Laura Frey

Had a great conversation with SustainCERT during Climate Week NY 2023. Excited to announce that we will be back in NYC in September to launch and workshop our "Brand & Retailer Sustainable Finance Playbook." The playbook will bring together brands, retailers, suppliers, banks, development banks, and philanthropies to defragment and align various ways to invest in decarbonization, creating demand for suppliers to take on critical factory efficiencies, upgrades & improvements. Join us in creating a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Check out this interview from last year's Climate week NYC with SustainCERT #ClimateWeekNYC #SustainableFinance #FashionIndustry #Decarbonization

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🌍 Exciting news! Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) has just announced the newest round of Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP) grants, part of the $250 million Fashion Climate Fund aimed at unlocking $2 billion in blended capital for industry-wide decarbonization. These grants provide essential funding and support for scalable, science-based solutions that help the fashion industry reduce its environmental impact.🌱 This round of grantees – Pozzi, Grant Thornton, and Amphico – are tackling unique supply chain challenges with innovative technologies, offering measurable greenhouse gas reductions. Collectively, these projects have the potential to save over 24,000 tCO2e within their first year of implementation! 💡 Highlights include: * Pozzi's advanced heat recovery system for the textile wet processing sector * Grant Thornton's innovative approach to energy conservation in the lubricant industry * Amphico's cutting-edge color-mixing technology for textiles, creating vibrant fabrics with reduced environmental impact A huge congratulations to these trailblazers for their commitment to a sustainable future. Learn more about their projects and how Aii is driving decarbonization efforts across the industry #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Decarbonization #FashionIndustry #ApparelImpactInstitute #InnovationForImpact #CSPGrantees #SustainableFashion #Decarbonization

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We are hosting a small gathering to drive more capital into climate on Nov 14th at 4PM in NYC: "Leveraging DAFs for Climate Impact" Confirmed guests: RMI, Acumen, Activate, Elemental Impact, Neta's Foundation, Social Finance, Toniic and more with my co-hosts Liz Walsh and Rhett Godfrey. Please send me a private message for the link to the event if you are interested in the space and can benefit/contribute, thanks :) ***** Harnessing the Power of DAFs: A Guide to Driving Climate Change Solutions ​Discover how Donor-Advised Funds can make a tangible difference in the fight against climate change. ​Join us to explore the untapped potential of Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) in addressing the urgent climate crisis. ​Learn how to: ​Identify climate-focused nonprofits: Discover organizations making a significant impact on climate change mitigation and adaptation. ​Allocate your DAF funds strategically: Maximize your contribution to climate solutions through targeted giving. ​Engage with experts: Connect with leading climate scientists, philanthropists, and nonprofit leaders for valuable insights. ​Foster community impact: Explore collaborative opportunities to amplify your climate change efforts. Remarkable Ventures Climate

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🌍💡 Embracing Interoperability: The Evolution of Carbon Markets 💡🌍 The landscape of carbon markets is rapidly evolving, with a significant shift towards fungibility and interoperability. What does this mean? We (at the SoHo Global Climate Fund) spoke with leading climate fund manager, Charles Bedford of Carbon Growth Partners, to shed light on this important trend in the carbon markets. It's about creating seamless connections between compliance and voluntary markets, allowing for the exchange and recognition of carbon credits across borders and sectors. This trend marks a pivotal moment in our collective efforts towards combating climate change. By enabling carbon credits to be fungible and interoperable, we're fostering a more efficient and scalable approach to carbon pricing and emissions reduction strategies. Companies and organizations now have greater flexibility to participate in markets that align with their goals. #CarbonMarkets #ClimateAction #Fungibility #Interoperability #Sustainability #Innovation #GlobalImpact

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Exploring the intersection of sheltertech and climate tech uncovers immense potential for transformative impact. The built environment, responsible for a significant share of global emissions, offers a prime opportunity for innovation and sustainable development. This journey through the emerging opportunities in sheltertech investment has revealed a pressing need to bridge the gap between our climate ambitions and the realities of urban development. By prioritizing investments in affordable, sustainable housing technologies, we have the power to catalyze climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. This is not just about building homes; it's about reshaping our future towards a more sustainable and equitable world. Let's take this call to action seriously and leverage sheltertech as a pivotal arena for driving environmental sustainability and social well-being. For a deeper understanding and to explore the opportunities within sheltertech, I encourage you to check out the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eHrjw3c5 #Proptech #ShelterTech #Sustainability

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The Nature and Climate Crisis: Conferences vs. On the Ground Action! The gap between discussing climate financing and real-world action can’t be bigger. While conferences and podcasts on nature restoration and carbon projects thrive, we must prioritize on-the-ground progress. Carbon “tech” start-ups and “financial infrastructure” like exchanges / marketplaces attracting (and burning) millions of dollars are important, but they only work if we can successfully bring carbon projects from paper to soil. Yes, select corporates are ready to sign large offtake deals, but largely without upfront capital payments. Yes, many funds are emerging but want to invest in de-risked projects with larger cheques (>$20-50m). The biggest gap lies in funding early-stage initiatives ($100k to $5m) for feasibility, design, development, and validation. Honestly, I think if we just redirect 50% of conference budgets into these crucial early-stage initiatives - most of the financing gap could be closed. With our investments in Thryve.Earth Alcom Klimacap we are dedicated to building carbon project development capabilities and mobilizing necessary financing. By adopting a structured and commercial approach early on, we can empower vital nature and land restoration efforts on the ground. Vinay Kulkarni Ron Steinherz Prateek Tiwari Siddharth Kaul Tom Enger Galuh Pandita Yiwei Lee Jonathan Hang Ethan Tan Janet Kim Jolynn Swee

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🌱🚀 Exciting News! Xefco, one of our portfolio companies, just secured A$10.5 million in funding to revolutionize the textile industry and reduce emissions! 🌎💡 With their innovative water-free textile finishing and dyeing solution, Ausora, Xefco is poised to make a significant impact. Their technology not only preserves precious resources but also cuts energy consumption and costs. Plus, it's already gaining traction with leading apparel brands like Zara and The North Face. At Investible, we're committed to backing visionary companies like Xefco that are driving positive change. This investment reaffirms our belief in their potential to transform industries and tackle pressing environmental challenges. #ClimateTech #SustainableInvesting #ImpactInvesting #MandiriInvestibleGlobalClimateTechFund 🌿📈

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Prime Coalition has long taken a different tack to climate finance compared to its for-profit brethren. It makes the usual venture-style investments in startups through Azolla Ventures and also helps philanthropists direct their money to climate-related projects that it deems high impact. Trellis Climate follows the latter model with a focus on middle stages, where capital has grown scarce. #climatetech #climateVC #climatefinance

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This is a good and important read on #FOAK projects and the ClimateTech Valley of Death, with good insight from some very sharp investors. One often overlooks aspect of this challenge is WHO will build these early commercial projects that are smaller and don't often appeal to top tier EPCs. Developing and building these projects will be a critical, often binary factor in the outcomes. https://lnkd.in/gbedmkmt

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Excellent blog post on the realities of Climate & VC. While these are "tough times for the transition," there are also many opportunities. Significant capital will continue to flow, with Corporate VCs playing a larger role in financing this transition. Through this process, they will strengthen their LP positions in funds tackling climate challenges. I receive weekly calls from large Holding & Corporate VCs seeking introductions to Climate / Energy / Infra VC Funds. When I ask about their target sub-verticals within Climate / Energy, they often mention that they default to focusing on specific regions due to limited resources and coverage. In other words, rather than evaluating whether a DACH VC is better positioned for solar or grid-tech compared to a Nordic or US VC, they simply pursue whichever regions they can access—a haphazard approach at best. I always advise LPs to evaluate VCs within their operating market context. Since sourcing is crucial in venture capital, Holding Cos. and Family Offices should carefully assess a VC's location, regulatory context, and market environment before investing and building a portfolio of Funds. I've heard "I wish I had discovered this VC / region sooner" far too many times... * At ComposeVC's Built World Fund, we do not invest in Climatetech or Energytech directly, only as it relates to our Built World thesis.

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Grants are supporting many startups that are doing work to address climate change and other environmental issues. However, because of structural limitations, financial availability, and certain regulations, there could be gaps in how funding is delivered and received. A new model aims to seamlessly connect established companies and young entrepreneurs so that funding is smoother and more considerate of business growth. #ImpactInvesting #Funding #Startups

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Check out my recent post on why President Trump is the forcing function for us to solve the “Missing Middle” and catch the industrial Tsunami of onshoring coming to the US!

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"There's plenty of capital available in multiple flavors for Climate Tech Companies..." 🌍💸 Did you know that in 2023, 50 VC deals for climate tech companies exceeded $150 million, with nine of those surpassing $500 million? Venture capitalists are increasingly turning their focus toward startups to tackle the climate crisis, marking a significant shift in investment priorities. Despite the challenging environment for venture capital in 2023, with overall investment in climate tech falling by 14.5% to $41.1 billion, the commitment to climate solutions remains robust. Key trends and insights are shaping the evolving landscape of climate tech investment. Are you an early-stage Climate Tech founder looking to fundraise? Curious about the main drivers for the industry? ⬇ Dive into my latest Forbes article to learn more. Special thanks to Hannah Sieber & Arun Gupta for sharing your invaluable insights! https://lnkd.in/gNhe8jew #ClimateTech #VentureCapital #Forbes Artyc Skyven Technologies

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💧 I just arrived back from The Drop energized by the several hundred established and emerging #ClimateVC funds actively pushing the climate tech frontiers. Thanks to Pale blue dot for fueling hope. My takeaways: - Investor competition is heating up 🔥 and accelerating the trend of even more specialized climate verticals and "boutique" fund models. - System change is gaining momentum and funds focus on deep structural industrial shifts. - Frameworks, manuals, and common language for scaling climate tech are gradually becoming standardized thanks to initiatives such as The Climate Brick. - Nature has A/B tested climate solutions for millions of years, and there is no reason to compete with nature-based solutions... - AI will fuel lean VC operations, efficient deal flows, analysis, reporting, and level up emerging managers making the industry even more scalable. See you next year! Katapult Tharald Nustad Tomas Kemtys Patrikas Feiferas Joel Larsson Daniel Skavén Ruben Claes Mikko Nilsen Camilla Bergman Anne H Worsøe Eirik Svendsen Liza Rubinstein Malamud Brooke Latham Dr. Moritz Belling

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I have a unique list of places to visit, ranging from natural landscapes to tech centers and research facilities. One place at the top of my list was the Sirius synchrotron light source in Campinas, Brazil, the second brightest in the world. I recommend you read this recent piece (https://lnkd.in/dcfucTcr) about Sirius, on how AI turbocharges the particle accelerator and green hydrogen in the capital of science. Reading the piece about Campinas, a city 100 km from São Paulo, reminded me of its remarkable tech-oriented and science-dense economy. Home to one of Brazil's top universities and numerous deep-tech companies with global ambitions, Campinas offers a unique blend of globally-minded tech entrepreneurship and world-class science. Big science projects like Sirius are essential for advancing knowledge and driving innovation. At the GFCC | The Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils, we highlighted this in the "Leveraging Extreme Innovation" report (https://bit.ly/3Wes9a5), analyzing 17 transformational tech projects worldwide, including Sirius. These projects push the boundaries of science, technology, and business, leading to market innovations. Sirius is part of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), a major science infrastructure with global relevance. Notably, CNPEM operates as a private non-profit, showcasing the importance of institutional innovation. Innovation in institutions is crucial for emerging nations, especially in Latin America. Hugo Resende, a favorite author of mine on LinkedIn, shares valuable insights on innovation. We agree on three key points (right, Hugo?) innovation is poorly understood in Brazil, it's primarily about business and the economy, not just science and technology, and Brazil needs to improve its business environment and modernize its institutions to foster innovation. Even operating under the Brazilian business environment and institutional constraints, CNPEM’s innovative model provides a template for what is possible to do in the country regarding science and technology, and even innovation. But real change will only happen when Brazil trains and empowers a globally-minded generation of Brazilians at scale. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), a key player in training talent, has produced companies like the Nasdaq-listed CI&T showcasing successful examples of research-industry partnerships. Interestingly, CNPEM harbors ILUM (https://ilum.cnpem.br/), a highly innovative, project-based higher education program. Federal universities in Brazil need reinvention, and ILUM's innovative setup could serve as an inspiration. It reminds me of what my friend João Jornada achieved during his tenure at Inmetro, combining cutting-edge research with education, creating the opportunity for students to work with cutting-edge science tools, in globally relevant projects. Any thoughts BR colleagues? If you are not Brazilian: to these points resonate with your reality? Comments?

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We are living in a world that embodies our Industrial Transformation & Supply Chain Technology investment thesis at REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions & Great Power Competition; The Climate Crisis & Severe Weather; Consumer Behavior & Demographics. Join us. #IndustrialTransformation #SupplyChain #Innovation #Technology #Startups #VentureCapital 

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Corporate investments in climate-tech have consistently increased since 2005, even when other sources of investment declined. The startups they invest in are more likely to achieve a successful exit. Public grants are not significantly associated with exits on their own but are likely to act as catalysts for high-risk startups. Publicly funded startups exit at a higher rate with the addition of corporate investment (155% increase) compared with other private investment (78% increase). #climatetech #corporateVC #venturecapital

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Well, let’s just say it: New York Climate Week is “the new COP.” As our good friends at Sightline said so well, “Vibe-wise, this NYCW centered more on solutions and getting down to brass tacks, rather than outlining high-level problems.” NYCW is where people go to get things done. Sure, it was a mosh pit of decentralized, self-assembling change, but…like NYC itself, the chaos works. Let’s call it: NYCW>COP.

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I'm humbled to officially welcome the first cohort of ventures and entrepreneurs we'll be supporting in year 1 of our Unreasonable Food partnership. It's estimated that more than 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity can be attributed to the way we produce, process, and package food. As one of the world’s largest food companies with some of the world’s most admired brands, Mars, together with the entrepreneurs we are supporting, is uniquely positioned to put that statistic where it belongs — in a museum. Press release - https://lnkd.in/ggN4nZhh Read about each of the ventures selected - https://lnkd.in/gDSRtv4y It's hard to imagine a better cohort of ventures to be supporting in our shared desire to collectively set a new standard for sustainability in our food systems: Mootral, Yard Stick PBC, Regrow Ag, LandScan, Nitricity, Absolute®, Xampla, LOLIWARE Inc., Farmerline Group, 80 Acres Farms, MycoTechnology, Inc., Voyage Foods, String Bio Private Limited, Air Protein, Sea Forest

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