BioFOAM-O: You don't want to miss this one

It may just save our ocean from drowning in plastic.

February 22, 2023

✌️ G’DAY

Welcome to Startups Will Save Us, a newsletter for founders building solutions to the climate crisis and the investors who back them, powered by Raaise.

Each week, we’ll share insights from a climate startup on the ups and downs of capital raising in the climate era, including the inside scoop on the one thing they found most helpful on their fundraising journey.

If you’re a founder who’d like to take our fancy new fundraising tools for a test drive, sign up now. 👇

🚀 WHOA, WOAMY:

We first met Mohamed Elamir about a year ago, through wemakechange.org, just as he was finishing his Master’s degree in Advanced Materials at Aalto University, Finland. Last year, the academic project he’d been working on—developing a bio-based packaging foam—became a fully fledged company and, wow, what a startup!

Drawing on a decade of scientific research, Woamy’s non-toxic, biodegradable and fully recyclable cellulose-based foam mimics wood’s capacity for load-bearing and insulation. However, unlike wood, this insulating material is lightweight, fast-drying and mould-free, making it the ideal replacement for styrofoam, bubble wrap, polyurethane and other oil-based packaging materials. 🤩

Fresh from a €1m seed raise, Woamy is poised to scale quickly. So, what’s Mohamed’s advice for other startup founders who are raising or looking to raise soon?

Stay open to feedback, new ideas, and alternative sources of funding. Be ready to talk to (and get knocked back by) a lot of investors, but don’t be afraid to stick to your mission. We were bold with our commercialisation strategy, which attracted the right investors for us.

🛠 DOT DOT DOT DASH:

As a newbie founder, one of the most valuable things you can do is develop, track and nurture your investor relationships. But, keeping everyone up to date and maintaining those connections over long periods of time is virtually impossible without a solid process. That’s why we're building an investor CRM to help founders build and maintain meaningful investor relationships defined by transparency and authenticity. 💫

🎤 WHAT’S COMING UP:

🇬🇧 22nd Feb: London Climate Connection. 3 Talks, 100 people, All climate. Free.🇬🇧 27th Feb: Startups Will Save Us x Allgood Collective Meetup. Quick pitches, stories, and shared opportunities for climate founders and investors. Free.🇬🇧 28th Feb: Climate Collab Breakfast. Talks, networking, workshops & breakfast. From £20.🇦🇺 6th Mar: The Intersection of Climate Change and Gender. Organised by Girls Run the World. Free.

Got a climate startup event you’d love us to shout about? Let us know.

🚨 WHAT’S CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION:

Don’t miss this deeply personal and moving Ted Talk from Dr. Emma Fulu, the founder of The Equality Institute, on how feminism can save us all.

🤩 ICYMI:

Rob Day in Forbes on why the artificial delineation between “climate software VCs” and “climate deeptech VCs” tends to be a steaming pile of 💩.

🌱 JOIN US:

If you're a founder building a startup for the climate era and you want to try out our fundraising tools before anyone else, sign up for our beta now. 👇

And, investors; want early 👀 on quality dealflow and some snazzy tools to help streamline your dealmaking, hit the button. 👇