ImpactAlpha’s deal news coverage for the week:
Data centers. Remarkable Ventures Climate, New Climate Ventures and 4impact capital backed a $3.3 million seed round for New York-based Lucend (formerly Coolgradient), which uses AI and data to bring transparency to data center operations.
Development finance. Dutch development bank FMO made a 340 million rand ($20 million), local currency investment in South Africa-based digital small business lender Lula… Brazil’s Eco Invest program mobilized $53 billion reais ($10.6 billion) in sustainable investments with the support of the country’s National Treasury to crowd in private investors.
Electric vehicles. GoCab raised $45 million in equity and debt to expand electric vehicle financing… Plug, a California-based marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned electric vehicles, raised $20 million in Series A funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Galvanize Climate Solutions, Renn Global and Autotech and Leap Forward ventures.
Energy transition. Lunar Energy, a California-based maker of household battery systems launched by former Tesla Energy head Kunal Girotra, raised $102 million in a round led by B Capital and Prelude Ventures… Swen Capital Partners reached a €440 million ($480 million) close for its third transition fund, which invests in renewable gas and molecule production in Europe and North America.
Fund news. Apis Partners’ third Apis Growth Fund secured $80 million from the European Investment Bank to invest in companies driving financial inclusion in Asia and Africa… BNDES committed $850 million to seven climate funds in Brazil… Daphni raised €260 million to commercialize scientific research in Europe… Tokyo-based GLIN Impact Capital launched a 20 billion yen ($130 million) fund to invest in startups in healthcare, climate, fintech, education and other impact sectors.
Green Infrastructure. Oslo-based Verdane and Scott Capital Partners took a majority stake in UK-based Bluewater Bio, a tech company supporting water reuse and wastewater treatment… Power Sustainable’s infrastructure credit strategy reached $1 billion in committed capital.
Inclusive finance. Afrishela provided revenue-based and impact-linked financing with a gender lens… Suzuki Motor’s impact arm invested in India’s traditional artisans.
Investing in health. Barnwell Bio landed $6 million to detect bird flu and other poultry threats… Goodwater Capital, Foresite Capital, Serena Ventures, Emerson Collective and others invested $100 million in Midi Health to provide perimenopause and menopause telehealth services to women in the US… Yosemite, a biotech venture fund that focuses on new cancer treatments, raised $200 million. The firm is run by Reede Jobs, son of Steve Jobs, who died of pancreatic cancer. Reede’s mother, Laurene Powell Jobs, invested in the fund via Emerson Collective, alongside Amgen, Memorial Sloan Kettering, MIT and others.
Low-carbon transition. Amazonia Impact Ventures invested in Ecotierra’s carbon projects in Brazil… Seattle-based Mast Reforestation made its first sale of biomass-based carbon removal credits to the Royal Bank of Canada, CNaught and others.
Plant based. University of Cambridge spin-out Sparxell raised €4.2 million ($5 million) in pre-Series A funding led by Swen Capital Partners for its plant-based pigments for textiles, packaging and cosmetics.
