With the news that July 2023 will likely rank as the hottest month ever on record according to NASA scientists, we thought now would be a good time to focus on some of our environmental sustainability investments.
Environmental sustainability – which we think of as better conservation and management of water, energy, carbon emissions, and waste – is one of our three key focus areas at Impact Engine. We currently have 21 public investments in environmental companies and funds, ranging from Afresh which uses technology to fight food waste in grocery stores, to Cloverly, a platform for high-quality carbon credits.
Recently our in-house environmental expert IE Vice President Chris Wu explained how we select environmental investments and the upcoming opportunities he's excited about in this space.
We're delighted to welcome a terrific new addition to our team, Anna Reilly!
As Investment Analyst, Anna will be closely supporting our funds, directs, and pipeline teams.
This month we are also pleased to share the news that Cara Wood, previously our Director of Finance and Operations, has been promoted to the role of Vice President of Finance and Operations.
Some of the environmental-themed stories we've been reading this month:
New York Times | How Countries Can Get Richer Without Wrecking the Planet
IE CEO Jessica Droste Yagan says: "Though difficult to implement of course, I love love love finding the rare positions that say 'here's how we can actually do better,' versus just 'here's all the reasons things are terrible.' We need visions to strive toward!"
Crunchbase | Clean-Concrete Startups Cement Their Status
Art Net | Scientists Have Developed the Whitest White Paint Ever Made—So Reflective It Can Cool Surfaces
ABC News | California aims to tap beavers, once viewed as a nuisance, to help with water issues and wildfires
Carbon Direct Vice Chairwoman Nili Gilbert presented the findings of their new report on the future of sustainable aviation at the GreenFin23 conference. Watch a short video of her summarizing the paper which identifies the most promising climate-friendly tech, or read the full report itself.
Measurabl, the real estate sustainability performance platform, announced the closure of an oversubscribed Series D funding round with $93 million. That brings the most widely deployed ESG platform in the industry up to over $170 million in total funds raised. “The antidote to greenwashing is objective measurement and transparency,” says co-founder and CEO Matthew Ellis.
PosiGen, the rooftop solar-for-all installer working in underserved communities, hosted Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at their New Orleans headquarters. Secretary Yellen spoke about the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act to help create jobs and fight climate change at the same time. Watch a video of her full remarks.
Therma°, the cooling intelligence and HVAC efficiency platform, was featured in Forbes, where founder and CEO Manik Suri shared insights about how to break the negative feedback loop wherein hotter temperatures require more cooling and refrigeration –– but that in turn requires more power which can fuel continued global warming.
The Helper Bees, the wellness platform for older adults, has partnered with Mutual of Omaha to provide new benefits to policyholders. “Aging in place is hard,” said Char Hu, CEO of The Helper Bees. “Our Care Concierge Program, including the Aging-in-Place Marketplace, reduces the burden on the caregiver and care recipient by connecting them directly with a network of vetted service providers."