, only startups. All the, in a good way, crazy guys who don't believe that something is impossible. They have passion. They have ideas. These are the scientists, these crazy scientists, the ones who argue with obvious things, the ones who argue with corporations who say, but we have done like this," Budkovskaja said in the episode.

Beamline is a Tallinn-headquartered accelerator working with pre-seed and seed-stage cleantech startups across Europe.

We covered a wide range of topics ranging from pandas and climate change to greenwashing.

What is cleantech? How does it differ from greentech?

Beamline invests in teams and provides them with a 3-6 month program and an alumni club.

Beamline's current batch is focused on deep tech and material science and uses non-equity money from Estonia's Ministry of Climate.

Jana shared her personal journey into the cleantech sector, starting from her love for nature and animals as a child.

In Kiikla, Mäetaguse abandoned mines are used as a renewable energy source for heating a village.

Beamline aims to be a bridge between the startups and the policymakers, governance, and corporates, who have a high level of inertia and resistance to change.

The future challenges with growing the fund, accelerator and the alumni club of Beamline.

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Treadwell is the founder of the Organic Intelligence Language Model, a system that uses artificial intelligence and natural language to understand and reprogram the human mind. He describes how used this system to heal himself from a life-threatening illness and to create a successful business and a happy family.

In this episode, we cover topics such as:

• How the human mind works like a computer program, with pre-cognitive commitments and emotional responses encoded in syntax.

• How to use numbers for creativity and problem-solving, by focusing on what you want to create or solve, asking the right questions, making agreements, and taking action.

• How to be aware of the manipulation of thoughts and beliefs, and how to reclaim your sovereignty and freedom.

• How to use language to program your thoughts and emotions, and how to rewrite your life story using human nature and computer language.

• How to act on climate change and other global issues, by bypassing the limbic system and operating from choice, pleasure, and potential.

• How to balance your masculine and feminine energies in the digital age, and how to connect with the natural law and values that govern the universe.

• How to discover the hidden connections and patterns that exist in nature, mathematics, and philosophy, and how they relate to your perception and reality.

If you want to learn more about Leo Treadwell and his organic intelligence language model, visit his website or follow him on social media.

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"It's going to need a lot of work, it's going to need a lot of effort because money isn't that easy to come by at the moment, investors are doing much more due diligence: it might take up to six months or a year to raise a round. But if all the chips fall into places, then you have less competition," says investor Helery Pops.

Practica Capital launched a new 80-million-euro fund in January 2024.

Helery shares her insights on the startup landscape in the Baltics, her passion for nature, and some of the challenges and opportunities for green tech investors and founders in 2024.

You'll learn about topics such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, circular economy, and more. You'll also hear about some of the successful and promising green tech startups in Practica's portfolio, such as PVcase, a grading software for wind turbines, and Heavy Finance, a platform that helps farmers switch to no-till farming with zero-interest loans.

Whether you're a green tech enthusiast, a startup founder, or a curious listener, this episode will inspire you with fresh insights and practical tips on how to make a positive impact with green tech.

Don't forget to subscribe to NatureBacked and leave us a review. You can also follow us on social media and visit our website for more content and resources. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for the next episode of NatureBacked.

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We spoke about:

• how to fix carbon markets
• emerging market for biodiversity credits
• trust challenge of carbon markets
• how local communities should benefit credit markets

After completing his Master Degree in Energy, Environment and Society to combat climate impacts affecting countries in Africa., Kenny Founded Decarbonify, a startup that spearheads the development of a data-driven ESG Data software, contributing significantly to climate crisis management, and providing climate risk data mapping.

His current advisory role at Carbon Futures EU involves navigating businesses through the complex carbon market landscape, bringing market compliance, truth and transparency.

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"We aim by using fungi is to turn bulk waste into high value applications using a fungal micro refinery," Novobiom co-founder Caroline Zaoui said in the NatureBacked podcast.

"The big milestone is going to be the buildup of our fungal fermentation pilot for the micro refinery angle that we are working on to demonstrate that we can process a certain volume of waste to generate compounds of high added value, and demonstrate that we can bring a solution for the end of waste in the textile industry," Zaoui said, adding that the company was also aiming to make use of any waste stream to produce biobased and circular molecules for the cosmetics industry.

Novobiom's main product is a soil mycoremediation solution, which uses mushrooms to degrade and detoxify pollutants in the soil. Novobiom says that this solution is more ecological, efficient, and economical than conventional soil treatments.

Novobiom's mission is to contribute to solving current environmental and societal challenges by developing bio-inspired restorative innovations. Novobiom was founded in 2017 and is based in Belgium.

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Sørensen said: "Our battery is based on pigments from fungi. So it's the world's first biosynthesized-battery. It is much better than the solutions right now, which are based on mining different metal ions or chemical synthesis based on compounds or chemicals from the oil industry."

He said it will likely take around five years for the project to grow from a laboratory setting to the real world, but with vast funding, this could be accelerated significantly.

"To also honour the research, we wanted to have the award for uncovering this. We wanted to thoroughly uncover the new-frontier ways we can use fungi for elemental solutions. We want to inspire more research and innovation in this space, and also to commercialise more of this research, get this research off the ground," said Susanne Gløersen, the organiser of the award.

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"It's still very much an SME-led movement. However, I think more or less since 2015, we've seen a lot of momentum and interest in large companies and multinationals joining the movement," Sarah Garcia, head of market development at B Lab Europe, said in the NatureBacked podcast.

"The movement started back in 2006 when our founders were becoming increasingly disillusioned by seeing purpose-driven companies change drastically after they either changed ownership after they went public or the direction of the CEO or the priorities of the CEO change," she said..

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Here are the main points of the discussion:

The blue economy concept and its potential to replace the green economy

• Pauli is frustrated with the green economy and argues it's too expensive and incompatible with market demands.
• the limitations of economies of scale in the global market, arguing that consumers prefer unique and diverse products.
• the potential for waste from coffee production to be used for mushroom farming, with 6000 initiatives around the world already adopting this approach.

Blue economy, local materials, and sustainable business models (from 4:51)

• the rise of the "blue economy," where companies prioritize local and sustainable practices, citing Novamount as a successful example.
• the importance of collaboration and resilience in the blue economy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• the potential of using weeds as a source of bioplastics, highlighting the benefits of vertical integration and the ability to generate more value through the use of local materials.
• how the business model can change by using an old stranded petrochemical facility, reducing costs and increasing the lifespan of the acid, making the product competitive in the market.

Sustainable paper production and water conservation (from 9:39)

• the importance of recognizing and utilizing available resources, using the example of stone paper production.
• the potential of using waste products from forestry companies to create a sustainable business, drawing on the example of mushroom cultivation.
• the potential of using mining waste to produce paper, generating significant value and reducing water and land use.

Sustainable business practices and education (from 15:23)

• the importance of working with the next generation to implement sustainable practices and reduce environmental impact.
• the importance of keeping a childlike curiosity and exploration in adults, as it can lead to innovation and progress.
• the potential of children to drive positive change, citing examples of initiatives in Estonia and China that involve translating fables into stone and bringing them to schools.

Sustainable transportation and energy solutions (from 20:14)

• visiting local companies that are making a positive impact in their field, specifically a mushroom company that is doing extraordinary work.
• abolishing the use of Excel sheets
• proposal to transform ferry transport in the Baltic by prioritizing local transportation and goods, reducing carbon footprint.
• the importance of extracting oneself from limitations and constraints, using examples of their entrepreneurial ventures.

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They have found strong demand from the pet food sector as in the 1970s and 1980s the product was sold to farmers for their animals, and are now looking also for ways to enter the higher-value-added human food market.

"Volumes of protein going into agriculture and pet food are huge. The companies are really looking for alternatives that are more sustainable. But, in general, they just need more, new sources of protein, because those sectors are growing fast and protein production is not really keeping up," co-founder Simo Ellilä said. 

In October, researchers at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) published a study showing that farmed fish grow better and healthier with Enifer's PEKILO mycoprotein than with soybeans. 

Enifer’s proprietary technology can upcycle by-products from diverse agri-, food- and forest industry processes into its PEKILO mycoprotein, which consists of about 65% protein, 15% beta-glucan, 10% fats and minerals, and has a high concentration of vitamin B.

Enifer plans to announce the location of its first factory before Christmas.

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"Three goals and tasks: factory running at full production, complete the build-out of our new factory; semiconductors technology sector - really going to charge and take the lead on that; as well as get our jewellery line out there and launch stuff," Grdina said.

The company owns the original 32 manufacturing patents for lab-grown diamonds, a sector which has taken a massive chunk of the North American diamond market over the last few years, and which is set to be increasingly important for the global semiconductor industry.

The diamond mining industry is known for environmental and social problems. In some countries proceeds from diamond sales have been used to finance wars, creating a 'blood diamond' name. One of the latest environmental (and social) disasters occurred in the diamond mining town of Jagersfontein in South Africa last fall.

"People that traditionally might not have gone and bought a mined diamond, whether it's eco reasons or social reasons, or other reasons. We give them an alternative, where they can avoid those atrocities or mindset issues that they have, and come over and buy an environmentally conscientious diamond," Grdina said.

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"For us, the biggest milestone is to show that this is really scalable on different markets and not sustained in Finland, for instance," co-founder Sonja-Maria Ignatius said in the NatureBacked podcast. 

Ignatius, an ex-Helsinki climate specialist, and her co-founders set up the company to make sure Helsinki keeps its promises to become carbon neutral. Once the service was launched, other cities followed. Kausal currently works with over 40 cities, including San Diego and Zurich.

The focus is set clearly on the public sector, even though the platform could be adapted for corporate use.

"It was a very natural step as all the founders had experience within the public sector," Ignatius said.

"It's true that the sale cycles can be long sometimes. But on the other hand, city governments are very reliable, they pay their bills. Also, once you have gotten in, and you have this in their budget, they are not going to be every year like, Hey, do we want this or not, but they are also very sticky as customers," she said.

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• How she took over her father's car component business at the age of 12 and launched environmentally friendly springs for breaks
• Early days of startup entrepreneurship in Lithuania, emphasizing the importance of diversity and impact
• How she launched the ChangemakersON network, a community for tech for good products, by leveraging traditional business experience and partnerships
• Her work in startups and sustainability highlights the importance of doing things for the right reasons rather than just for appearance or marketing
• ESG reporting helps expose greenwashing by measuring and documenting criteria, but companies need to be transparent and set clear agreements.
• regenerative organizations and decentralized business models
• the importance of listening to intuition and following nature's lead in business. Despite trying to copy nature, we've already made copies of nature before and are now returning to sustainable innovation.
• How small businesses should adopt a life-centric business model, prioritizing uniqueness and cooperation over competition.

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"Our solution, the most important thing behind The Ocean Package, is that we have to find a way to clean up our world and to create a cleaner world for tomorrow. Because there won't be a tomorrow if there are no companies like us," said Joshua Linn, co-founder of The Ocean Package.

The Ocean Package is a Munich-based startup that operates in several markets, aiming to make e-commerce more environmentally friendly and sustainable. To achieve this, they designed reusable packaging made of recycled polypropylene, some of which is collected from areas where it could have ended up in the ocean.

"We are mainly focusing on rivers and on post-consumer waste, where it could end up in the ocean. So we are kind of the waste management where there is no waste management. With real ocean plastic, you never know how long it has been in the water, how damaged it is by UV rays, by the sea salt."

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• Startups accelerated through the programme are in 15 countries, with 69 startups accelerated, and 15 more in the pipeline.
• Early-stage startups are supported in scaling and understanding their business model, with a focus on impact and sales integration.
• The host, Tarmo Virki, and Greta Monstavice discuss the structured and unstructured nature of a startup programme, with a focus on the benefits and challenges of different approaches.
• Katalista Ventures offers tailored programs with chief mentors and flexibility to address the specific needs of each startup.
• Greta Monstavice reflects on her personal experience in startup acceleration and sustainability in Lithuania, discussing the ecosystem's lack of resources and opportunities.
• Details on the next two programmes Katalista is planning to launch.

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Vihavainen tells us about the different types of carbon removal projects that Puro.Earth is working with, biochar, direct capture, and enhanced rock weathering. He also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the carbon removal industry, and how Puro.Earth is helping to create a more sustainable future.

"We are never going to get to net zero, or at least not during this century, unless we do radical action reduction as well. So that is the first and foremost priority," Vihavainen said in the episode. 

If you are interested in learning more about carbon removal and how you can support this vital work, listen to this episode of the NatureBacked podcast.

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In this episode of the NatureBacked podcast, Tarmo Virki spoke with Zoe Peden, partner at Ananda Impact Ventures, an investment firm that supports innovative solutions for biodiversity conservation and restoration.

Zoe shared her insights on why biodiversity is important, the challenges and opportunities of measuring and verifying biodiversity impact, and how one of her portfolio companies, NatureMetrics, is using the environmental DNA method to provide accurate and reliable data on biodiversity in various ecosystems.

She also discussed some of the lessons learned from the carbon market, and how to avoid some of the pitfalls and risks that have plagued the carbon credits system.

If you want to learn more about Zoe's work and vision, listen to the full podcast episode or subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn for more stories about the people changing the world.

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"So the organisation was founded in 2020 aiming to protect the last remaining forest plots of old-growth forests, the last remaining biologically very valuable forest plots, like fragments, and don't do anything with that, meaning leaving it to nature to develop naturally. So it really becomes the real old-growth forest," she said.

"It may seem that it's not much, especially when you sit near the computer and look at the data, look at the Excel, but when you get to those forests, you understand what you're doing, understand why you're doing that. And it seems a lot easier to understand when you get there," she said.

The foundation was launched after "Sengire", a nature documentary Mindaugas Survila shot over many years, became an unexpected hit in Lithuania and abroad.

The movie is available through Vimeo's on-demand service.

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"Time is no longer on our side and we can't just keep playing in the sandbox anymore. We have to take serious, serious action," Bosschaert said in the episode.

"We've pinpointed five specific intervention points within society that can use such a snowball effect transition that we are familiar with," he said. 

1. The financial sector, to help them restructure and understand how long-term investment can benefit them towards financial revenue and increased returns, but also have a long-term societal impact, which has a risk profile that is much more attractive than just keeping on investing in the old linear economy.
2. Agriculture and food production.
3. The built environment, how we build and rebuild our cities.
4. Manufacturing, industry and supply chains.
5. Education and the tools needed to understand this.

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The topics we covered:

• How did it come up with the idea of cleaning wastewater?
• Role of patents.
• The next milestones for the company
• Competition in the market

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CUR8 is building a marketplace for carbon removal credits. These projects can include planting trees, capturing carbon dioxide from the air, or storing carbon dioxide underground.

In this episode, Marta and I will discuss the following topics:

• What is carbon removal?
• Why is carbon removal important?
• How does CUR8 work?
• The challenges and opportunities of the carbon removal market
• The cost of carbon removal and how it is expected to come down over time
• The role of governments and businesses in supporting the development of the carbon removal market

“When I first heard of carbon removals in 2020, it genuinely rocked my world, for the reason that for the first time, I thought, Okay, hang on a second, well, we have to continue radically decarbonizing, we're doing everything we can, and we should do more. But also, we have a way of aiding that process with something that actively also pulls carbon out of the sky," Krupinska said.

"We have to mobilise everything that we've got. But we also know that the science is clear, there is no staying below 1.5 without carbon removals, and I put all of my work, and effort, and hope into that," she said.

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Danny is also the author of several books on entrepreneurship, marketing, and productivity, such as Hack Sleep, Hack Email, and Buy Your Own Island.

Tarmo and Danny discuss the following topics:

• How to apply AI for growth hacking principles to your personal and professional life

• How to hack your sleep, improve your health, and boost your productivity

• How a Yoga retreat in Nepal could boost your business

• How to use AI to hack climate change and create a more sustainable future

If you are interested in learning more about AI for growth hacking, or if you want to discover some practical tips and tricks to use AI to grow your business faster and smarter, then you don't want to miss this episode.

For School of Growth Hacking use code naturebacked23 for 15% discount on any product or course on their site.

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Nick shares how ExpresSo is driving the transition from oil and gas to renewable energy and decarbonisation, by investing in and partnering with startups with innovative technologies and solutions for a greener future.

He also discusses the challenges and opportunities that PTT faces as a significant player in the energy sector, and how they are collaborating with other corporations and stakeholders to create new supply chains and business models that are sustainable and profitable.

Nick also reveals some of the most exciting areas that ExpresSo is looking into, such as sustainable aviation fuels, EV batteries, and second-life batteries.

If you are interested in learning more about how a large oil and gas conglomerate is tackling climate change and transforming the country's energy landscape, don't miss this episode!

If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.

And if you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and share it with your friends.

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Inspired by the Tamagotchi game from their childhood, the team wants to create a lasting impact with their project. They believe that a single donation should not be limited to just one instance but should grow and multiply to make an even bigger impact. They are dedicated to making a difference and are excited about their upcoming launch in October. 

If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.

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- InnoCSR: eco-friendly brick manufacturing 

- Sophie’s Bionutrients: Food Grade Protein from Microalgae

- Rightcharge: Simplified EV charging solutions

- UpShift Cars: Fractional EV car subscription

- PingThings: Revolutionary Predictive AI Grid Management

- Concrete4Change: CO2 Mineralization in Concrete

If you liked the show do subscribe also to Startup Tank and share it with your friends.

If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.

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In this episode, our host Tarmo Virki speaks with Fal, a passionate advocate for climate tech, about the challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia, we hear about some of the companies that his investment firm Atlas Capital is backing, and how Fal got into climate investments after his exit from an e-commerce technology firm.

"I almost drowned doing spearfishing, because of a plastic bag, and that plastic bag, I think was from e-commerce delivery. So it was kind of, you know, God sent me a sign that you got your small exit, now you got a little bit of money, you're going to just spend it on stupid stuff, or you're going to actually do something with your time and with that money to do a bit more meaningful," Fal said in the episode.

"That was the trigger for me to decide to look and spend the next 10 years in this space. So so far, it's been two years, eight years to go. That's my commitment. But let's see, I think there's a lot that's going to happen in the next few years," Fal said.

We also talk about how the importance of building a strong ecosystem for climate tech in Southeast Asia, and we discuss how investors, governments, and businesses can all play a role in making this happen.

The region has already started to be hit by climate change and rising sea levels.

"How do we continue living? How do we protect health? How do we protect arbitrations? How do we protect cities too, but also how do we protect nature? Our agricultural assets, food production, etc. It is a lot of money to be lost. But also, I believe, and I think with Atlas Capital, and my partners, we all believe together, that there's a lot of money to be made, helping all this infrastructure to adapt to climate change, as well."

So if you're interested in learning more about climate tech opportunities, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The challenges and opportunities of climate tech in Southeast Asia
• Why the local climate tech scene is still in its infancy
• The quick opportunity in technology transfer from Europe, U.S.
• The companies that Atlas Capital is backing
• The importance of building a strong ecosystem for climate tech in the region

If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.

And if you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and share it with your friends.

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• Host Tarmo Virki welcomes listeners to "NatureBacked," a show discussing the green economy.
• Guest speaker Frank Meehan from openESG, joins the conversation. Frank Meehan is a seasoned investor and co-founder of SPARKlabs, an investment firm focused on climate, food, and agricultural tech solutions. He also co-founded Equilibrium.ai, acquired by Fiscal Note, and works with openESG, a company transforming ESG ratings and showcasing systems.

Discussion Highlights:

Frank's Background in ESG:

• Frank shares his experience in the ESG space, spanning seven years of investing in climate, food, and agriculture.
• He highlights the evolution of his firm and his involvement in managing global ESG data through equilibrium.ai.

The Current State of ESG:

• Frank observes a significant focus on environmental sustainability and explains how even companies seemingly disconnected from ESG are actively pursuing sustainable practices.
• He mentions the need for transparency and highlights a case involving child labour in a chemical plant and the impact on Blackstone's reputation.
• The discussion emphasizes the existing challenges in the ESG space, including the influence of the old-fashioned certification process and lack of transparency.

The Need for Change and Disruption:

• Frank draws parallels between the ESG space and the taxi industry before Uber, emphasizing the closed-shop mentality and lack of transparency.
• Frank discusses the importance of transparency, openness, and rewarding positive progress in the ESG industry.
• They mention the role of media in exposing greenwashing practices and the potential for journalists to utilize public ESG data for impactful reporting.

Introduction to openESG and Its vision:

• Frank explains the purpose of openESG, which aims to revolutionize ESG ratings and make them dynamic, open, and free.
• He describes the role of AI and web 3.0 principles in the openESG system, ensuring transparency, real-time data, and verifiability.
• The conversation highlights the importance of accelerating positive change in ESG and the role of data in measuring and improving sustainability practices.

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead:

• The discussion touches on the challenges openESG may face, with Frank expressing the hope to keep up with the evolving industry.
• They emphasize the need to transition from manual, form-based systems to digital, AI-driven processes for faster and more accurate ESG assessments.

Conclusion:

• Frank and Tarmo conclude the discussion by reiterating the need for change, transparency, and openness in the ESG space.
• They discuss the potential positive impact of openESG and the industry's growing recognition of the importance of ESG principles.

In the NatureBacked podcast, we talk with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

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"We're looking at ways to help make power much more affordable for people and resilient because you are generating it yourself. So you're not relying on the grid. So when the grid goes down a lot of times you don't even know about it," said Matthews.

"For us, one of the key things is to make it much more responsible, meaning we are reducing those greenhouse gas emissions," Matthews said.

Learn more about:

• High utility rates, batteries and peak shaving in San Diego, California
• Net energy metering in California and Northern Europe
• The trend of microgrids in California and the US
• Learnings from managed service provider company

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“We don't have to accept less bad. We can just simply make transitions,” Krull said.

“So sustainable investing to me is investing in companies that are going to reduce our exposure to carbon emissions, but also resiliency, because the climate change train has already left the station, we need to invest in companies that are creating more resiliency in our economies,” Krull said.

Learn more about:

• Difference between ESG investing and sustainable investing
• Carbon offsets: good or bad?
• Is it too late to change the world?

“The 2030 goal is great, but for the most part, it's just sort of everybody saying that's really going to be 2050, but 2030 is what we put on the surface to make it look good. And 2050 is too late, 2030 really is where we need to start hitting some of these targets,” Krull said.

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Looking at the big picture, the environmental effects of Bitcoin are considerable, partly because Bitcoins are made using electricity partially generated by gas and coal-fired power plants. 

However, replacing the energy source, and working with methane could turn the situation upside down, believes Szamosszegi.

"More and more miners are starting to realize that you can actually leverage Bitcoin mining as a tool to clean up the methane problem. And it just economically makes sense," Szamosszegi said.

Learn more about:

• The concept of carbon-negative bitcoin mining?
•  Is Bitcoin mining bad for the environment?
• Crowdfunding at Start Engine

"We think that the future is a green future, in terms of where money is going to go, and where development is going to go. And then simultaneously, I'm very, very bullish on the future of digital assets, particularly when I say digital assets, I mean, Bitcoin, especially with a lot of the fractures being seen in the banking system today," Szamosszegi said.

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The project will be located at Morecambe, once a thriving coastal town, which has lost a lot of its holiday travellers to southern competition.

"When we announced that we intended to create this Eden Project, we got a standing ovation from the locals. This is going to stimulate a whole lot of economic growth not just in Morecambe but across the north," Beaumont said.

"In all the conversations we’ve had with the government, the response to us has been, we’d rather you did it the right way because that becomes a true example of levelling up."

Learn more about:

• Why sustainable is not always enough
• Unlocking deep geothermal energy
• Going local with power production
• Supply-chain integrity tracking

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The jury is still out to determine the leading forces in web3, and Europe’s decentralised decision-making could well play in its favour, ZadakBar said.

“This is not like a situation where we think that we already won, or we’re gonna lose that for sure,” he said.

The European Web3 Organization was founded in November 2022, and the first response has been overwhelmingly positive, ZadakBar said.

“We’ve been talking to close to 200 companies, whoever we talked to, they were just like, oh my god, this is exactly what we feel that was needed. How can I be part of it?” he said.

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“In the short term, our vision or mission is to create a lifestyle that is truly human-centred, nature-focused, and of course, sustainable,” Scherb said. 

“So in a matter of two or three generations, people won’t have to have conversations like the ones we have today: How do we become sustainable? What it is to be sustainable? What’s the 1.5 lifestyle?” 

Learn more about:

• How the first sustainable city is being born
• What are the next countries after Chile?
• Process of permits and studies to build a town from scratch
• Role of web3 in building a new tow
• Where will the people come from?
• 
  

“The critical aspect of building the city is not building the city, but building the community. And that is really hard and exciting because nobody has the answer. And it’s not like somebody’s trying to be the cowboy and save the day. Because there is no cowboy for this one,” Scherb said.

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“I’m not too worried, not too worried at all, even though I work in this space. I’ve seen, and I’ve lived through, at least three or four of these upswings and downturns. Every time in the downturn, the price is the same or higher than the previous high of the previous cycle,” Kamani said.

“There is one thing that is very different that has happened this time, that has never happened before -- in all previous downturns, the number of developers building in this space would reduce. In this downturn, the number of developers building in this space went up. That was very interesting that it had a critical mass in the number of people creating solutions, and it has gone up significantly,” he said.

Cookbook aggregates and indexes smart contracts, providing building blocks for anything in Web3 using technologies developers are familiar with.

"Say someone wants to create their own token or a voting DAO, or any type of NFT, they can source a template and just copy from that and deploy in a few seconds instead of spending weeks," said Kamani, who also hosts “Web3 with Sam Kamani” podcast.

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“A beach token is a currency which internalizes the health of the planet into every single transaction,” Cobbold said. Most of every transaction cost goes to funding ocean regeneration and climate action.

Learn more about:

• how to replace Visa and Mastercard in every transaction
• how to earn BEACH tokens
• does the creator of money worry over the exchange rate
• challenges of being a cryptocurrency

“The fact that we’re crypto is more or less irrelevant. We’re just a currency. We’re just another type of money in that same way. It’s all about creating opportunities for people to earn and spend the currency like you’d earn and spend any other currency,” Cobbold said.

“It’s a long journey to gain generalized adoption of a new currency, right? So we have to be honest about how tall the mountain is here.”

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"The future of organisations is digital - we have seen that in Estonia, but the rest of the world is not yet there," said Astra Tikas.

Internet Native Organisation said it seeks to bring tools and solutions of DAOs to the mainstream, starting from Estonia., where it holds its first DAO Day on March 28.

“Our vision is to help Estonia become the first country in Europe to offer legal entity status for DAOs,” said Polina Brottier.

Learn more about:

• What makes DAOs special
• What benefits blockchain brings to organisations
• How could the proliferation of DAOs impact charity
• Is democracy an example of DAO or vice versa

“DAO is an example of democracy, and DAO is what is bringing democracy to everything, not just to the government. It’s transparent and truly decentralised or neutral because the base, the technology, is allowing it,” said Javier Ortin. “Blockchain technology offers a transparent, neutral way for governments.”

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“It’s a vehicle to bypass traditional capital market failures or inefficiencies to reach the corners of the world that struggle to access funding and deploy more renewable energy,” said Chief Executive Brianna Welsh.

“I see legacy market providers shifting into blockchain quite quickly because they recognize this opportunity with the technology architecture that blockchain enables,” Welsh said.

Reneum promises to revolutionize legacy markets for renewable energy certificates, which are based on anachronistic models that render them inefficient, undersupplied, and unfit for purpose. 

Reneum’s blockchain-based marketplace leverages a digitally-native token instrument instead of a paper-based certificate to provide capital to pre-approved renewable projects. Buyers retire these certificates by burning the tokens and receive Eisbaer NFTs containing provenance data to show they’ve greened their energy footprint.

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"It’s nearly impossible to play catch up on an increasingly flowing faucet of trash. We, obviously, need to try to get out what’s already in there. But the greater avenues of change and impact will come from addressing it on the front end, stopping it from reaching the ocean or even being produced," Felts said.

Learn more about:

• how did steel moulds for surfboards work
• are there venture-backed surfboards
• dream jobs at drop-testing 
• new products for e-commerce

In February 2023, Cruz Foam launched a range of packaging products, from its compostable foam to replace plastic bubble wraps, and partnered with Atlantic Packaging to sell the packages.

“When we looked at the opportunity here, the e-commerce space is just exploding,” Felts said.

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The consumption of plastic water bottles has increased over the last few years, when knowledge of the health problems of bottled water and knowledge of plastic waste has increased. 

“Bottled water consumption has continued to increase, which is crazy. It’s crazy, like with all the media we’re getting, with everything we’re getting told about how bad plastic pollution is and how bad it is. People just buy more," Jern said.

Learn more about:

• how to change consumers' behavior
• why do people like to carry tons of water to the fifth floor
• how much does the average consumer spend on bottled water
• how space technology cleans water
• breakthroughs in expanding tap filters offering

“In a nutshell, bottled water is really bad for the planet and just completely unnecessary,” Jern said.

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“We take a grassroots approach to climate action -- we want more people involved in investing and innovating in this space,” Hochstrasser said.

Millennials’ interest in sustainable investment has continued to increase in the United States despite COVID and reached 99% in a recent Morgan Stanley survey.

“They want real, sustainable investment options that aren’t some greenwash version of the same public equities that their parents had traded. That makes me hopeful: there’s capital going into the hands of younger generations that want to put that capital to work to create an inclusive and accelerated clean energy transition,” Hochstrasser said.

Learn more about:

• the largest wealth transfer in the United States
• Impacts of the new U.S. legislation
• younger investors interested in green investing
• the upcoming launch of Raise Green crowdfunding
• Raise Green’s growth plans to 2025

The equity crowdfunding platform will launch this week its own crowdfunding campaign to tap into the growing demand.

“There are more than 10,000 cities and towns across the US, and every one of them needs 10 or 20, or 100 distributed energy resources installed between now and the next seven years to get to 100% clean energy by 2035,” Hochstrasser said.

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“Part of our goal is to make you feel you have the power; this is democratized. You have accessibility, and your money is doing something good and helping make this change. So more of these coalitions are indeed popping up," Jimenez said.

Learn more about:

• how investors push change in behemoths like Unilever, Nestle
• benefits of investing through exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
• why Grünfin focuses on Paris Agreement 

“In the New World, activism needs to think about a lot more broadly than just shareholders and think about consumers, employees, the supply chain, what governments are saying, and all that kind of stuff,” Jimenez said.

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“There is no waste in nature - that’s a manmade construct. And so, looking for solutions in nature to solve these problems is critical to how we battle this climate change,” Rodriguez said.

Learn more about:

• Where mushrooms and cannabis meet
• The opportunities of biomimicry
• The beginning of the mycelium rush

In the United States alone, 660 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste is added to landfills annually. That’s twice the amount of municipal solid waste, she said.

“I see us as the only ones doing this with the nature-backed solution. We are seeing others work in recycling construction and demolition debris or hard-to-recycle industrial waste streams. That’s usually coming through chemical recycling,” Rodriguez said.

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“We have an opportunity to upgrade plants and give them more resilience without a lot of investment in capex which is quite rare when you fight climate. Usually, you fight climate with capex,” Borenstein said.

For many listeners, this surely raises ethical concerns, but Borenstein said the company works outside the GMO sphere. “We are only cutting a certain area in the DNA. So we don’t introduce any foreign DNA,” Borenstein said.

Learn more about:

• How to tweak photosynthesis 
• Which crops ClimateCrop can fix? 
• Which are the first in line? 

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“What we’ve done by mixing cellulose with regular plastic in a way that is inexpensive to accomplish is that we’ve created a replacement for durable plastics that cost less than the original plastic while cutting the carbon footprint in half,” Blum said.

Learn more about:

• Details of one of the weirdest founding stories
• Why is the adoption of bioplastics limited so far?
• How to scale material innovation globally fast 
• Should you be proud when you staff $3 a day?

Applied Bioplastics team of 20 has so far raised $1.2 million and seeks to raise a further $1.24 million. You can check their campaign on Raise Green platform through this LINK.

Blum’s “Blossoms From Ash” documentary about the Rohingya genocide won several awards and is available on Amazon.

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Nations agreed to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 and to protect vital ecosystems such as rainforests and wetlands and the rights of indigenous peoples. The Montreal Summit was seen as a last chance for nature’s biodiversity.

“We have this global agreement that this is the thing - biodiversity needs to be protected. And action needs to be taken on this,” Merit Valdsalu, chief executive and co-founder of Estonian greentech startup Single.Earth, said in the podcast.

“As a startup founder, it is now, I think, the craziest time where we can say that the United Nations just validated our utopian startup idea,” she said.

Single.Earth is building a nature-backed currency of the future, minted from nature’s work in keeping our planet livable.

The Montreal agreement can change the world for the better, said Katherine von Stackelberg, a scientist working at Harvard and Single.Earth.

“Everyone agrees we want to be nature positive. Make disclosures mandatory piece; everyone’s moving in the right direction. But again, the devil is in the details,” said von Stackelberg.

“There’s still this idea: we’re going to get nature into the economic system instead of thinking, how can we make the economic system more like nature? Because that’s not that difficult. If you’re going to be successful, you have to commit to something like a nature-backed currency. Nature is the only asset that has any value fundamentally and from which all else comes.”

Von Stackelberg and Valdsalu said Single.Earth has the solution ready for turning the UN’s biodiversity targets into tangible actions.

“The crazy utopian idea that we had - we have this, it’s working, we are creating a new currency based on nature; we have the first tokens dispersed, many tokens minted, it’s there, it can be used. It’s no longer about whether we are going to become nature-positive or net zero by 2030. We can do that today,” Valdsalu said.

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We talked first with Josh Ziegelbaum from Miami-based private equity firm and asset manager Legacy Group, the key investor behind Green Coffee Company, the largest coffee producer in Colombia, which it built from the ground up starting in 2017.

The Green Coffee Company is raising $100 million to expand its offering into roasting and distilling spirits from coffee waste.

Learn more about:

• How to build a coffee unicorn in 10 years
• The opportunity to use the coffee industry leftovers
• How to change the industry’s social, and environmental standards
• Innovator’s dilemma in an old industry

Later, we talked with Miroslav Kovac from Coffee Cloud in Croatia. He has turned the startup, which was born as a hardware company, into a data analytics firm for the coffee industry to reduce waste and slack from the process.

“It’s not easy to go to the coffee virtually. In some countries, it’s not always takeaway coffee. Coffee is a social situation. Let’s say in the Balkans, where people are sitting and having coffee, it’s some kind of state of mind to sit and join the coffee for one or two hours and talk about everything,” Kovac said.

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“We’re a few years off from that because we haven’t done the homework yet. We haven’t shock-absorbed the need for culture to absorb the new metrics of what’s important in the world,” Vincent said.

James Vincent worked as a brand agency executive with Steve Jobs for 11 years through the launches of iPod, iTunes, iPhone and iPad, before launching FNDR in 2017.

Learn more about:

• Essentials of starting your brand development
• Why do electric airplanes need fuel engines?
• Why a typical AirBNB review is so positive
• Why the iPhone is called iPhone

At Slush 2022, FNDR launched its first investment fund, but Vincent stressed the company was not a VC firm.

“We take founders through our processes to pull the genius out of the founder. So we think the founders often almost always have the genius somewhere, they’re just not quite saying it right, or they’re not segmenting it or sequencing it correctly,” Vincent said.

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“We’re getting to the point right now where distributed energy is starting to displace coal and gas - that’s going to be sort of a choppy road over the next decade or two,” Hade said. 

“Our current energy infrastructure has way too many single points of failure. We need to figure out a way to make it more reliable and more resilient in the face of ever-changing climate catastrophes,” Hade said.

“On-site solar generation and batteries can provide 80% of the facility’s power need today. And then figuring out the other 20% is where we spend a lot of engineering R&D time, trying to figure out how to get a zero or low-carbon solution.”

Learn more about:

• Innovations unleashing distributed energy production
• Challenges of hydrogen distribution
• The continuing surge in distributed energy production in the U.S.
• Fast-evolving battery technologies

“When you look at the ramp rate when it comes to battery technology, we’re accomplishing a lot of things in months that people thought would take decades,” Hade said.

“We’re experimenting with all sorts of cool technologies in that space, different battery chemistries, and longer-duration storage, as well as alternative sustainable fuels like green hydrogen, is an example."

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“There’s a massive gap at the end of the consumer lifecycle that holds circularity,” Macleod said.

Learn more about:

• Solutions for better off-boarding experiences
• Concept of Death and the world’s largest graveyard
• Business opportunities around death
• When will Facebook have more dead customers than live ones

Joe Macleod is the author of:

Ends.: Why we overlook endings for humans, products, services and digital. And why we shouldn’t

Endineering: Designing consumption lifecycles that end as well as they begin

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“Either we pull it off and succeed or pretty much we all effing die and go to war, and the world goes to absolute s-h-i-t. So what would you rather bet on? Would you rather bet on humanity being creative, coming up with solutions, and doing the hard thing? Or would you rather bet against humanity?”

“Will we stop climate change? No. Will we fight climate change and try to make the best of worlds that we can and still have something livable? Yes,” Ward said. “My goal with this is, I’m going to make as big of a dent as I can. Whether that is enough or not, I don’t know. But I’m going to aim towards it being enough and being positive on a climate from a world perspective.” 

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“If you look at the world at large, we are moving in the wrong direction. Almost every possible environment indicator is pointing downwards, not upwards. So I’m not happy. I am quite pessimistic,” Wijkman said in the episode recorded at the GreenEST Summit in Tallinn.

Learn more about:

• The Limits of Growth: looking back at the 1972 report
• What kind of carrots do European farmers need for change?
• How to change course for the world’s energy systems

”If you look at history, major transformations were always happening in the context of crises, wars, pandemics. We are not good at changing course, we are resistant to change as long as we think life is relatively good,” Wijkman said.

Anders Wijkman is a former Member of the European Parliament, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN, and Policy Director of UNDP, among many other climate-linked tasks over his long career.

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He said the five stages of climate anxiety are similar to the five stages of grief.

"A lot of people are stuck in denial, especially in America, right? People are just: I don’t want to hear about it. There is nothing going on. I can continue business as usual. Everything is fine. The world isn’t burning, the world isn’t dying, and the world isn’t crashing,” he said.

“My goal is to bring as many people as I can through these stages to acceptance, so they can restart with action. If we don’t go through all of these stages, from denial to anger to bargaining, depression, and acceptance, we don’t go into action,” Weizman said.

Learn more about:

• How to travel to COP27, and what to expect
• Language requirements for Firstime investments
• Beehero's unique insight into hives
• How First Airborne drones inspect wind farms autonomously

Recommended documentaries:

•  David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
• John Chester: The Biggest Little Farm

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The 2018-founded Dutch startup Meatable - one of the frontrunners in the new field of cultivated meat - has raised $60 million so far. It aims to sell its first lab-grown meats to consumers in 2024-2025.

“We replicate what nature is doing without the entire animal attached to it. So we give the cells food, what they usually would consume if it were still attached to the animal. So these are sugars, proteins, and salts,” Luining said.

While there are still some two years to industrial production, the founders gave tasted the first results of their work.

“It almost brought me to tears. It was a huge moment for me. Huge,” Luining remembered the first bite of Meatable’s cultivated meat.

“Every time, it’s flabbergasting.”

Learn more about:

• Why Singapore first?
• Vegan meat vs. no-cruelty meat
• Is there a difference in taste?
• Early signs of recovery in the investment market

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“Unfortunately, our leaders, political leaders, are too short-sighted. They’re just responding to this crisis as they responded to COVID. As they will respond to the next crisis, I think it would be a great moment to pause, reflect, and then choose the course - to be a bit more visionary looking 10, 15, 20 years out, now is an opportunity to do it. Unfortunately, they’re just losing this opportunity,” he said. 

Learn more about:

• How to move to Capitalism 2.0
• Is the carbon price too low?
• When will people wake up?
• investing in heat pumps, geothermal, and hydrogen
• how to manage graveyards of wind turbine blades
• 
  

Climentum launched in July 2022 a 150 million euro fund for investments in climate startups. It has invested in Continuum and one.five so far. 

You can hear more of Berno in his Climate Insiders podcast.

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“We believe that the next frontier or the code that we have to crack now is in the major global industries, where we know that there are huge challenges,” she said. 

“We’re not at all shy of going into those industries and supporting companies that contribute to transforming those industries.” 

Learn more about:

• Doing good: with the product or corporate functions?
• Robots collecting seashells
• The future role of ESG
• Challenges of launching a high-yield impact fund
• 
  

“The first principle that we always look for is what we call product-driven impact. So we will not focus so much on how a company is run or the operations of a company, which would be more typical for the ESG approach - we will really look at the core products of the company, the way the company makes money, and whether that can contribute to one of the Sustainable Development Goals," de Perlinghi said.

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“The goal is to significantly increase this over the coming years,” Heitmann said. “In our world, the current situation is an acceleration. And we see more interest than before.”

Berlin-headquartered Extantia Capital invests primarily in startups developing technology for renewable baseload power sources or carbon capture.

Learn more about:

• Conviction and frustration behind founding Extantia
• Why energy is crucial for climate change
• Will nuclear/fusion solve climate change
• Why carbon is in focus for the fund 

“At the end of the day, CO2 is a molecule. We cannot blockchain it away,” Heitmann said.

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"The product is identical to what the cow is producing," Sheriff Will Van den Tweel said in an interview on the sidelines of the Startup Day Festival in Tartu, Estonia.

Those Vegan Cowboys is a Dutch-founded Belgian startup where some 25 people are working on replacing cows in the dairy industry. The company's founders sold their previous startup Vegetarian Butcher to Unilever in 2018. 

Learn more about:

• How a farmer and a politician founded the two companies
• Can cowboys switch to farming herbs?
• How can cheese be like cheese when the cow is removed from the production 
• How much of the milk is replaced by plant-based alternatives already
• When will they launch?

"We, as people, need to have some pain to change. And I think if you also look at what is happening in the environment, you ask yourself - going further like we are doing now probably doesn't make it easier for children, and we need some changes. And that's what we want to contribute to," Van den Tweel said.

"There are a lot of investments going into this area and also venture capital going into these types of businesses," he said.

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"When there is an economic downturn, investors typically take a flight to safety. So the more you look ... like a brick of gold to an investor, that is, a stable store of value that is not going to be hugely volatile, the more they will actually flock to you," she said.

At One Ventures is backing early-stage disruptive deep tech companies that have the potential to upend the unit economics of established industries while dramatically reducing their footprint on the planet or pioneering industries that are actively regenerative. Since its 2020 launch, the firm has made 28 investments.

Learn more about:

• How dying Hawai coral reef created the fund
• How startups could revamp old, massive industries
• Cows methane emissions
• When will carbon capture become interesting for investing

"Carbon is important. It's also not the only variable in a very complex equation of fixing all the problems the planet has right now," Lin said.

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Learn more about:

• How fast is too fast scaling? Should you build a plane while flying or before taking off?
• How investors should separate good and bad cash burn
• Is 2 million profit per year enough for a startup?
• Growing from founder to leader: when to leave decisions to staff?
• Why Netflix startup series Kings of Stonk is worth watching
• The secret sauce of writing a bestseller

Patrick's next books, The Leadership House and Leading Effectively, are due later in 2022.

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"Those digital companies were made 10 years ago, 15 years ago, or even longer. I think there are quite a few in the making at this very moment," said Risku.

The 2012-founded Butterfly Ventures unveiled in the summer of 2022 a new 100 million euro seed entry capital fund, which focuses on science-based deep tech and hardware startups in the Nordics and Baltics, focusing on megatrends like climate change and the ageing population.

Learn more about:

• Why over 20 multiples are more likely among deep-tech startups
• The critical factor in the VC-entrepreneur relationship
• How to raise a fund through COVID and war
• Impact of Santa on innovation in Finland

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"Definitely there are areas that are getting a lot of investments, although there maybe doesn't need to be that many solutions in the end," she said. 

OpenOcean was founded in 2009 by the founders and early investors of database firm MySQL. Sun bought MySQL for $1 billion in 2008, just before Oracle acquired Sun in January 2010. 

Learn more about:

* When should software startups start to think about their emissions and ESG

* How should startups survive 2022 

* Why it matters if trees grow 20 years longer in forests 

 * Log rolling

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The 2012-founded SWG has invested in around 300 startups over the years. Bauchau said the accelerator-investor, which boasts an 80% survival rate, will start a new sustainability program in October 2022 in Copenhagen.

Learn about:

• Why Denmark is home to SWG Sustainability program
• Why do carbon investors focus on food? 
• How can 80% of early-stage startup investments survive?
• How to apply for SWG Sustainability program 

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki is talking with investors about the vision of the new green world.

**

A few key takeaways from Max Bauchau:

**

Food and agriculture …. represent, according to different studies, around 24-25% of all CO2 emissions in the world. So this is a segment that needs to be tackled, that needs to be worked on. 

**

We believe that Denmark is a fantastic sandbox for those kinds of companies. We have some very large companies active in Denmark's agriculture and food. And therefore creating innovation can really be a great sandbox for those companies to create to partner with those larger companies, and to really figure out what's the best way to approach this or this client, and how to create a sustainable solution that really has an impact on the world.

**

It is no surprise that Scandinavia is one step ahead of the rest of the world regarding sustainability. So a lot of the mentalities are already changed here. Investment is going towards sustainability; it is going towards impact startups.

**

Ideally, we have companies with small recurring revenues, so there is validation from the market. And we are also looking for great teams. That is, again, a very important factor. We could invest in pre-revenue businesses. That is fine, too, if we strongly believe in the team.

**

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When IP Group launched Kiko Ventures, it said it plans to invest $240 million in climate tech startups over the next five years.

Learn about:

• focus areas of the fund
• benefits of evergreen fund structure vs VC funds
• lubrication-as-a-service
• a triple whammy for a climate tech investor

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

**

A few key takeaways from Arne Morteani::

**

There's lots of stuff that needs to happen, from carbon capture to next-generation solar, you name it. And all of these things need investors that are patient and can be there for the whole ride. All things equal, every entrepreneur should want full lifecycle investors that you can be with an evergreen structure. 

It allows you to invest without doubt of running out of time and money in the way you would be doing within the traditional fund. And without this 10-year fixed mandate investment mandate that you would have in a traditional fund, you get an enormous amount of flexibility. 

**

We just invested in what really is rocket science as far as heat pumps go. I mean, it literally is rocket science.

**

Cleantech, in many ways, is much more diverse and much more generalist than the actual generalist funds. And so a strategy where you just do everything a little bit, but focusing on stage isn't a logical strategy. 

So we want to flip it on its head and say we're thematically focused first, and stage second.

**

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Learn about:

• the first over-the-counter deals
• upcoming consumer-launch
• the impact of crypto-winter 
• how to grow a team 10-fold in half a year
• is there an ICO coming?

**

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

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Learn more about the impact of market turmoil on startup investments and about the unique roots of sports and regional policies on the back of Futury. We had a rare chance to speak also about football in this episode!

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

**

A few key takeaways from Shahin Dashti:

**

It's happening anyway if we want it or not because those are the laws of the market. Often sustainability is not only about the business model, which is sustainable for the planet, but also the sustainable business model itself. And that it's not only dependent on short-term trends but can last for a long time.

**

If you look at how many funds have been raised in the last years or months, this money has to be deployed contractually. So it means those fund managers, in the end, have to make the investments. There is no alternative to that other than giving the money back to the investors like the LPs, which I think will not happen that likely. So they have to make investments.

**

You could argue that now there's some headwind on the fundraising market. But as I said, I see this as an opportunity. And it means that all the good ones will survive.

**

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Learn more about family offices and what makes investment firms of family wealth different from venture capitalist investors from the episode recorded on the sidelines of the TechChill conference in Riga.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

**

A few key takeaways from Alex Felman:

**

I believe that most companies moving forward will have to be very impact- or environmentally-oriented with how they do business. 

**

For example, we tend to invest to exit. And, I mean, that could be five years, it can be 15 years, it could be 20 years.

Generally speaking, you probably want to have an investor who, once they're on the ride, is there until the ride runs out. It's probably an investor you want. 

**

Looking at more environmental sustainability issues, we are actually looking at problems of these longer timeframes that may not fit into a more standard kind of VC timeframe. 

**

If you're only trying to optimize for financial gain, it puts a very narrow perspective on your investment space. But suppose you're maximizing for other things or multiple things. In that case, it gives you much more flexibility to consider investment opportunities that you wouldn't consider otherwise. 

**

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London-headquartered Bethnal Green Ventures has invested for 10 years in #TechForGood companies like Fairphone and over 100 other firms.

Learn more about open opportunities in the climate tech sector from the episode recorded on the sidelines of the Latitude59 conference in Tallinn.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

**

A few key takeaways from Dama Sathianathan:

**

I would love to see more (startups) around climate mitigation, like how do we think about disaster risk reduction in zones prone to natural disasters?

I'd love to see more climate mitigation products and services.

**

The number of times I see carbon offsetting platforms or ESG data platforms, I'm like, Okay, now calm down. We have seen 100 over the past year. Perhaps there is something else that needs addressing and looking into.

What are some of the needs we need to solve? There are loads around sort of conservation, biodiversity, even more, sustainable farming and agriculture practices, looking into increasing the security of our supply chains, when it comes to food supply chains, there are loads and loads of opportunities in this space.

**

There are so many amazing ideas out there. You just need to look. Go and find them.

**

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London-headquartered Giant Ventures has invested in some 20 companies and plans to invest a billion dollars over 2020s. It had just started to raise its second fund when we recorded the podcast in late May 2022.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

**

A few key takeaways from Madelene Larsson:

**

Of course, it was a better environment to raise the fund before we saw the market pullback that we're currently seeing. We're not going to shy away from that. But we do hope there is fundamental support for purpose-led technology and climate tech. Right. So we are kind of progressing well with our fundraising.

**

I think this was sure increasing focus on the sector. And when investors start to focus on the sector, you also kind of automatically see more startups in the space, and, you know, people are coming up with new ideas because they see that the funding is there.

**

I think climate tech is quite a hot space at the moment. And there's for sure, you know, a lot of capital following that sector. So you see a fair amount of startups trying to greenify, if you will, are trying to be maybe more climate-friendly than they are.

**

I think there are some big opportunities to be had in-home electrification and kind of EV enablement. As I mentioned, I think consumers will be pushed to kind of going green, and they will be more affordable going green than it kind of has ever done before.

**

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London-headquartered Outsized Ventures is a 2021-founded deep tech investment firm that invests in Seed+ rounds in founders that are going to have a big impact on the world for the better.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

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A few key takeaways from Isabel Fox:

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I think people want to do stuff that's going to have a purpose and an impact. So you're finding more and more great talent wanting to address some of the world's greatest challenges.

The first thing you'll see is more founders wanting to find solutions to our problems. So we definitely see an increase in fabulous people trying to work through whether that's carbon counting, whether it's sustainability projects, which they think can get off the ground. 

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I still think more money will come into the area. It sort of leads with the quality of the founders and the ideas, and what they're trying to build, and the money will be there for great founders, as you know, and I think that's starting to happen. But we need to obviously speed up what we're doing in order to save our planet.

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You definitely hear from corporates that they're looking at it. But I don't think many of them actually even have a strategy. They're working through the plans with the consultants, and when you start to look at the costs of going carbon neutral by 2030, they've got to make a significant investment to get there. Of which I see sort of the start, but I'm probably like you: I'm not seeing them make that full, big commitment of quite a few 100 million, in some cases to sort of drive that. So I think, I think it will be right, I think there'll be panic right at the end. And people then want to sort of see how they can get out of it, rather than necessarily fulfill that obligation.

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So my advice to founders has been: to watch the cash burn, get prudent on that, and try to increase your runway to 36 months. So you have the luxury of time, and hopefully, the world may have stabilized sooner than we think. 

I think being tight, and being focused is not a bad thing. I always think that it's about being savvy, it's about being prudent and nimble. 

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I think the stuff that we're backing and the stuff that you like are big plays that have a huge impact on the future of society. That's not going to change much. For me, actually, in deep tech, I think it's a great time to be investing. We still got the problems in the world; we still need to solve them. And these opportunities are so huge that even if we have a bad two-year period now in the macro economy, they're going to come through the other side, very, very strong.

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Inventure is a Helsinki-headquartered seed-stage investor, known for its investments in companies like Wolt and Swappie.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

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A few key takeaways from Tuomas Kosonen:

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We are not an impact investor. We are a pure financial investor, but in the past years, all ESG-related topics have raised their meaning, coming from all also from the portfolio and from LPs. We have to be very aware of all these topics.

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That's something that is like super important on the agenda of pension funds, insurance companies, and public money. And, of course, it is super nice to see what kind of impact money can make. So if the big money or institutional investors would not care for it, most of the investors, at least, wouldn't put that much effort into that one. But actually, you might not even qualify for the money, like the LP commitment, if you're not part of that.

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Especially what we have done in the past is on new materials, so like, plastic replacement, or like carbon nanotubes. That's something that has a huge environmental impact. So that's something we are now looking for in the coming two years. 

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Food-related companies will have a direct impact line quite fast, much faster, some material technologies. And then the food, I guess, is superheated as well. Yes, and we have looked at meat replacement companies; unfortunately not invested single one of them yet. There have been some quite interesting ones.

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"And now we're seeing it, and it's just incredible. They just do better, they're more resilient, their customers are more engaged, and their teams are more engaged," he said.

World Fund is a 350-million euros climate-focused VC, which has unveiled seven investments so far, including Treecard, Juicy Marbles, QOA and Space Forge.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

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A few key takeaways from Alexis Caporale:

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The companies that will deliver the highest climate impact will also be the ones delivering the highest financial impact - that was the founding thesis of the fund. And now we're seeing it, and it's just incredible. They just do better, they're more resilient, their customers are more engaged, and their teams are more engaged. I mean, talent is probably one of the most complicated things that a company faces when they need to scale and purpose mission-driven founders are able to attract better talent, and for that, they remain in the company. 

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We see that those companies which focus on the energy transition, so basically, electrification and beyond, are getting lots of inbound from the market because everyone is trying to understand how to stop depending on Russian commodities. So for those companies focusing on electrification, there are more opportunities, but you have to you also have to be very careful because some of these opportunities can be just short-lived.

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Everyone is gonna be tweeting about the economy, VCs, and how valuations were crazy, and how we're never gonna do that again.

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For Barcelona, climate tech is really, really, really moving a lot. Spain has some characteristics in some industries, like food, for example, or agriculture. 

There are lots of things going on in Barcelona; you will see Barcelona becoming a hub for climate tech. Sooner rather than later.

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Check out the following Barcelona-based climate tech startups: Wallbox, Heura, Submer, FlexiDao, Holaluz.com and TAPP Water.

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The VC firm was born out of Norrsken Foundation – a non-profit foundation founded in 2016 by Niklas Adalberth, co-founder of Klarna - with the belief that entrepreneurs building rapidly scalable businesses are our best bet to solving the hardest and biggest problems of our time.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

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A few key takeaways from Agate S. Freimane:

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"Why we coined the term unicorn was because it was so rare. And these days, it's not that rare anymore. The bar has lowered, though, I think, impact unicorn is still pretty rare ... it's a really high bar."

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"Even if you have a very deep, meaningful impact, if you don't have a strong business model, you're not able to attract capital - you're not able to grow. So hence, you don't really scale your impact."

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"Maybe someone says that there are just not enough startups in this space. It's also because a lot of entrepreneurs thought that there's no point starting these businesses, that there is no capital, and it's kind of what comes first, you know, exactly the chicken or egg. Do the startups come first or capital? Maybe at the moment, there is a lot of capital, but that's just going to inspire more entrepreneurs to dare to actually start businesses in these sectors."

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"I think Europe is at the forefront of the climate tech movement globally. What I see right now is that Europe is at the forefront of the public sector and the regulatory environment for taxonomy. And so we see in Europe, more so than anywhere else in the world regulation pushing big old school businesses on the path of sustainability. But the reality is that a lot of these businesses don't have the tools to achieve this. And then, it's up to the startups to fill that gap to enable the industries to shift."

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Vienna-headquartered Speedinvest has invested in some 250 companies, including 20 investments in climate tech startups. The firm manages assets of about half a billion euros.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

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A few key takeaways from Andreas Schwarzenbrunner:

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"I think there's a gap between the software digital-focused climate tech companies versus ones that are really into more development of new ideas, R&D, infrastructure, and hardware."

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"I think there the investor scene needs to adapt because if you're serious about climate tech, and if you are serious about decarbonization, and reducing emissions, the investor scene, including us, has to realize that there is no way around hardware.

At the end of the day, if you really look at the hard problems in climate tech, there are so many things that can't be solved otherwise. It's about reducing emissions when you use concrete and steel; it's about new ways of electrified mobility and charging infrastructure.

If you look at energy storage and hydrogen solutions, there's no way around building storage facilities and all those things. Investors need to adapt and realize that if you're serious about it, you have to tackle these problems."

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"We also see that this climate tech is basically a maturing asset class ... you can see the rise of investors in climate tech, money that goes into that space. And for us, we also want to double down on this, and we want to continue to invest and even invest more in climate tech companies over the years to come."

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In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

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A few key takeaways from Michael Langguth:

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"There are still a lot of climate tech startup investors that will only invest in software. And I think that's, that's a bit of a fallacy. You can't; you can't be a climate VC and just invest in software; you have to do some of the hard problems, as well."

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"If you think of the math, it's not possible for us to sequester so much carbon through nature-based solutions, or things like direct air capture, that we don't have to reduce the other bits. The truth is, we're not going to be able to do this. There are a lot of very hard-to-decarbonize sectors, like concrete, steel production, and others."

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"The other big thing is that we will be launching a Berlin cohort next year, we do see some inertia in European or EU-based founders coming to the UK, or generally, it's, I guess, some people want to start a business where they are. So we're coming to Berlin, to where we see a huge potential in terms of the number of people wanting to work on climate solutions."

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Sternfeld was the founder of climate data startup PlanetOS, bought by Intertrust in 2017.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

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A few key takeaways from Rainer Sternfeld:

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"I am still very optimistic that Europe is still the best place for cleantech, Europe is still the best place to talk about clean energy, and we can figure it out rather easily. We don't have that many disagreements as maybe in other sectors, and we can afford it."

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"You have a massive amount of energy going towards moving atoms, as we say, at Nordic Ninja. That 'moving atoms' means moving people, moving goods. And so when you move atoms, we have, by the way, I think about 40% of the capital allocated in our fund so far into reducing the amount of energy that is spent moving atoms or, or getting rid of moving atoms altogether, like in the case of Veriff, which is an exception." 

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"I don't eat meat, but I know that obviously, a lot of people eat meat, and they will be eating meat in the next decades to come, even though that is going to be reduced, reducing in terms of percentage share, they still will do that. So if we are going to have people eating meat, it should be done as efficiently as possible. Like, what if there was a way to reduce methane emissions of cows, like 80%?

Of course, I would support doing that even though I don't eat meat, right? It's still a net impact."

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In the podcast interview, Sepúlveda Schulz also outlined the 12 questions startups have to answer to raise venture capital.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. 

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A few key takeaways from Rodrigo Sepúlveda Schulz:

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"There are a number of new funds coming up, focusing exclusively on Climate Technologies. It has a number of challenges, but it has to be done. First is the 10-year timeframe for a fund to return the money is maybe too short for those guys; maybe we need to go to a 15-year timeframe."

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"What do you do with all the old equipment? Do you throw it away or just reuse it? I repair most of my stuff. And if something's I don't buy new stuff, you know, I love brands such as Patagonia, which you could go and take your jacket repaired for the rest of your life. We just need to be more conscious of what we do in our choices. I think the younger generation gets it, but it might be too late for them."

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"In my personal time, I spend a lot of time with wine. So people think it's like a funky hobby, but in wine, we've seen in the past 10, 15 years, harvests happening two to four weeks earlier than they used to historically. It's not a joke. When Donald Trump says global warming is a joke, it's not a joke."

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Change Ventures has raised two funds totaling around 50 million euros, and its investments include companies like Veriff and Printify.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

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A few key takeaways from Yrjö Ojasaar:

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"There's been overall world trend where we have externalized the environmental issue, to where we don't take into account, what is the effect, the long term effect on society on carbon on availability of materials on prices on any of that. It's sort of been accepted as well, that we'll put that down for a zero. And that's why virgin materials ... has been price competitive, we have now realized that the cost is not zero."

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"We've been really hooked on this cheap energy, but it's been like getting energy from coffee. Instead of sleeping, exercising and eating well, I'll just have one more espresso. One more espresso. You get this quick boost. And then you need another quick boost, and you need another quick boost. But how long can you keep going without changing the fundamentals?"

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"I think solar, wind, those technologies are going to have a much faster rollout, and more energy, more investment, more attention dedicated to them. And they're going to be much faster in scaling. So there are going to be positive impacts in the long run. And, of course, with electric vehicles and alternative energy vehicles, and even, you know, cold fusion and things like that. They're all going to get a boost from trying to unhook ourselves from the traditional petrochemical type of industry."

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Malmö-headquartered Pale Blue Dot raised 2021 a fund of 87 million euros for investments in climate-focused startups.

In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.

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A few key takeaways from Hampus Jakobsson:

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"I would love governments to say: you have to solve this problem. And we have to decide how hard that solving is. And if you haven't done it, if you're the CEO of an oil company, you will go to jail in 2030. But we're going to be super nice. We're not going to throw you to jail now, 2022. So we're just gonna say for the coming years, there are fines, and the fines are going to increase in the scale, but in 2030 you will go to jail. So you go to jail, your biggest shareholders go to jail, your board goes to jail."

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"I always try to tell people that for me, the climate - we have to start looking at it like, like child pornography, paedophilia, or child labour or something. If somebody comes to you and says, Hey, I'm going to pitch you this great idea: it's a carpet factory I'm running in Bangladesh, and I'm giving all the kids mittens, and now it's great because they don't hurt their fingers so much anymore. And it's really interesting because they actually can work slightly longer. So we get more revenue out of it, but it's like a double bottom line ... more profitable, but also actually better for the kids. We all would be like, can you go? Can you please leave this room? I don't want to ever talk to you again, you're a horrible person, I'm going to call the police now."

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"I think you can actually say we want this change faster. And you can say, we will go from fines to jail on some of these things, and I think that the third one is on people and culture, we can just say we don't accept mittens on child laborers."

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"I think that that's the way we should approach some of these problems, saying no, no, no, no, I'm not after that best child labour camp. I'm after no child labour. And I think that that's a requirement you can actually ask."

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