ImpactAlpha, Aug. 29 – EverForest, the first game from upstart game company Carbon Counts, aims to help plant 100 million real trees on behalf of gamers by 2025.
“We are harnessing the power of play to enable each person to make a small difference such that in aggregate we all can create transformative impact,” said Carbon Counts’ Michael Libenson.
The Cambridge, Mass.-based company, which raised an initial $2.5 million last year, has rounded out its seed round with another $4.5 million from Borderless Capital, Algorand, the Algorand Foundation and other investors.
Climate and crypto
Inside the game, players engage with trees, plants and funny animal characters to grow forests. As players progress, Carbon Counts will plant real trees on their behalf through partners including Eden Reforestation and Earth Lungs. The team says Algorand blockchain technology will enable the effort “to use the power of playing and planting to help address the climate crisis.”
Creative capital
Investors are increasingly interested in the potential positive impact of video games (see, “Investing in the impact of powerful new voices in film and video games”). About a quarter of the more than 100 investment funds identified by Upstart Co-Lab that invest in the creative economy have invested in “social impact media” opportunities, including film and television.
E-Line Media’s Never Alone game features Alaska Native storytellers and elders and was created in partnership with the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, which now holds an equity stake in E-Line (for background, see “Exploring and extending world cultures through video games”).
