Ecotone Renewables’ Post

🌱 Next up, meet Elliott Bennett, the Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Ecotone Renewables. Ecotone Renewables is on a mission to eliminate food waste through climate-smart practices. Founded in Pittsburgh, PA, Ecotone Renewables is scaling anaerobic digestion technology to sustainably process food waste and convert it into renewable hashtag #energy and organic liquid hashtag #fertilizer. Curious what a world without waste looks like? Tune into this edition to discover what carbon-negative fertilizer is, its impact, and its potential. 💡 Fun Fact: Globally, 30-40% of all produced food is wasted ($1.61B annually) 💼 Snapshot of Elliott: 👉 Earned his B.S. in Philosophy, Marketing and Finance from Boston College 👉 Worked as a Treasury Analyst at Bank of America This was a fun conversation, from hearing about his back-to-back summers leading sales at CUTCO Cutlery, forging a new path crowdfunding a startup with his childhood best friend, and his positive outlook on having an open climate conversation. Inspired by his mom, Elliott shares: “Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life.” 🚀 Join us as we delve into Elliott’s story of balancing passion projects with a corporate job, the internal dilemma of prioritizing one's passion, and the journey of building impact fertilizer that diverts 90 pounds of CO2 emissions with each gallon of carbon-negative organic fertilizer produced. This was full of many laughs—tune in! #EarthFirst #Startup #ClimateTech

For those of you involved in #biochar projects, here's a list of applicable #grant programs: • Rural Business Investment Program (USDA). Federal. Helps communities form developmental capital organizations to invest in businesses or programs. • Value-Added Producer Grants (USDA). Federal. Helps agricultural producers create value-added products (like manure-to-biochar). • 501vc® Investment Fund (Evergreen Climate Innovation). Private. Funds climate tech businesses with positive environmental impacts. • IFT: Growth Grants (Institute of Food Technologists). Private. Innovations that have the potential for scaled impact in food health, sustainability, or accessibility. • American Made Challenges - Community Energy Innovation Prize (DOE). Federal. Develop and carry out activities related to clean energy that promote business and technology incubation and acceleration in distressed communities. • Community Wood Energy Grants (U.S. Forest Service). Federal. For thermally led biomass boiler upgrades or innovative wood product manufacturing facilities. • Wood Innovation Grant Program (U.S. Forest Service). Federal. Stimulates, expands, and supports U.S. wood products markets and wood energy markets. • Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance (U.S. Forest Service). Federal. Supports facilities that purchase and process byproducts of ecosystem restoration projects. • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). State. Texas will distribute federal funds for a variety of pollution-reduction projects. Incentives to cut CO2 emissions will be included. TBD • iF Social Iimpact Prize (iF Design). Private. Projects that contribute to solving the most urgent challenges of our time and help to improve conditions. • Economic Development Program (Maine). State. Grants to municipalities for direct business support. • Carbon to Value Initiative. Private. Startup accelerator with access to labs and business planning support. • Economy Initiative (Northern Forest Center). Private. Initiatives that boost market demand for forest products in the region. • Innovative Finance for National Forests Grant Program. Federal/Private. Development and implementation of innovative finance models that leverage private and public capital to enhance the resilience of the National Forest System. Visit www.jozanagrants.com to learn more about our services. Contact us today! #business #biomass

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗺 𝟮𝟶𝟮𝟰 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸: 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 As we approach 2024, I'm keen to share my insights on what I believe are the sleeper asset classes for the coming year—CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) lands and solar land leases. These investments might not grab headlines like urban real estate or tech startups, but they offer unique opportunities for sustainable and profitable investment. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗥𝗣 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀? 𝟭. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 (𝗖𝗥𝗣) 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀: These lands are part of a government program that offers a yearly rental payment in exchange for farmers removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species that will improve environmental health. The benefits? Predictable returns and contributing to environmental conservation—a win-win for investors and the planet. 2. 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀: As the push for renewable energy continues to grow, leasing land for solar energy projects can provide a steady income stream with minimal involvement needed post-lease agreement. This is not just about profits; it’s about paving the way for a greener future. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Investing in these asset classes aligns perfectly with a strategy that values long-term sustainability and societal impact, areas that are increasingly important to investors.

💸 Climate VC deals from this week ⬇️ 🔋 International Battery Company, from Sunnyvale, CA, recently secured a significant $35M in Project Finance. They're gearing up to construct a facility dedicated to producing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. 🚐 Lightship, based in San Francisco, CA, has just raised $34M in Series B funding. Their focus? Developing all-electric RVs equipped with large battery storage systems and solar power capabilities for a week-long off-grid experience. 🌱 San Leandro, CA's ZymoChem is on a mission with their $21M Series A funding. They're developing a carbon-efficient bio-manufacturing platform using innovative Carbon Conserving (C2) microbes for transforming renewable feedstocks into bio-based materials. 🤖 farm-ng, a forward-thinking robotics developer from Watsonville, CA, has attracted $10M in Series A funding. Their target? Enhancing small-scale agriculture with modular, off-road robotics. 🍃 Cowboy Clean Fuels in Gillette, WY, joins the movement with a $7.8M equity funding. They're focused on advancing the renewable natural gas industry. ☀️ Stanford, CA's Tandem PV is revolutionizing solar technology with their recent $6M Series A funding. Their approach involves boosting conventional silicon solar cells using thin-film perovskite materials. 🔌 LAND, an innovative electric battery manufacturer from Cleveland, OH, has secured $3M in Series A funding. They're enhancing their facility to produce motorbikes with swappable battery packs. 🛫 From Karlsruhe, Germany, INERATEC stands out with an impressive $129M Series B funding. Their goal is to produce electrofuels for decarbonizing aviation and shipping sectors. 🐜 Sofia, Bulgaria's Nasekomo raises $8.7M in Series A funding. They're leading the way in insect-based animal feed and fertilizer products. ♻️ Lastly, HutanBio from Huntingdon, U.K., has secured $2.8M in equity funding, focusing on creating biodegradable plastics from agricultural waste. Check out Climatebase Weekly for more climate finance news ✅

Leaders of the nation’s most innovative clean technology incubators–via the National Coalition of Clean Energy Incubators (NCCEI) led by the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)–adopted a new joint Statement of Principles to advance President Biden’s environmental justice goals, promising to prioritize investments and initiatives that “increase support and enhance opportunities for diverse underrepresented cleantech entrepreneurs, provide job training for at-risk communities and scale deployment of clean energy solutions in disadvantaged communities that will provide increased benefits from the clean energy economy for all Americans.” #Justice40 #equity #inclusivity #InflationReductionAct #IRA #infrastructure #climateaction #climatechange #cleantech #climatetech #environmentaljustice #entrepreneurs #cleanenergy #airpollution #Endfossilfuels https://lnkd.in/gUvZ9NGX

“Sometimes you just have to ask yourself: ‘If I don’t do this, who will?’” So says Allister Furey, CEO and cofounder of Sylvera, who has been on a mission to reimagine carbon credits alongside cofounder Samuel Gill since 2020. When Furey first dug deeper into the world of carbon offsets, he found very little regulatory oversight and a strong commercial incentive to make untrue claims: “I knew that if we could create a rating that was accurate, independent and trusted, the market could grow at pace.” But Sylvera is more than just a rating agency for carbon — it is accelerating climate action. “Our customers make investments that turn into real action on the ground, changing lives, and helping preserve the environment,” says Furey. Supporting the pioneers tackling climate change is vital if we are to meet the global goal of reaching net zero by 2050, explains Nicole Shimer, principal at Insight Partners. “Allister cares about the issues, knows a ton about the space, and has built an incredible business that is helping to save the world.” Learn more about how Sylvera is helping organizations and governments get on track to net zero: https://lnkd.in/ezDpSrqR #venturecapital #founder #startup #climatetech

Climate Insider interviewed Katja Grothe-Eberhardt, CEO and Co-Founder at Klimate.co, a startup specializing in carbon asset management, aiming to address climate change issues. Katja spoke about how her journey as a startup founder was inspired by real life events, and her own observations around unusual weather patterns. When her son was born in 2019, Katja observed a very unusual winter with unseasonably warm temperatures. Her observations and preceding professional experiences prompted her to start Klimate. #carbonremoval #carbonaccounting #carbonsequestration #decarbonization #decarbonizing #netzero #carbonoffsets #carbonoffsetting #climatechange #climateaction #climatecrisis

📰 🌍 Last week remained eventful for climate tech developments, with significant developments across various sectors highlighting global efforts towards sustainability. Here’s Climate Insider’s weekly news breakdown: 👉 Budapest-based LEAD VENTURES has introduced a new €100 million fund aimed at investing in top startups across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). 👉 The B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is committing $7.6 million to accelerate the development, commercialization, and adoption of clean energy and climate solutions in British Columbia. 👉 The UK government has revealed a £103 million investment to fund new, cutting-edge green aerospace technologies, expected to generate thousands of jobs. 👉 Monarch Tractor, the developer of the MK-V— the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional smart tractor—along with Wingspan Ag Intelligence (WingspanAI) farm management platform, has announced a groundbreaking $133 million Series C funding round. 👉 The Korean Ministry of Science announced that the government will allocate 1.2 trillion won ($863.7 million) towards the development of nuclear fusion technologies. 👉 Israeli battery technology company Addionics has secured $39 million in funding from investors, including General Motors’ venture capital arm. 👉 Renewables developer Clearway Energy Group has secured $700 million in construction financing for a portfolio of solar and storage projects in California, the company announced. 👉 The Spanish Prime Minister has announced €1.2 billion in new subsidies for green hydrogen hubs. 👉 d.light, a global leader in affordable household products and financing for low-income households, has closed a new securitization facility to acquire $176 million in receivables from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. 👉 Germany-based osapiens, an ESG platform and provider of compliance and sustainability reporting solutions, has secured $120 million in Series B funding. 👉 The European Commission has approved a €750 million Dutch state aid scheme to support investments in decarbonizing industrial production processes, fostering the Netherlands’ transition towards a net-zero economy. 👉 Gruner Renewable Energy, a player in sustainable biogas solutions in India, has secured $60 million in funding. 👉 Graphyte , a leader in the durable carbon removal industry, announced today the successful closing of a $30 million Series A funding round. 👉 Quatt, an Amsterdam-based scale-up specializing in smart heat pumps, today announced €25 million in a growth equity funding round led by Blue Earth Capital AG, with participation from Seaya Andromeda and existing investor Impact Equity Fund. 👉 Argonne National Laboratory receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for four next-generation clean energy projects. #ClimateTech #Funding #CarbonManagement #DataAnalytics #ClimateRisk #ClimateTechFunding #ClimateTechInvestment #ClimateInvestment #ClimateAction #ClimateChange

Deep dive on Sylvera 🌎   Extra relevant this week with news that Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Salesforce will contract up to 20M tons of high-quality 🌱nature-based🌱 carbon removal credits by 2030, equivalent in volume to the 2030 carbon removal goals of California. https://lnkd.in/dzaEmh53   Learn more about how Sylvera is helping enterprises and governments get on track to net zero below 👇 #Sylvera #CarbonRemoval #Symbiosis

Listen to the podcast with Peter Fusaro 🎧 on the latest happening from the world of ESG and Green Energy. 🌱☀️ A insightful and informative conversation, learn how green energy is evolving globally. The dialogue delves into future prospects of sustainable practices worldwide, like reforestation, agroforestry, sustainable fishing, and vertical farming. 🚜🌳🎣🌾 In the backdrop of climate change, the need for adaptation and innovation in energy, food, and water sectors is emphasized. Discussing the emerging significance of electric vehicles, the conversation highlights the role of innovation with sustainability - 💰, sovereign wealth funds 🤑, startups. 🏢 Nishant thoughtful bets with Green Guru Peter. Peter Fusaro #ESG #greenenergy #sustainability #climatechange #innovation #impactinvesting #VC #startups #nishantmalhotra #evs #sovereignwealthfunds #spotifypodcast #applepodcasts #podcast Podbean A must hear - check out the podcast through the link below. https://lnkd.in/d3RwSCvM