Good Morning
What we’re reading this week:
2024 Climate Tech Outlook (Forbes)
New KPI in Climate Change just dropped: Birds (WYSO)
American Climate Corps to begin Implementation in 2024 (Dept of Labor)
The Greendicator
Top Deals of the Week
![Singapore's Meatiply Debuts Asia's First Cultivated Smoked Duck Breast Singapore's Meatiply Debuts Asia's First Cultivated Smoked Duck Breast](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc5d38fb6-0b32-47bf-8e56-6af47e0b3014_1024x768.jpeg)
UK power supplier Octopus Energy raised $800M at a $7.8B valuation in an additional funding round led by Origin Energy and Tokyo Gas (BW)
X-Energy, a 14-year-old company based in Rockville, Md., that is developing small modular nuclear reactors, raised an $80 million Series C extension. Ares Management and X-Energy founder Kam Ghaffarian were the co-leads. More here.
Nth Cycle, a six-year-old startup based in Beverly, Ma., that works with scrap recyclers, miners, and battery recyclers to recover critical metals, raised a $44 million Series B round led by VoLo Earth Ventures. More here.
Sweetch Energy, a renewable energy company specializing in osmotic energy, raised a $27.5M Series A led by Révolution Environnementale et Solidaire (FN)
AgroSpheres, a seven-year-old startup based in Charlottesville, Va., that says it has developed a delivery system for biopesticides that is more targeted than traditional methods, raised a $25 million Series B round from FMC Ventures and others (AF)
Blue World Technologies, a five-year-old Danish startup that makes fuel cells for the automotive and heavy-duty transportation sectors, raised an $11.9 million round. Investors included Maersk Growth. Renewables Now has more here.
Plant-based materials startup Lingrove raised a $10M Series B led by Lewis & Clark Agrifood and Diamond Edge Ventures (BW)
CurbWaste, a provider of a waste management payments software platform, raised a $10M Series A led by Flourish Ventures (FN)
Pachama, a five-year-old San Francisco startup that helps companies offset carbon by using satellites to measure forest carbon storage, raised a $9 million Series B extension round from T.Capital (the corporate venture capital arm of Deutsche Telekom) and previous investors Lowercarbon Capital and Positive Ventures. More here.
Hyme Energy, a two-year-old Copenhagen startup whose technology could help industrial companies store power from green sources of energy, raised an $8.6 million round. Investors included Heartland. Sifted has more here.
Aether Fuels, a SAF startup, raised an $8.5M pre-Series A led by JetBlue Ventures, TechEnergy Ventures, Doral Energy Tech Ventures, and others (FN)
PlantSwitch, a three-year-old startup based in Sanford, N.C., that uses agricultural waste to make biodegradable and compostable resins, raised a $7.7 million round. NexPoint Capital was one of the investors. Plastics Technology has more here.
Cambium Carbon, a startup based in Washington, DC, that connects businesses needing wood with landowners willing to grow it sustainably, raised a $5.3 million seed round led by MaC Venture Capital. More here.
Strong by Form, a Madrid startup whose mission is to create a sustainable alternative to concrete, raised a $5.2 million seed round led by CMPC Ventures. EU-Startups has more here.
Standard Biocarbon, a biochar producer, raised $5M in funding from Nexus Development Capital (FN)
Farmless, a two-year-old Amsterdam startup that is developing alternative protein sources via fermentation technology in order to replace meat, dairy, and eggs, raised a $5.2 million seed round. World Fund and Vorwerk Ventures were the co-leads. TechCrunch has more here.
UP Catalyst, a four-year-old startup based in Tallinn, Estonia, whose goal is to make graphite from carbon dioxide for use in lithium-ion batteries, raised a $4.3 million seed round led by Extantia. TechCrunch has more here.
Meatiply, a two-year-old Singapore startup that says it is using specialized muscle cell regeneration technology to create cultivated meat products, raised a $3.8 million seed round co-led by AgFunder and Wavemaker Partners. Vegconomist has more here.
Carbon Maps, a Paris startup that helps food companies track their carbon footprint down to the product level, raised a $3.2 million seed extension. Investors included Back Market and Daphni. TechCrunch has more here.
BioFluff, a one-year-old Paris startup that has created a plant-based fur alternative, raised a $2.4 million seed round. Astanor Ventures led the transaction. WWD has more here.
Green Theory
re:solving climate change
Every year, as the December air ushers out the past twelve months, a feeling of opportunity drives many to set a resolution. While we spend many weeks at the Green Bite focusing on systemic challenges, New Year’s Resolutions—at least in the US—largely reflect personal, individualistic goals. Compared to the past few years, far more Americans are resolving to save more money in 2024. Still, from improving physical health to ‘being happy,’ these ideals we carry into the New Year all typically anchor on efforts and outcomes that center the self.
Are these individual annual goals at odds with climate justice? Not at all. Despite what systemic doomers and oil & gas lobbies want us to believe, our individual choices and actions are immensely powerful. Through the experience of fulfilling a resolution, the positive ripples it sends to those around you, and the direct outcome of your efforts, New Year’s Resolutions give our personal and potent climate levers a boost.
Does it matter?
Our own personal choices play a major role in shaping society. First, the very experience of rejecting something we find destructive (boycotting a company, ending a consumptive habit, or otherwise) opens our time to new perspectives, activities, and ways of living. Receiving these insights strengthens our own resolve, and proof that a different way is possible shines a light for your community.
This light leads to our second catalyst for personal choices scaling up to systemic: we influence those around us with our words and actions. Whether you’re learning more deeply about local composting and recycling, restoring native plants, or hosting a vegetarian feast, your dedication could be the spark of the fire for motivation in anyone around you. Lastly, in a market economy, even if you have no friends, your consumption impacts a demand network, and could have far-reaching consequences for how the next quarter, year, or decade is planned.
How’s it done?
As discussed in previous New Year’s editions, making your goal measurable is one of the most essential aspects of sticking with it throughout the year. Measurability can offer gradients of success, where there’s still effort to be proud of, even if you weren’t perfect (and who is?). For example, saying you’ll take no more than 2 roundtrip flights is a lot more meaningful than abstractly planning to fly less.
Sticking with the flying example, we can also look at keeping a positive frame on resolutions. Instead of viewing climate-relevant New Year’s goals in terms of restrictions, we can celebrate the abundance on the other side. Rather than lamenting the flying vacations you’d miss out on, cherish the two that you take, and enjoy the time you get back, outside a metal can. What new hobby, local history, or community could flying less open up space for?
Happy resolving!
No matter what you set your sights on in 2024, we hope you have the chance to live your values more fully. Though overcoming dissonance and breaking old habits can seem daunting, ample rewards wait. Further, even if this nation has a tradition of setting individualistic goals, know that you’re not alone, and that enlisting your community for help is a time-tested strategy for success.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
can I shift away from any major sources of fossil fuels this year?
electrify your appliances
use transit/micro-mobility/bikes/EVs instead of traditional cars
limit non-essential flying
can I reduce the footprint of my food?
shop for plant-based food
consider seasonality and locality
compost, compost, compost, compost
fall in love with new plant-based recipes
can I bend back my carbon shadow?
find a socially positive job, such as in education or green tech
boycott a toxic company or industry
write letters, place calls, and otherwise direct feedback to public servants
can I foster deeper connection with my planet and people?
join local advocacy, activism, or aid groups
take or lead classes in the community
spend free time learning about what matters to those around you
We can get a lot done in a year, but it’ll probably fly by before you know it. We’ll leave you with our parting words of 2021, as we wish you the strength and self-compassion to see your resolutions through to the best of your abilities:
Changing ourselves and changing the world are both hard, but we have infinitely more control over one of those two. We each have one life to live, one year—and one decision—at a time.