Dear esteemed readers,
As we strive to deliver the most valuable insights and highly impactful information, readers of Earth VC Roundup can now expect to receive recaps of our activities quarterly, instead of monthly like before.
Since 2024, discussions made at the COP28 began to provoke its effects on the ecosystem at all frontiers and so does our progress. During the past few months, Earth Venture Capital ( Earth VC) has progressed to realize the impacts with exponential new investments, industry events participation, and insights sharing. With Earth Month as the main theme last April, we have supercharged our movement with a lot of exciting news and updates to announce. Let's dive right in.
DEAL RELEASE
Blykalla
Earth VC joined Blykalla 80m SEK Series A Funding Round
Blykalla has recently completed a significant funding round, raising a total of 80 mSEK. The round was led by Norrsken Launcher together with Nucleation Capital, with participation from Earth Venture Capital, Farvatn, and several private investors.
The raised capital will be instrumental in Blykalla's industrialization of the SEALER, which is designed for commercial power production in a highly compact format, with unique safety features that are made possible by a number of proprietary innovations.
Its advanced nuclear reactor, the SEALER (Swedish Advanced Lead-cooled Reactor) enables the efficient cooling of reactors with liquid lead, which opens doors for nuclear power to be used for decarbonizing industrial applications through hydrogen, biochar, and biofuel production, in addition to providing local electricity production.
HyLight
Earth VC joined others on Paris-based Aerial Inspection €3.7M Funding Round
Earth VC recently participated in a significant funding round alongside prominent investors like Y Combinator, Ring Capital, Kima Ventures, Collaborative Fund, and Marc Tarpenning, co-founder of Tesla, to support HyLight, a Paris-based Aerial Inspection startup, with a €3.7M investment.
The company aims to address infrastructure inspection challenges, particularly in the context of greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas leaks and the extensive energy infrastructure spanning over 80 million kilometers globally.
Leveraging advanced AI and computer vision technology, HyLight's drones offer precise data collection capabilities over large areas, enabling early fault detection and anomaly identification.
The funding will support HyLight's expansion, strategic partnerships, and deployment of zero-emission airship drones for industrial-scale inspections, aligning perfectly with Earth VC's mission to support sustainable solutions addressing environmental challenges.
PORTFOLIO UPDATES
GetSolar
Name listed on Holon IQ's top 50 Climate Tech Startups in SEA
Recently, GetSolar was taking up spotlights as the renowned HolonIQ featured their name on the Southeast Asia Climate Tech 50 list as the region's top promising renewable energy startup.
From expanding team operations to giving speeches at top-tier events and making appearances on CNA, GetSolar has continuously showcased how dedicated and active they are in helping property owners in the region move a step closer to the zero carbon transition.
KuvaSpace
Kuva Space secured €1.8M contract with ESA's Civil Security from Space program
Finnish hyperspectral satellite and AI-powered insights company Kuva Space has won a €1.8 million contract to take part in the European Space Agency's (ESA) Civil Security from Space (CSS) program.
The CSS program aims to leverage spaceborne solutions for monitoring and mitigating civil security and crisis events. Kuva Space's expertise in hyperspectral technology will help support first responders and crisis management efforts.
Group14
Accelerate Growth with $100 million DOE contract
For over a year now, the leading lithium silicon manufacturer has been on a mission to expand their cutting-edge battery-producing operation to the US. Their factory BAM-2, set to be the world's largest Lithium factory will supply enough materials for 200,000 EVs’ worth of batteries, backed by a $100 million Department of Energy contract.They also got listed on the 2024 list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, where the most prominent players that were making the biggest impact over a wide range of categories were selected and nominated for their activities and contributions.
Treetoscope
Contract signed with the leading horticultural company in the Mediterranean
Treetoscope recently announced to join forces with Anecoop, the powerhouse of Mediterranean agriculture. Their installment of Sap Flow Sensors is a great synergy to Anecoop's extent positioning in the European agricultural market and global outreach. The unique, easy-to-install sensors by Treetoscope offer a cost-effective and high-resolution alternative to traditional soil or tree trunk sensors, providing detailed data across vineyards and orchards.
LATEST ACTIVITIES
AVPN Global Conference 2024: Ground Zero for Sustainability Revolution
Picture over 1500 forward-thinking change-makers from all corners of the world, converging in Abu Dhabi under one banner - a sustainable future.
This year's theme of “One Asia, One Future” stresses a strong focus on the role of Collaboration, Leadership, and Innovation in driving impacts toward climate action. As Vision Members of AVPN, Asia’s largest network of social investors, we're committed to steering impactful changes and decarbonizing our shared home.
Our Founding Partner, Tien Nguyen, also geared up for the conference with a pivotal panel discussion on "The Role of Investors in Driving the Net-zero Transition". Drawing from his extensive experience as a global Climate Tech VC, Tien shared valuable insights on our collective journey towards a decarbonized future.
Here's a quick recap
Climate Transition Summit 2024 - Dive into the inner circle
The imminent Climate Transition Summit is not merely an event—it represents a global convergence of world-class visionaries and innovators including leading institutional investors, family offices, and policymakers in the sustainability industry from every corner of the globe.
Tien participated as a panelist in the discussion on "Climate Change and the Urgency for Investment Action" on April 22. Joining him were leaders from prominent organizations such as David Russell, Chair of Transition Pathway Initiative; Han Van Der Hoorn, Senior Macro Strategist at PGGM; and Joe Dharampal-Hornby, Head of Public Affairs and Communications at UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF).
He also delivered a keynote speech titled "Venturing with the Green Phoenix: Rising from Pollution to Innovation in Emerging Asia". The keynote and panel explored the investment terrain of Emerging Asia, highlighting the region's remarkable journey, and strengthening our belief in the potential of the region to emerge from the shadows of pollution to the forefront of innovation.
Here's a quick recap
CCIFV - Unveiling Trailblazing Impact at Premier Sustainable Development Seminar
Did you know that France is a world leader in VC initiatives? According to Sifted, France boasts one of Europe's most vibrant venture capital scenes, with over €4.5 billion invested annually in startups, with nearly 60% of this funding coming from international investors, highlighting their attractiveness as a global innovation hub.
On April 5th, Earth VC had an opportunity to dive into a thought-provoking seminar hosted by CCI France Vietnam on Mastering Digital and Energy Efficiency alongside industry experts from CCI France Vietnam - CCIFV - Christophe POISSON and Paula Fajardo.
During the discussion on "Powering Progress: Navigating the Challenges of Energy and Cleantech Innovation in Vietnam", Tien provided an in-depth analysis of Climate Investing opportunities and a comprehensive overview of the landscape, including emerging clean technology, changes in the funding market, and the impacts of regulatory frameworks. This is also our initiative to explore the vibrant French ecosystem with networking opportunities and insightful sharings.
Here's a quick recap
CLIMATE INVESTMENT INSIGHTS
In their latest Q1 2024 Global VC Funding Report, interesting insights from the venture capital market have been spotted by Pitchbook analysts. Although funding activities are still recovering due to recent social economics and geopolitical constraints, the data showed continuous domination of the Asia funding market at $14.4B compared with other regions. However, regarding deal count, Asia was ranked in 2nd place, still behind the North American region due to its maturity and time on the market.
According to Bloomberg, global investment in the energy transition hit a record $1.8 trillion in 2023, climbing 17% from a year earlier. Electrified transport was the main driver of this spending on the rollout of clean technologies, overtaking renewable energy and accounting for more than a third of the investment total. China was once again the largest market, although Europe saw the fastest growth. The addition of power grids (which saw $310 billion of investment in 2023) in their analysis from 2020 onwards substantially boosts the overall figures but does not change the underlying upward trajectory in energy transition investment.
That's a lot to catch up on as we supercharge activities in celebration of Earth Month. Thank you for joining us on this journey to drive positive change and create a meaningful impact in the world. We hope you've found informative insights and engaging updates from the newsletter.
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Warm regards,