Finance & Investment Innovation & Technology

Earthshot Prize ‘Launchpad’ to Link Investors with Climate Innovators

New matchmaking platform highlights game-changing solutions from the Earthshot Prize nominations process and connects them with like-minded investors and philanthropists.

Published 9 months ago | About a 5 minute read

Image: WikiImages

At an event on Monday in London with investors, philanthropists and Earthshot Prize finalists, HRH Prince William celebrated the launch of The Earthshot Prize Launchpad — the next phase in The Earthshot Prize’s journey to scale innovative climate solutions from around the globe by 2030.

Unveiled in November, the online matchmaking platform — which connects Earthshot innovators with like-minded investors and philanthropists — has already attracted 135 investors and philanthropists.

Launchpad offers investors and philanthropists access to a curated database of scalable environmental solutions and details of their current funding needs that funders can browse for potential matches. Currently in its pilot phase, Launchpad is spotlighting 25 Earthshot solutions from six continents with funding needs exceeding £400 million.

Over the next year, the Prize hopes to triple the number of solutions on the platform by including stand-out nominees from every sector and geography, in addition to Winners and Finalists.

“Launchpad marks a significant step forward for The Earthshot Prize on its journey to scaling innovative solutions from around the globe and becoming a global platform for impact,” says CEO Hannah Jones. “Over the last four years, the Prize has scoured the planet for the best environmental innovations. Now, with the knowledge we’ve gained from our annual nomination process, we are empowering investors and philanthropists to discover the incredible solutions in our network while opening doors for promising innovations to further scale.”

To support even more Earthshot innovators beyond the annual cohort of 15 Finalists in catalyzing funding on an even bigger scale, standout nominees from the Prize process beyond the final 15 will also be added to the platform, once it’s fully up and running later this year.

“Launchpad is one-of-a-kind because it brings together a diversity of funders – small and large investors, banks and asset managers, family offices, foundations and public donors – who can collectively meet the needs of the remarkable solutions in our database,” says Anuradha Bajaj, Director of Innovation Marketplace and Investments of The Earthshot Prize. “The Earthshot Prize is also deliberately business model-agnostic, and Launchpad will include solutions from all sectors and geographies. Whether it’s an African startup, South American government, Asian advocacy group or European non-profit, we want to showcase the best solutions that can help restore and regenerate our planet.”

An early partner of Launchpad, Frederick Teo, CEO of GenZero — an investment platform on a mission to accelerate decarbonization — said: “A platform like the Launchpad will play a critical role of a catalyst in connecting investors like GenZero with impactful and innovative solutions that aim to tackle the pressing global climate crisis. Launchpad’s streamlined and targeted search process curates the available solutions and matches them to the investor’s needs, geographic focus and risk appetite.”

Thanks in part to its presence on Launchpad, 2022 Earthshot Prize Winner Notpla — which has developed a line of biodegradable, seaweed-based alternatives to plastic packaging — has already received an additional £3.9 million commitment towards its recent £10 million funding round.

“The Launchpad platform is already demonstrating real impact by connecting us with like-minded investors,” says Notpla co-CEO Pierre Paslier. “As the platform continues to grow, I’m confident it will be a gamechanger for other solutions in Earthshot’s robust and growing pipeline.”

Launchpad is The Earthshot Prize’s next step in its goal to scale and accelerate the impact of environmental innovations that can protect and restore our planet. Earthshot Prize Finalists and Winners have made incredible strides in the four years since the Prize’s founding:

Notpla also just signed a three-year, multimillion-pound contract with Levy UK + Ireland — owner of over 200 event spaces across the UK — which will see Levy introducing around 75 million units of Notpla’s seaweed-based food packaging materials to over 50 sporting and event venues around England.
Last month, 2022 Finalist SeaForester — which uses innovative seaforesting techniques to restore seaweed ecosystems — signed a deal with Nestlé Purina to restore 1,500 hectares of marine habitat by 2030.
Another seaweed innovator, 2023 Finalist Sea Forest — whose seaweed-based feed supplements significantly reduce methane emissions from ruminant livestock — is scaling its impact through partnerships with New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra, premium feedlot-beef producer Rangers Valley; and burger chain Grill’d Healthy Burgers to increase supply of climate-friendlier beef; and luxury menswear brand M.J. Bale to produce the world’s first carbon-neutral wool.
Another 2023 Finalist, Colorifix — which uses DNA sequencing to replicate nature's hues into sustainable pigments for textiles — has partnered to create custom colors for brands including H&M, Pangaia and Vollebak.
Kenya-based electric mobility pioneer Roam, another 2023 Finalist, raised £19 million to meet growing demand and help build 1,000 electric motorcycles per month.
2023 Finalist Boomitra — which uses satellite and AI technology to measure, report and verify soil carbon credits across the globe — has entered into an exclusive partnership with Terra Carbono to introduce regenerative-agriculture practices and provide carbon-finance opportunities to farmers and ranchers across 1.5 million acres in Brazil.