Extreme Tech Challenge’s Post

🌧️ Climate investing is changing. It is no longer just about emissions reduction, energy transition and decarbonising the economy, but increasingly about the role of food systems and resilience. 🍎 Shout out to ClimateHack for featuring Climate Resilient Africa Fund as as an up and coming climate venture investor in their latest “Volume 81: the new funds backing climate”.

🌍 Europe takes the lead in the global Food & Climate VC funding In 2023, European climate-focused Food & AgTech startups attracted over $2 billion in VC funding, surpassing the United States in global climate Food & AgTech funding for the first time. Rising challenges from climate change and a growing population are constraining food systems: as the world reaches nearly 9.7 billion people by 2050, we must achieve a staggering 70% increase in food production to ensure global food security. In our Food for Climate Report 2024 with FoodLabs, we analyzed how innovative Food and AgTech ventures are driving change toward a more sustainable future. Key highlights include: 🍃 Fermentation-based startups have seen substantial growth, with funding increasing twelve-fold since 2020. In 2023, these startups secured $76 million in venture capital, accounting for 22% of the total investment in European alternative protein startups. 🍫 Alternative cocoa startups already raised $74 million in 2024, more than doubling last year, responding to surging prices and environmental concerns. ♻ Sustainable packaging and biomaterials startups collectively secured over $100 million, with biomaterials alone growing by 238% year-over-year. 🌱With a third of global soils degraded, regenerative practices are vital for soil restoration. In 2023, European solutions in this area raised $581 million, led by biofertilizers. 💡Synthetic biology (Synbio) and artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing the food and agritech sectors by improving efficiency, reducing waste, enhancing data transparency, and promoting sustainability. Access the full report using the link below👇

All this happened in ClimateTech this week: 🧪 Bioeutectics raised $2.1M to create more natural, sustainable solvents for use in food and cosmetic and without chemical and petroleums as it looks towards their U.S. expansion. 🏢 British startup Concrete4Change secured £2.5 million in a funding round led by Zacua Ventures. 🍄 Germany’s Infinite Roots® secured $58 million Series B funding, marking “the largest investment” in mycelium technologies in Europe to date. 🦗 Dutch insect protein startup Protix, which uses waste from the food industry as feed for insects that then are processed into valuable nutrients such as proteins and lipids, secured investment from the European Investment Bank through a loan agreement. ☕️ Kaffe Bueno, based in Denmark, raised €6.2 million in a Series A funding round led by Borregaard. 🌴 New York-based C16 Biosciences received a $3.5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to expand its Palmless platform for precision-fermented palm oil alternatives and accelerate its path to regulatory approval. 🐟 Forsea Foods, based in Israel, unveiled the first prototype of its cultivated eel, and has partnered with Tokyo vegan restaurant SAIDO to create two traditional Japanese dishes with the cell-cultured fish. 🔋 Instagrid, based in Germany, secured $95 million Series C funding at a post-money valuation of $400-$500 million. ☀️ London-based Metris Energy secured £2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Octopus Ventures and Aenu VC. 🔌 Danish startup Monta raised €80 million in a Series B funding round co-led by Energize Capital, GreenPoint Partners and Denmark’s state-backed Export and Investment Fund. 🌿 Berlin-based Vyld secured a seven-figure seed funding round backed by a blend of government funds, the EU, and a cohort of angel investors and venture funds. 🇺🇸 Innovation Endeavors announced the closure of its largest fund to date, securing $630 million in capital commitments to invest in the “intersection of science and technology” in sectors such as climate, intelligent software, engineering health and supply chain. 🇮🇩 AC Ventures, based in Indonesia, closed its fifth fund with $210 million. Its portfolio already includes Indonesian electric vehicle maker MAKA Motors and sustainable farming startup Koltiva, and it will use the funds to support startups that are growing quickly and align with its impact goals. 🔮 Our latest VC predictions including African Climate Investors: Maxime Bayen, Maelis Carraro, Romain Diaz, Victor Ndiege, Victoria Harris, Peter George, Caitlin Wale, Hossam Allam, Sherief Kesseba, Tobias Ruckstuhl, Toukam Ngoufanke, Eva Maria Stolz, Duval Van Zijl, Abby Stern, Farai Shaun Sekeso, Vova (Vladimir) D. Plus: Eatable Adventures Vectr7 Investment Partners LLP Vidia Equity https://lnkd.in/evRgfFiA

This week, OBI Head of Impact and Sustainability Kristiane Davidson joined the EIT Food Sustainable Packaging Startups Accelerator Event at Impact Hub Madrid to discuss impact and investment readiness in the face of the global plastics crisis. The world churns out over 400 million metric tons of new plastics every year, with less than 10% being recycled (UNEP, 2023). The rest goes to landfill or litter: plastics represent 85% of marine waste (UNEP, 2021). This underscores the urgent need for a systems change, transforming how we produce, consume, and dispose of our waste. Encouraging and scaling alternative business models and transitioning to a circular economy will be crucial in reversing our course. This is why OBI prioritises decreasing waste and pollution as one of its four impact goals. "The role of purpose-driven startups in leading the charge for change cannot be overstated. These startups must be prepared for data collection and reporting requirements, especially when it comes to attracting impact investors, like Article 9 investors like us. Impact investors demand robust, transparent metrics to assess the real-world outcomes of their investments. For startups focused on social and environmental impact, aligning with these standards is not just a compliance exercise—it's a powerful tool to unlock the capital needed to scale and tackle the global challenges we face today. We need more entrepreneurs driving change and capital markets to support them!" Supported by the EU, EIT Food supports projects, organisations, and individuals that promote healthy and sustainable food systems and connects stakeholders to unlock innovation potential. Juliet Bray Javier Barros de Lis Anne RAMBAUD Allies Advisory #InvestmentReadiness #ImpactInvestment #Sustainability #Startups #SustainablePackaging #CircularEconomy #Innovation #GreenBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Impact #SDGs #SDG12 #ResponsibleConsumption #SDG13 #ClimateAction #SDG14 #LifeBelowWater #SDG17 #PartnershipForTheGoals

☁️ 🌍 🥗 Food+Climate Tech is growing! Following last week’s release of our yearly report on the state of the European FoodTech ecosystem (download it here), I’d like to focus on another key point: the role of FoodTech in fighting climate change. 1️⃣ What is Food+Climate Tech? - AgTech startups: all sub-categories are directly or indirectly related to fighting or mitigating (living with) climate change: farm management solutions, agbiotech, indoor farming… - Alternative proteins and functional ingredients, notably those that use less natural resources. - Supply Chain startups which are creating packaging innovations to replace single-use plastic packaging and those fighting food waste. 2️⃣ How big is Food+Climate Tech in Europe? Europe is often considered a leading region for investments in Climate Tech, so it seemed interesting to examine in detail the intersection of Food Tech and Climate Tech. 📈 As you can see on the graph, investments have declined in the past couple of years, but… they actually increased in Food+Climate Tech. Climate-related funding now accounts for more than 50% of the whole FoodTech funding, up from 10% 8 years ago. 🧑🌾 If we look in depth, this is mostly due to an increase in AgTech funding (which is itself linked to increased investments in bioinputs and in carbon credit). We also observed a surge in the amounts invested in packaging alternatives and anti-food waste software solutions. 👉 Read our full European FoodTech report here: https://lnkd.in/etJDyjgC 👉 More insights on Food+Climate Tech here: https://lnkd.in/d2GHReua #FoodTech #ClimateTech #funding #startups

🌍 Exciting Announcement! qonvolv Ventures is now an Outreach Partner of The Liveability Challenge 2024 🌱 We are happy to announce that qonvolv Ventures is now an Outreach Partner of The Liveability Challenge 2024! The Liveability Challenge is a global platform presented by Temasek Foundation and organized by Eco-Business that seeks out and accelerates the launch of ground-breaking solutions to urban challenges faced in the 21st century within tropical cities. As Asia's largest prize for sustainability solutions, it stands as a key highlight in Southeast Asia's calendar of sustainability events. This year, the Challenge focuses on two key tracks: Climate Change and Food & Nutrition. 🌏 Climate Change – adaptive innovations, including nature-based solutions, that address climate change effects such as extreme weather and sea-level rise. 🍎 Food & Nutrition – innovations that can enhance food resilience and safety in 3 critical areas: agriculture, aquaculture, and alternative nutrition sources. Our decision to support this challenge is driven by our shared goal of driving positive change and fostering sustainable practices within and beyond our industry. These themes align with qonvolv Ventures' mission to drive positive change and foster sustainable practices within and beyond our industry.📢 Submit your solution! The deadline has been extended to 18 FEBRUARY! This is an incredible opportunity for individuals and organizations passionate about sustainability and making a positive impact. Submit your deep-tech solutions for a chance to secure up to S$2.5 million in project funding! It is time for you to showcase what you have been doing to help solve some of the greatest problems facing cities in the tropics and create a more sustainable future. Reach out to us if you would like to know more. For more, visit https://lnkd.in/fBFi4sn #Sustainability #Innovation #TheLiveabilityChallenge2024 #ClimateChange #FoodResilience #Partnership

Regenerative Economies: Discover Companies that Deliver Social, Natural, and Human Capital Returns Each year SOCAP Global convenes the #impact community with a clear intention: to facilitate impact across silos, geographies, approaches, and philosophies and to accelerate the development of meaningful, critical relationships. Join Transformational Investing in Food Systems at #SOCAP24, October 28-30, in San Francisco, to participate in this movement. TIFS’ director Rex Raimond is excited to present “Regenerative Economies: Discover Companies that Deliver Social, Natural, and Human Capital Returns” with co-presenters Joachim Ewechu co-founder, CEO SHONA and Renée Engelsman investment manager Grounded alongside hundreds of other innovative leaders. The growth of agribusiness, which prioritizes efficiency and profit maximization, has led to an over-concentrated and consolidated #foodsystem. Today, this system is fragile and broken. Recent global events have spotlighted the ways in which this drive toward efficiency comes at a cost of resilience. The landscape is now ripe for impact #investors as new farm and food businesses are emerging that are profitable while attaining goals of equity, livelihoods, human health, and planetary health. In this session we will: 🔵 Use an interactive format to examine the characteristics of food businesses that embrace these values, highlight examples of investments that can achieve holistic impact goals, and apply investing tools that can help move toward a #regenerative economy. 🔵 Share examples of companies and investors who are working with farmers and land stewards in East Africa who produce healthy food, create community wealth, and enhance ecosystems and biodiversity. 🔵 Increase awareness about the success and investment-readiness of funds and companies that are building a regenerative future. 🔵 Raise the ambitions of investors and funders in regenerative food and agriculture by demonstrating the viability of deeply regenerative approaches. Register today and join us for this powerful conversation. Use  s24_spk to save $250 on your ticket! https://bit.ly/471XGQd #foodsystemstransformation #regenerativeeconomies #regenerativefoodsystems #TIFS David Bennell Tim Crosby Laura Thompson Tina Owens Global Alliance for the Future of Food

Did you know there’s a spray paint that can increase photosynthesis? 💡 Greenhouses often rely on artificial lighting to increase productivity. But this causes two challenges: super high energy costs that can be unaffordable for small growers, and increased carbon emissions. Lambda agri, a UK-based startup, is using photochemistry to improve agricultural sustainability by developing a spray paint that converts unused sunlight into light used for photosynthesis. Their innovation has led to increased food production without the need for additional electricity. Lambda is an example of science meeting sustainable innovation. They participated in our Greentech Europe 2024 programme. Read more at the link https://bit.ly/3WTBqV7 Our Greentech Europe initiative also tackles two big challenges: enabling the green transition across all sectors in Europe,*and* working on tackling that inequality by supporting diverse-led startups.

#fundingalert 💼Company: Clean Food Group 💰Funding: €2.9 Million ⚡Round: New Round 👥Investors: Clean Growth Fund Clean Food Group is a UK-based food-tech business delivering sustainable oils and fats solutions to the world’s food and cosmetics manufacturers, with the mission to deliver scalable, healthier, competitively priced ingredients that have a positive impact on the economic, environmental, and social health of the planet. The funding will be used to accelerate the commercialisation of Clean Food Group’s sustainable oils and fats technology. The proprietary technology platform uses proven, scalable yeast strains and fermentation technology and utilises food waste as its food source to deliver sustainable alternatives to traditional oil and fat ingredients. Alex Neves Beverley Gower-Jones OBE FEI Ed McDermott Christopher Chuck Hannah Du Beke Ed McDermott Bill Thurston Andrea Cattaruzza Dr. Yogeshwar Chandelia Read more - https://lnkd.in/gNeD2qNS To share your startup story write us on - contact@startuprise.co.uk #VentureCapital #Technology #UK #CleanTech #FoodTech #foodwaste #CleanFoodGroup #CleanGrowthFund #funding #sustainable #technology #startupnews #fundingnews #news #startuprise

When we teach entrepreneurship, we place considerable emphasis on creativity, on idea generation and innovation. Entrepreneurs are innovators who bring about change and improvement. But is this true? While they may innovate and bring about change, do they always bring about improvement? If they do, why is it that the planet is in the perilous state it is in today? Why are we on “the highway to climate hell”, why is there so much poverty, hunger, suffering, cruelty and inequality in the world? Is it just that we are more aware of the problems than previously or is it that despite the changes and advances we have made, we have failed to eradicate or even ameliorate them? Indeed, has our concern to innovate and bring about change actually contributed to them? In some cases, such as the invention of plastics, the answer must surely be yes, and, as here, we were probably wrong to abandon glass bottles and the daily delivery of fresh milk to homes, especially when the milk floats were horse-drawn. So, it is good to see Totally Welsh reversing the trend and not just reverting to the doorstep delivery of fresh milk, but supporting local farmers and suppliers.   While we do need entrepreneurs who will innovate and bring about change and improvement, we must try to  ensure that in so doing they do not further harm the earth or its inhabitants.    According to the late Peter Drucker “if you want something new you have to give up something old”. But do we? If we do not want to  cause harm to people and the planet  then perhaps, as here, we do not necessarily have to give up something old, but re-adopt and re-adapt it.   Certainly we want innovations that contribute to global prosperity but not at the expense of the planet or its inhabitants.   #Entrepreneurship #Sustainability #Harmony #ICSB #ECSB  #ISBE #EEUK #HEInnovate #UN # UNESCO #OECD