Startups Will Save Us: Unlocking the power of nature

✌️ G’DAY

In a week where Bitcoin (and crypto in general) is taking a beating, we thought it was the perfect time to talk about deFi for climate. Only because in amongst all the bad news (and there’s a lot around at the moment) there is hope! And at Raaise HQ, we’re all about positivity and sending good vibes 🤙☀️

🥁 Introducing… the story of an amazing startup building a climate solution at the intersection of carbon and crypto.

🚀 STARTUP:

ePioneer is an on-chain marketplace for nature-based carbon credits in Latin America. Basically, they’re using smart tech to enable people to track, trace and fund the protection of 11m hectares of forest in the Amazon and beyond.

🌈 MISSION:

Creating a flow of effective climate finance to protect and regeneration hard to reach places in LatAm.

💡 WHAT:

Their super smart marketplace (built on the sustainable blockchain, Algorand) enables people to buy carbon (and biodiversity) credits that protect and regenerate parts of the Amazon.

🧐 TEAM:

→ Leading the team is Ilana Milkes, MIT Under 35 Innovator, creator of LatAm's first digital nomad visa, polyglot… oh, and she played soccer for Colombia for 5 years 🤯

→ Lead scientist is Dr Sébastien Raoux, a Nobel Prize winner for his work in GHG for the UN and IPCC.

💪 WHY IT MATTERS:

Losing the Amazon would represent a tragedy beyond planetary measure, but more pointedly, it would also make meeting the climate goals of the Paris Agreement all but impossible. It is a vast, ineffable, vital, living wonder and we must do all we can to save it.

🎧 PODCAST

We chatted with Ilana Milkes, founder of ePioneers, to try and demystify some of the complexity around crypto and Web3. It was a fascinating discussion, dive in 🤿 and take a listen.

💃🏼 EVENT: WEDNESDAY 29TH JUNE, LONDON

A meetup for founders, impact investors and anyone interested in startups focused on solutions to the climate and nature crisis on the roof of x+why (impact workspaces), Holborn. An informal and inspiring gathering with quick pitches and stories. Tickets limited. Fuelled by Dash Drinks + more.

🦁🐠 IN OTHER NEWS… SOMETHING RATHER FISHY

Turning lionfish into handbags » Fish leather is here (cows around the world breath a collective sigh of relief).

👀 SNEAK PEAK:

Take a look at the climate startup next up – Our Carbon, lead by another inspiring founder, Dave Erasmus, who is taking carbon accounting to new depths… literally.

👷‍♀️ BUILDING SOMETHING AMAZING OR WANT IN ON THE NEXT BIG THING?

If you're building an amazing startup in the climate impact space or you're a budding or seasoned impact investor looking for the next big opportunity, take a moment sign up. It's simple, free, with no commitments and takes <1 minute. 👇