Impact Tech
Climate Finance | January 31, 2023
Obvious Ventures backs Senken to finance reforestation through ‘carbon forwards’
ImpactAlpha, January 31 – Berlin and Cape Town-based Senken is a blockchain-based carbon credit trading platform. Its next offering is a form of …
Investing in Health | January 30, 2023
Trust, not technology, bonds patients and providers
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, which supports ImpactAlpha’s Investing in Health coverage. In partnership with J&J Impact Ventures, ImpactAlpha is exploring the …
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 26, 2023
Climate tech venture Ecozen raises $25 million, giving early investors a partial exit
ImpactAlpha, January 26 – Ecozen, in Pune, India, launched a decade ago to provide affordable, clean energy-fueled products for India’s smallholder farmers. The …
Photo credit: Tado
Dealflow | January 26, 2023
Tado raises €43 million for energy-efficient thermostats
ImpactAlpha, January 26 – Europe’s energy crisis, ignited by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has led to skyrocketing home energy costs. Many consumers …
Photo by Scythe Robotics.
Climate and Clean Tech | January 25, 2023
Scythe Robotics raises $42 million for ‘pay-as-you-mow’ landscaping equipment
ImpactAlpha, January 25 — Gas-powered equipment like lawn mowers and leaf blowers emit more than 240 million tons of pollutants each year, according …
Photo by Breathe Well-being.
Investing in Health | January 25, 2023
Breathe Well-being raises 500 million rupees for diabetes care and prevention
ImpactAlpha, January 25 — Gurgaon-based health tech startup Breathe Well-being offers digital coaching in behavioral and lifestyle changes that are helping more than …
Impact Tech | January 24, 2023
BioElements secures $30 million for bioplastics in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, January 24 – Chile is one of a small number of countries in Latin America that ban or restrict certain single-use plastics. …
Smallholder Agriculture | January 23, 2023
BlueOrchard invests $5.29 million in Brazilian insurer Newe for climate resilience
ImpactAlpha. Jan. 23 – Climate-driven floods, droughts and extreme weather around the world caused more than $268 billion in costs last year. Most …
Photo by Living Carbon.
Low-carbon transition | January 20, 2023
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Nature-based biotech
ImpactAlpha, January 20 — Forests, oceans and soils play a crucial role in absorbing greenhouse gas emissions – and they could use some …
Photo Triodos Investment Management.
Clean Energy | January 19, 2023
WeLight raises €19 million to bring solar mini-grids to rural Madagascar
ImpactAlpha, January 19 — The majority of Madagascar’s population lacks access to electricity. Triodos Investment Management, the European Investment Bank and EDFI ElectriFI …
Summit Nanotech Operations in Chile | Photo by Summit Nanotech.
Impact Tech | January 19, 2023
Summit Nanotech secures $50 million for sustainable lithium extraction
ImpactAlpha, January 19 — The scramble is on to commercialize sustainable lithium, which can overcome a major obstacle to the wholesale transition to …
Photo by Sublime Systems.
Low-carbon transition | January 18, 2023
Sublime Systems secures $40 million to commercialize electrified zero-carbon cement
ImpactAlpha, January 18 — Mining, grinding and heating limestone to make cement, the main binding agent for concrete, releases an enormous amount of …
Photo by Komunal.
Financial Inclusion | January 18, 2023
Komunal raises $8.5 million to digitalize financial services in rural Indonesia
ImpactAlpha, January 18 — Surabaya-based fintech startup Komunal has raised $8.5 million from investors including East Ventures Growth Fund, AlphaTrio Sustainable Technology Fund, …
Photo by Forum Mobility.
Climate and Clean Tech | January 18, 2023
Electrifying heavy-duty drayage trucks at California’s ports
ImpactAlpha, January 18 — The approximately 30,000 heavy-duty trucks that transport containers and bulk freight between ships and rail facilities at California’s 40 …
Photo by Terra Global.
Dealflow | January 17, 2023
Anew Climate commits $640 million to Terra Global for nature-based carbon offsets in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, January 17 — Oakland-based Anew is the product of TPG Rise’s rollup last year of Element Markets and Bluesource (for background, see …
Africa | January 11, 2023
Pakam raises pre-seed funding to improve waste recycling in Nigeria
ImpactAlpha, January 11 – Africa has an outsized waste problem. Less than 5% of the continent’s waste gets recycled, far short of the …
Photo by Sedron Technologies.
Dealflow | January 11, 2023
Generate bets on Sedron Technologies’ municipal wastewater treatment
ImpactAlpha, January 11 — Generate Capital, the San Francisco-based sustainable infrastructure financier and operator, launched Generate Upcycle last year to expand into recycling, …
Image credit: VilCart
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 10, 2023
VilCart raises $13 million to digitalize India’s mom and pop shops
ImpactAlpha, January 10 – Bangalore-based VilCart helps India’s kiranas, or mom and pop shops, digitalize their business operations and source inventory. The company, …
Photo by Commerz Real.
Dealflow | January 10, 2023
Commerz Real’s Klimavest real assets impact fund crosses the billion-euro mark
ImpactAlpha, January 10 — Germany is one of several European nations that backslid on fossil fuels in order to generate power as Russia’s …
Photo by Silicon Ranch.
Clean Energy | January 9, 2023
A passel of clean energy deals to kick off the new year
ImpactAlpha, January 9 — Climate tech proved resilient last year relative to other VC sectors more impacted by the global economic slowdown. And …
Photo by Herself Health.
Investing in Health | January 9, 2023
Herself Health scores $7 million to provide value-based care to older women
ImpactAlpha, January 9 — St. Paul, Minn.-based Herself Health is looking to deliver advanced primary care to women with Medicare and Medicare Advantage …
Photo by Roodgally Senatus, ImpactAlpha.
Climate and Clean Tech | January 5, 2023
Electrifying ‘dollar vans’ to boost livelihoods and cut carbon in New York’s transit deserts
ImpactAlpha, January 5 — Along Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, several informal “dollar vans” pass by for every city bus. The rides are more …
Photo by Akulaku.
Financial Inclusion | January 4, 2023
MUFG Bank bets $200 million on Indonesia’s Akulaku to gain access to underbanked consumers
ImpactAlpha, January 4 — Tokyo-based MUFG Bank, the megabank created by the 2005 merger of Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group and UFJ Holdings, is …
Climate Finance | January 4, 2023
Investing in climate entrepreneurs who think like project developers
Progress is as much about implementation as it is about invention. I wish I could lay claim to these profound words. They were …
Photo credit: SarvaGram
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 4, 2023
Elevar Equity re-ups investment in SarvaGram to speed financial inclusion in rural India
ImpactAlpha, January 4 – SarvaGram provides consumer and business loans to rural and peri-urban households in India that otherwise have difficulty accessing affordable …
Photo by Dolma Impact Fund.
Dealflow | January 3, 2023
Dolma Impact Fund II raises nearly $72 million for sustainable development in Nepal
ImpactAlpha, January 3 — Dolma Fund Management has raised nearly $72 million for its second Dolma Impact Fund. The private equity fund received …
Impact Investing | December 21, 2022
Collaborative Fund raises $200 million fund for materials, ingredients, energy and supply chains.
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 21 – Designer Stella McCartney is anchoring the Collab SOS fund and is also a customer to many of the fund’s …
Impact Investing | December 20, 2022
General Atlantic’s BeyondNetZero mobilizes $3.5 billion climate fund
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 2 – BeyondNetZero is the global growth equity firm’s first fund dedicated to climate tech. It invests in innovative growth companies …
Climate Finance | December 19, 2022
Deadline 2030: Midway to climate marker, time to take deployment exponential
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 19 – Halfway there. When the ball drops in Times Square this year, it will ring in the critical midpoint in the …
Dealflow | December 16, 2022
Deal spotlight: Plant-based versus lab-grown meat opportunity
ImpactAlpha, December 16 – 2022 has been a hard year for champions of the plant-based diet. The economic downturn, VC slowdown and rising …
Image credit: NotCo
Dealflow | December 15, 2022
NotCo lands $70 million for its line of plant-based foods as it readies an IPO
ImpactAlpha, December 15 – Chilean food company NotCo launched in 2015 with an animal-free mayonnaise designed by artificial intelligence software and has since …
Corporate Impact | December 14, 2022
Are Elon Musk’s Twitter escapades putting Tesla’s climate impact at risk?
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 14 – Some Tesla shareholders are frustrated that CEO Elon Musk is hurting the electric vehicle maker’s share price with his acquisition …
Photo credit: PharmAccess Group
Investing in Health | December 14, 2022
Transform Health Fund scores $50 million from investors for healthcare in Africa
ImpactAlpha, December 14 – Impact investor AfricInvest and internationally-backed Health Finance Coalition are partnering on a planned $100 million fund to improve access, …
Climate Finance | December 13, 2022
Avarni clinches funding to help companies track Scope 3 emissions
ImpactAlpha, December 13 – As regulators and investors push companies to report their emissions, startups are coming to market with carbon accounting and …
Impact Investing | December 12, 2022
‘Net energy’ breakthrough fuels the race to commercialize fusion power
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 13 – Net energy is the starting line. The race for commercial fusion energy is on. Creating a net energy gain …
Photo by Maitheli Maitra on Unsplash
Dealflow | December 12, 2022
Varaha scores $4 million to help smallholder farmers create nature-based carbon credits
ImpactAlpha, December 12 — Gurugram-based Varaha has raised $4 million in a seed financing round backed by Omnivore, RTP Global, Better Capital and …
Photo by Sun King.
Clean Energy | December 7, 2022
Sun King gets $10 million to finance off-grid solar in Africa
ImpactAlpha, December 7 — In Africa, millions of off-grid low-income and rural households still use dirty and expensive kerosene lamps. Solar companies, like …
Blockchain/AI/IoT | December 5, 2022
What OpenAI’s new chatbot knows about impact investing
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 5 – You may be pleased to learn that our new artificial-intelligence overlords are hip to impact investing. Take a look …
AVLA's team | Photo by AVLA.
Financial Inclusion | December 5, 2022
Creation Investments closes $270 million fund for financial inclusion in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, December 5 — Creation Investments Capital Management has raised $270 million for its fifth fund to invest in eight to 10 companies …
Amy Novogratz and Mike Velings | Photo by Aqua-Spark.
Dealflow | December 5, 2022
Aqua-Spark secures €15 million from Silverstrand Capital for sustainable aquaculture
ImpactAlpha, December 5 — Utrecht-based impact fund Aqua-Spark has secured a €15 million ($15.8 million) investment from Singapore-based family office Silverstrand Capital. The …
Fifty Years' Seth Bannon
Agents of Impact | December 2, 2022
Seth Bannon, Fifty Years: Big swings at big challenges (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 2 – Back in 1931, Winston Churchill predicted we’d grow real meat without the animals. Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug …
Return on Inclusion | December 1, 2022
Six ways to build the Long COVID economy
One hundred million. That’s the number of people globally who never recovered from the Coronavirus. COVID Long Haulers, as we are known, experience …
Dealflow | November 30, 2022
Swell Energy’s $120 million raise points to the energy grid of the future
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 30 – There’s a place for large, centralized power plants and the giant private equity firms that write big checks to …
Sponsored | November 30, 2022
How shared accountability can increase the social impact of healthcare investing
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, which supports ImpactAlpha’s Investing in Health coverage. In partnership with J&J Impact Ventures, ImpactAlpha is exploring the …
Photo by Ahamove.
Good Jobs | November 30, 2022
Igloo raises $46 million to provide insurance for gig economy workers in Southeast Asia
ImpactAlpha, November 30 — In Southeast Asia, insurance coverage as a benefit for employees is a luxury most small and even medium-sized businesses …