ESG in VC Insights
Hello ESG in VC followers,
Welcome to the 6th edition of ESG in VC Insights. Curated with 🖤 every month by ESG in VC team.
ESG in the News
EY’s Global Corporate Reporting and Institutional Investor Survey finds that there is a meaningful disconnect between companies and investors on ESG disclosure and transparency expectations
Stanford’s Social Innovation Review discusses the often-misunderstood differences between ESG and Impact Investing
Per GIIN, the impact investing market has exceeded $1 trillion for the first time, with $1.164 trillion impact investing AUM worldwide; At the same time, Big Society Capital estimates that the size of the UK social impact investment market alone has grown to £7.9 billion
The IEA has published its annual World Energy Outlook 2022 (WEO) predicting for the first time that even under its most conservative scenarios, fossil fuel demand will reach its peak within the next decade
The 2022 Survey of Investors, Retirement Savings, and ESG published by Standford asks investors across varying age demographics the dollar amount they would be willing to “lose” to achieve improved ESG outcomes
The Regulatory Report
The International Sustainability Standard Board’s Chief and ex-Danone CEO, Emanuel Faber, works toward aligning the international standards with European Union's corporate disclosures
UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) proposes new regulations to reduce greenwashing and aid investors in navigating the ESG investment landscape
The Biden administration seeks to expand methane emissions restrictions to all existing oil and gas wells across the US
As COP27, loss and damages make its way onto the agenda for the first time, but resistance from many developed countries remains
Noteworthy Raises in E
🇪🇺 🇬🇧Europe
Sustainable materials start-up, REEtec, an Oslo-based developer of sustainably produced rare earth minerals needed to facilitate the green energy transition, raises NOK 1.2 billion of venture funding from LKAB Minerals to build its first industrial plant
AI start-up, Carbon Re, a London-based developer of a cloud-based platform enabling energy-intensive industries like cement, glass and steel to reduce their GHG emissions, raises £4.2 million of seed funding led by Planet Ventures
Nuclear waste management start-up, Lynkeos, a UK-based developer of muon tomography imaging system designed to monitor shielded nuclear waste, raises £40,000 from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Defence and Security Accelerator
SDGs - 15
Sustainable consumer device start-up, Heatle, a Berlin-based developer of smart liquid heaters intended to reduce energy waste, raises EUR 3 million of seed funding led by Summiteer
🌎North America
Electric bike start-up, Super73, a California-based manufacturer of motorcycle-like electric bikes featuring removable batteries, raises $37.5 million of Series C funding from undisclosed investors
SDGs - 13
Sustainable hearting start-up, Stone Mountain Technologies, a Tennessee-based developer of thermally-driven heat pump (TDHP) technology designed to offer cost-effective and sustainable heating alternatives, raises $17.5 million of venture funding from undisclosed investors
BioTech start-up, Cemvita Factory, a Texas-based developer of carbon-negative biomanufacturing solutions, raises $15 million of Series B venture funding from Occidental Petroleum and Arizona Lithium
Fuel cell start-up, Upstart Power, a Massachusetts-based developer of solid oxide fuel cell generators intended to make distributed electricity generation a reality, raises $17 million of venture funding from undisclosed investors
🌏 Asia & Australia
Sustainable materials start-up, Biotic, a Tel Aviv-based developer of fully biodegradable PHBV polymers intended to replace fossil-based plastics, raises EUR 2 million in seed funding led by Paseo Rosalez, UM6P Ventures, Yield Lab, Cambridge Agritech, TenNine VC, and Norfolk Green Ventures
SDGs - 12
Renewable energy software start-up, Orkestra, a Melbourne-based SaaS platform providing tools to help energy companies optimise the rollout of new energy deployments, raises $1.1 million of seed funding led by Tidal Ventures
Noteworthy Raises in S
🌎North America
HealthTech start-up, Midi Health, a Los Altos California-based virtual health clinic focused on providing affordable and accessible menopause care, raises $14 million in seed funding led by SemperVirens Venture Capital and Felicis Ventures
SDGs - 3
EdTech start-up, Speak, a San Francisco-based English learning platform utilizing speech recognition techniques, raises $27 million of Series B funding led by OpenAI Startup Fund
SDGs - 4
Digital Health start-up, AngelEye, a Nashville, Tennessee-based tele-engagement platform allowing parents to be part of the care team throughout their infant’s stay in the NICU, raises an undisclosed amount of Series B funding led by Mountain Group Partners and Bradford Whitmore
SDGs - 3
EdTech start-up, Emerge Career, a New York-based upskilling platform designed for underserved populations, raises $3.2 million of seed funding led by Seven Seven Six
SDGs - 4
FinTech start-up, Brightside, an Arizona-based employer-based financial care platform intended to improve the financial health of working families, raises $33 million of Series B funding led by Obvious Ventures
🇪🇺 🇬🇧Europe
HealthTech start-up, NRG Therapeutics, a UK-based drug discovery platform aiming to develop medicines to preserve mitochondrial function, treating Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and other motor neuron diseases, raises £16 million of Series A funding led by Omega Funds
SDGs - 3
🌏 Asia & Australia
HealthTech start-up, Ayu Health, a Bengaluru, India-based platform of tech-driven hospitals aiming to provide higher quality, accessible healthcare, raises $27 million in Series B funding led by The Fundamentum Partnership
SDGs - 3
FinTech start-up, Fazz Financial, a Singapore-based provider of inclusive financial services across Southeast Asia, raises $100 million of Series C funding led by Partech, Tiger Global, DST Global, B Capital Group, Insignia Ventures Partners, Michael Seibel, Hans Tung and ACE & Company
Digital Health start-up, Contro, a South African-based online prescription and delivery service for sexual health and confidence products, raises R 10.1 million of seed funding from iCubed Capital, WZ Capital and Plug and Play Tech Center
SDGs - 3
EdTech start-up, Masai School, a Bengaluru, India-based platform of coding schools intended to train tech aspirants in full-stack, web, and android development, raises $10 million of Series B funding led by Omidyar Network
SDGs - 4
Noteworthy Raises in G
Board governance start-up, Fides, a Munich-based management governance platform designed to digitize and automate board governance processes globally, raises $4.3 million of seed funding led by La Famiglia
Latest Funds Announcements
SWEN Capital Partners’ Blue Ocean Fund exceeds its EUR 120 million target raising EUR 150 million to invest in innovative start-ups across sustainable aquaculture, ocean data, plant and cell-based seafood, alternatives to single-use plastic, and renewable marine energies, among others
New Forests launches its African Forestry Impact Platform (AFIP), a $200 million fund designed to scale and transform the sustainable forestry sector in Sub-Saharan Africa
South Africa-based LeapFrog Investments, announces its Climate Investment Strategy to support companies and technologies that will enable the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change by lower-income people
Stafford Capital Partners, a London-based private investment and advisory firm, receives an anchor commitment from the Essex Pension Fund for its Stafford Carbon Offset Opportunity Fund which will invest in commercial forestry and delivery verified carbon credits
Houston-based private equity firm, Ara Partners, is targeting $2 billion for its third climate fund focused on industrial decarbonization
ESG in VC Podcast
A new episode will be launched this week and we have a great lineup of guests in the coming weeks, so please follow and tune in if you want to dive into the world of ESG further