Building the infrastructure for nature markets: Introducing the Biodiversity Accelerator+ Cohort 3
8 companies making an impact
It’s been three years since the inception of the Biodiversity Accelerator+, and the quality of applicants has only gone up since its launch.
When we first surfaced the idea of a targeted coaching programme for nature-positive companies, there was some skepticism that there would be a large enough pool who’d apply. And yet, every year we’ve been impressed by the number of interesting companies working to shift the tide for biodiversity. This year saw a 50% increase applications from the last.
There are a number of reasons why the pool has grown. Regulatory market drivers have grown since 2021, such as with Biodiversity Net Gain, CSRD, and the Nature Restoration Law; Voluntary commitments are becoming a necessary part of brand differentiation, with 320 companies worth $4T committing to TNFD; and the market for environmental monitoring is projected to grow to $38.8B by 2030.
The cohort companies from the Biodiversity Accelerator+ programme this year will be mentored by over 35 global and regional industry leaders in the areas of nature tech, investment readiness and business development. In addition to an in-person investor networking event in Singapore, selected companies will also be showcasing their solutions to delegates at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP16 in Colombia this year.
This year's cohort will also have the opportunity to be invested by Silverstrand Capital and its network of investors. More recently, Silverstrand Capital led the closing of an investment round with Nika Eco, a Singapore-based climate tech company from the 2023 Biodiversity Accelerator+ cohort last year.
Without further ado, we are proud to present the final 8 companies that are to make up the third cohort for the Biodiversity Accelerator+!
Accounting for Nature (Australia & the UK)
Developed with over 20 years of IP development Accounting for Nature has built a rigorous, world-leading standard for measuring the state of nature. Internationally recognized by leading institutions including the TNFD, the standard accredited 23 methods in Australia and the UK, and has already been used to measure the condition of environmental assets and ecosystems covering 8 million hectares across 78 properties. More recently, the standard is being progressively used to underpin to issuance of high-integrity carbon plus nature credits, as well as biodiversity credits in its cutting edge digital registry.
EQO (USA)
EQO provides unparalleled aquatic species detection and biodiversity assessment combining eDNA and a novel eRNA technology underpinned by proprietary intellectual property. Since 2018, EQO has achieved an impressive track record working with large scale public and private sectors, delivering actionable data for environmental management while contributing to the conservation efforts of fresh-water, coastal and marine ecosystems. Their work has significant impact on invasive species management, the protection of endangered species, and public health and safety.
Inverto Earth (Switzerland, Indonesia, and the UAE)
Working in collaboration with restoration groups and local NGOs, Inverto Earth employs a range of monitoring methods including drone-based monitoring service, eDNA, acoustic monitoring, camera traps, to generate real, holistic nature units measuring 3x3 metre units of coastal ecosystem which corporates can subscribe to on a recurring basis. Working with project developers to improve transparency across the market, they’re looking to unify and build trust across key stakeholders to restore 1% of our planet coasts.
Robotics Cats (Hong Kong)
Robotics Cats provides a hardware agnostic and affordable AI powered 3-in-1 SaaS solution designed to detect wildfires in its earliest stages, while also preserving biodiversity by improving bird population count and providing real-time live monitoring of wildlife. Since its establishment in 2019, Robotics Cat has worked with leading national parks, governmental agencies and other businesses across 13 countries including Hong Kong, South East Asia, Europe, South America, and Australia.
Veridi Technologies (The Netherlands)
Founded in 2022, Veridi Technologies is pioneering the use of computer vision and automated microscopy to diagnose plant pathogens and measure soil biodiversity on an industrial scale, with 20% more accuracy and 50% less costs. With its proprietary custom-made robotic microscope, Veridi Technologies’ aims to build the world’s most comprehensive nematode (microscopic worms representing 80% of all animals on earth) image database for large scale monitoring of soil biodiversity.
3t (Singapore & Ghana)
3t discovers, develops, and executes meaningful on-the-ground conservation projects while utilizing a revenue sharing model to ensure that local communities also benefit from restoration projects. Leveraging on-the-ground project development and AI-powered land analysis capabilities, 3T is creating an upstream marketplace that streamlines the project investment process and generates verified carbon credits to unlock large scale carbon removal across the African continent.
Ocean Ledger (UK & US)
Based on 8 years of remote sensing R&D at the German Aerospace Center, Ocean Ledger has developed a proprietary AI-driven geospatial accounting software to quantify ecosystem extent, condition and value at the site & portfolio-level. By leveraging the founding team’s strong scientific background and adopting a modular, data agnostic approach, Ocean Ledger unlocks private capital for coastal mitigation by enabling project developers, corporates and asset managers to quantify coastal impact & physical risk, target mitigation and receive standardised monitoring, reporting & verification (MRV) for credits, bonds, nature-related disclosure.
Dunya Analytics (USA)
Dunya Analytics’ SaaS platform offers companies science-based risk analytics for biodiversity and nature, enabling them to meet ESG disclosure requirements like the TNFD, CSRD etc. Leveraging the founder’s previous expertise in leading a climate risk startup acquired by the S&P Global, the platform features a methodological and automated approach to calculate risk in actionable financial terms to drive sustainability strategies.
The Biodiversity Accelerator+ programme is proud to be supported by a strong network of over 60 outreach partners, coaches & mentors, and expert speakers. Special thanks to our outreach partners for highlighting strong candidates and spreading the word, including but not limited to Japan Impact Investing Network, Innovate 4 Nature, Vidacity, CIIP, Ecotone Partners, Impact Square, Earth Company, the Biodiversity Credit Alliance, Wedgetail, Superorganism, Nature Tech Collective, Nature Finance Group, Symbiotic, and Wavemaker Impact. For our full list of partners, please visit https://www.biodiversity-accelerator.com/partners.
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