In this new monthly series, we will be doing a weekly feature of incredible ClimateTech Startups, companies, or projects that are leading the fight against the Climate Crisis.
We will be presenting 1 company from each of the 5 predefined main industry categories such as; EDUTECH, FINTECH, GREENTECH (including Energy and Transportation), FOOD & AG TECH, and CONSTRUTECH.
It will give you an opportunity to better understand the problem(s) they solve, the impact they are looking to have in the climate fight, and how you can potentially help them.
This initiative from Startup Basecamp aims to support founders by giving them access to networking and exposure opportunities that help them to scale and finance their Climate Tech solutions together with you.
Do not hesitate to join our collective movement by requesting your membership.
With Care,
Guillaume and the SBC TEAM
Week #3:
FOODTECH STARTUPS:
1.Sibö
Founded: 2020, The Hague, Netherlands
Founder:
Daniela Arias & Alejandro Ortega
Elevator Pitch:
Sibö is a biomaterials company that produces food ingredients, sustainable proteins, and sustainable packaging.
Problem They Solve:
60% of the population has symptoms of malnutrition and by 2050 the world will not have enough food to sustain the global population. Furthermore, the food industry produces large-scale pollution in the form of food waste and livestock. Traditional agriculture not only uses 50% of the planet’s habitable land but also requires a large amount of water. Sibö aims to combat both malnutrition and resource-heavy farming practices.
Impact:
Sibö’s main ingredient is edible insects- an alternative to livestock that is less heavy on land, feed, and water. Insects act as a healthy and sustainable raw material that can be turned into Cricket Powder and been shown to hold 58 to 65 percent protein per bug. This ingredient can be used as a protein source aswell as turned into a form of sustainable packaging that is biodegrable and renewable.
Amount Raised:
Seed, US $60K
Get in touch with Sibö:
If you are interested in Sibö’s insect-based products and want to view their product catalog, view here
AGTECH STARTUPS:
Founded: 2015, Bristol, UK
Founder:
Ben Crowther, Charlie Guy & Jack Farmer
Elevator Pitch:
LettUs Grow has developed an aeroponic technology for indoor farms that allows all citizens to strive for self-sustained farming.
Problem They Solve:
Traditional agriculture can have huge implications on water and soil sources. Improper soil practices lead to fertilizer runoff that pollutes waterways and kills aquatic life. Traditional soil farming is also heavy on pesticides and insecticides which can be harmful to soils and wildlife.
Impact:
Lettus Grow’s Aeroponics systems have been proven to create yields of foods at less cost, with no pesticides, and 95% less water than soil farming. This ensures greater, faster, food systems that do less damage to the planet.
Amount Raised:
Seed, US $3.4M
Collaborate with Lettus Grow:
Do you have technology which will work well with Lettus Grow farms? Become one of the many businesses partnering with Lettus Grow here.
EDTECH STARTUPS:
3.Terra.do
Founded: 2020, California, United States
Founder: Anshuman Bapna
Elevator Pitch:
Terra.do are an online climate school for individuals looking to connect with industry experts and develop hands-on projects centered around climate change.
Problem They Solve:
Education is an essential element of the global response to climate change. Terra.do aim to address this issue by giving educated professionals the chance to use their skills to network with others and address a global crisis.
Impact:
Terra.do do not only educate learners, they support those finding their way into climate work as well. This involves part-time project work, activism, full-time jobs, and starting their own companies. Pupils graduate with a deep understanding of climate change and learn how to use skills in the climate space they can create the most impact in.
Amount Raised:
Seed, US $1.4M
How to Support Terra.do’s Work:
Begin your journey with a 12-week climate education and solutions Bootcamp. Terra.do’s Next cohort is 10th June, 2021. To apply to join see here.
GREENTECH STARTUPS:
4.Mimbly
Founded: 2016, Gothenberg, Sweden
Founder: Isabella Palmgren
Elevator Pitch:
Mimbly has created a product that connects to laundry machines in order to save water, energy and capture microplastics during your washing cycle.
Problem They Solve:
Current washing machines use excessive amounts of clean drinking water to clean clothing. Furthermore, Synthetic fabrics, when washed, release microplastics that have experts estimate to have amassed 51 trillion tones globally.
Impact:
The Mimbox will store water after your washing cycle and recycle if it can be used again. The water is treated and cleaned so that clothes are not affected, reducing the amount of water needed per load. The Mimbox also has a microplastic filter that traps microplastics and prevents them from being released into waterways.
Amount Raised:
SEK 8.6M
How to Support Mimbly’s Work:
Want to Prebook your Mimbox? Follow the link here.
CONSTRUCTECH STARTUPS:
Founded: 2019, Vaud, Switzerland
Founder: Margaux Peltier
Elevator Pitch:
Enerdrape produces a geothermal panel that turns underground environments into renewable energy sources for the heating and cooling needs of buildings
Problem They Solve:
The current heating and cooling of buildings account for 40% of the CO2 emissions and nearly 80% of their total energy consumption.
In Europe, more than 75% of existing building stock is energy inefficient and still utilises non-renewable energy sources. By converting underground spaces into energy sources, Enerdrape not only prevents them from releasing excess CO2, but turns them into spaces for good.
Impact:
Enerdrape have created geo-thermal panels that are easy to install and created little impact to existing infrastructure. The panels harvest geothermal and waste heat sources accumulated in existing environments.
Amount Raised:
US$10.6k
How to Support Enerdrape’s Work:
You can vote for Enerdrape at The Startup Champions Seed Night 10th edition on Thursday 29th! To vote visit the link here.
Week #2:
AGTECH STARTUPS:
1.ZELP
Founded: 2017, London, England
Founder: Francisco Norris
Elevator Pitch:
ZELP is a wearable device for cows that neutralizes the methane they emit in real-time. This device also delivers data to farmers about the cow’s emissions, which allows them to maintain healthy, low-impact herds.
Problem They Solve:
An average cow releases 120kg of methane per year. On a global scale, livestock are responsible for 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock however, are also a valuable source of food, income, and employment for many-with the global livestock industry being worth over $2 trillion. The livestock industry is therefore not something we can eliminate entirely, but definitely a sector we can reform.
Impact:
ZELP has developed an animal-friendly wearable device that has no impact on their behavior but will improve their, and the planets, lifespan. This is done through the use of a halter that neutralizes methane as the cows emit it. The halter sends data back to farmers regarding their health. This allows farmers to catch disease early, detect heat, locate animals, and minimize CO2 emissions.
Amount Raised:
US $ 1.2M
How to Support ZELP’s Work:
Want to join the ZELP Platform or buy climate-smart beef and dairy? Follow ZELP here to be notified as soon the device has been rolled out in Europe and the US.
FINTECH STARTUPS:
Founded: 2019, Berlin, Germany
Founder: Matti Rönkkö
Elevator Pitch:
Cooler Future is an investment platform that makes it easy to invest in a sustainable portfolio that drives returns and fights climate change at the same time.
Problem They Solve:
The world has around €59T invested in the stock market. Many of these investment funds are fossil fuel-heavy or non-transparent. Cooler Future aims to take that money and redirect it into green assets.
Impact:
The Cooler Future investment portfolio is made up of diversified investments that aim to grow clients’ money by investing in stocks and bonds that assist in reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. The cost of investing in fossil fuels is increasing, but by putting your money in green portfolios you are supporting companies that are thinking, and profiting from sustainable decisions.
Amount Raised:
US$ 1.6M
How to support Cooler Future’s Work:
To get early access to the Cooler Future platform and support their work, see their site here.
GREENTECH STARTUPS:
Founded: 2016, Seattle, US
Founder: Grant Canary
Elevator Pitch:
DroneSeed provides rapid reforestation after wildfires using drones that is six times faster than hand planting seedlings.
Problem They Solve:
Increasing heat, changes in rain & snow patterns, and shifts in plant communities are just some examples of climate-related changes that increase the likelihood of wildfires. As our climate changes, these fires will occur more often and burn wider, and more intensely than before.
Impact:
Drone Seed provides advanced seed enablement and on-demand air support from a team of forest science veterans that is cheaper and more effective than traditional planting models. This allows them to begin restoring wildfire zones in sometimes as little as 30 days and helps communities recover faster as climate change threatens.
Amount Raised:
US$ 3.7M
How to Support Drone Seed’s Work:
Landowners interested in free wildfire assessments can visit Drone Seed’s website here.
FOODTECH STARTUPS:
Founded: 2017, London, England
Founder: Solveiga Pakštaitė
Elevator Pitch:
Mimica Lab has created a food freshness indicator that improves upon traditional expiry labels in an aim to combat food waste.
Problem They Solve:
60% of the food waste in the UK is still edible, however it is often confused for inedible because the way expiry dates are calculated is not regulated. Expiry dates are calculated according to the worst case temperature scenario for the particular product. Most people however, store food in much better conditions, meaning that food more often has longer than the expiry label.
Impact:
Because Mimica Touch responds to all the temperature changes, it calculates a more accurate expiry date based on actual conditions. Mimica aims to inform you when food is still good without compromising on your safety- meaning there is less impact on the planet, and no impact on your health.
Amount Raised:
US$ 70.4K
How to Support Mimica’s Work:
To get in touch with Mimica and find out which products you can find them on, contact them here. Alternatively, tag your favourite brands on your social channels and introduce them to Mimica’s work.
CONSTRUCTECH STARTUPS:
4.Concular
Founded: 2020, Berlin, Germany
Founder: Dominik Campanella
Elevator Pitch:
Concular is a circular construction company that simplifies the construction process by matching deconstruction and new construction projects. During this, they gain life cycle assessments, and a comprehensive process for architecture offices, project developers, construction companies and manufacturers.
Problem They Solve:
According to recent research, the amount of construction waste generated worldwide every year will nearly double to 2.2 billion tons by 2025. Much of this could be avoided if old buildings could be regenerated into new ones rather than demolished.
Impact:
The Concular Platform provides digital building passports which allow new buildings to draw on the resources of old buildings before they are demolished. This offers you the possibility to save BIM and product data of installed materials and to map the life cycle of your building.
How to Support Concular’s Work:
Are you looking to source or distribute construction materials for your next project? Get in touch with Concular and upload your items directly to the platform here
Week #1:
EDTECH STARTUPS:
Founded: 2019, London, England
Founder: Eric Steinberger
Elevator Pitch:
Climate Science is a non-profit start-up that aims to educate millions of learners about climate change. They do this through a mix of digital learning resources on mobile, web, books, and TV.
Problem They Solve:
Proper climate information is a resource that is limited for many and is constantly changing and updating. Education is the most essential element in ensuring people understand, act against and invest in climate action. Many people however struggle to get information that is accessible, reliable and entertaining. Climate Science aims to fix this!
Impact:
Climate Science uses a team of researchers to not only find climate information and package it in digestible, entertaining formats, but they will asses the understandability, accuracy, and then review this with a panel of experts.
How to Support ClimateScience’s Work:
CimateScience rely on donations from sponsors, companies and individuals to keep their work accessible to all and support the team who make it. If you want to donate or partner with them, see the link here
FINTECH STARTUPS:
Founded: 2019, London, England
Founders: Adam Hearne & Roheet Shah
Elevator Pitch:
CarbonChain is a carbon tracking platform specific to the industries with the biggest carbon footprint: metals & mining, oil & gas, agriculture.
Problem They Solve:
Oil & gas, mining, metals, minerals and agriculture are responsible for 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These industries, although often well-intentioned, have limited resources and times to invest in making proper assesments of their impact.
Impact:
By tracking the supply chains greenhouse gas emissions, companies are able to identify the transactions they make which cause the most harm. This allows them to then implement processes which make a transition to low-impact, easy and sustainable.
Stage:
Seed, US$ 125K raised (according to Crunchbase)
How to Get involved with CarbonChain:
To Book a Demo with CarbonChain see the link here
GREENTECH STARTUPS:
3.CarbFix
Founded: 2007, Reykjavík, Iceland
Founder: Dr. Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir
Elevator Pitch:
If there is one Greentech startup you could have heard of, it may be this one. Carbfix has been making waves for some time now and has been featured on the BBC, Netflix, and has received funding from big names such as Microsoft and Stripe.
Carbfix extracts CO2 and turns it into stone underground. This process occurs organically in nature, however, Carbfix does it in less than 2 years- a rate our strained ecosystems desperately need.
The Problem They Solve:
CO2, when in excess in our atmosphere, traps more heat than the earth needs, resulting in accelerated global warming. As humanity expands and burns more fossil fuels, we are releasing CO2 at a rate which nature cannot keep up with.
Impact:
By mimicking a natural process, CarbFix is using carbon sinks that the earth has alreday provided. The team however are accelerating this process so that we can move more CO2 before our planet feels irreparable damage.
FOODTECH:
Founded: 2012, California, US
Founder: James Rogers
Elevator Pitch:
Apeel has developed a plant-based, edible protective which extends the life of fresh produce by x2. It received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and develops products for USDA Organic Certified and conventional produce categories.
The Problem They Solve:
Food waste produces 4.4 Gigatons of CO2 globally per year when it ends up in a landfill. This is more CO2 than the whole of India produced in 2011.
Impact:
By extending the lifespan of fruit and vegetables, Apeel has prevented over 56M pieces of produce from going to waste, and ultimately contributing to increased CO2 emissions.
Amount Raised:
$390.1M (According to Crunchbase)
How to Partner with Apeel:
To partner with Apeel visit the link here
CONSTRUCTECH:
Founded: 2016, Quebec, Canada
Founders: Mehrdad Mahoutian & Chris Stern
Elevator Pitch:
CarbiCrete is a concrete making company which produces cement-free, carbon negative concrete.The product uses a by-product from the steel industry called steel slag. This material is easy to source and the process of combining it with CO2 can be implemented in manufacturing plants worldwide.
The Problem They Solve:
Concrete production is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is caused during the manufacturing process of cement when calcium carbonate is heated inorder to produce lime and carbon dioxide.
Impact:
CarbiCrete not only avoids producing roughly 2kg of CO2 per cement block, but by using CO2 as a raw material, they also consume more than they emit. This makes them carbon-negative and an incredible example for the future of the construction industry.
Amount Raised:
$2.1M
Interested in using CarbiCretes technology?
Get in touch with them here
