Unlocking billions for nature with Cultivo, Ep #102

Let’s talk about nature – the forests, land, oceans, biodiversity, and ecosystem that make this planet liveable and, if you ask me, quite worth saving. Nature regulates our climate – and stewarding nature well could contribute 20-30% of our emissions reduction needs. It’d also support livelihoods around the world and help prevent the mass extinction of many of our planet’s species. 

Nature-based solutions often sound simple – planting and protecting forests, farming in ways that improve soil health, restoring wetlands – but require sophisticated techniques to measure and track their impact. The lack of good nature monitoring systems has contributed to a $700 billion global financing gap and an inability of private sector investors to really lean into this opportunity. Currently, just 15% of investment in nature-based solutions comes from the private sector. 

This is where a young company called Cultivo comes in. Cultivo uses technology to understand the investment opportunity for nature based solutions. Having just raised $14 million of venture capital, they’re ready to scale. I was thrilled to speak with Cultivo Founder and CEO Manuel Pinuela. We discussed Manuel’s background as a repeat entrepreneur, how he came to found Cultivo, the technology that sets them apart, the potential they see and much more. I learned a lot and became a quick fan of Cultivo’s work. 

Hope you enjoy this episode. It’s our last of 2024, so I’m wishing you all happy holidays. I hope you all get to spend some time resting and recharging – perhaps including some time in nature – and gear up for the challenges ahead. Thanks for listening.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• [00:58] Manuel Pinuela's background and how he got into climate
• [06:25] Cultivo and the problem that they’re solving
• [09:30] Defining "degraded land" and Cultivo's target customers
• [12:55] Cultivo's technology and approach
• [15:11] Examples of complex nature-based solutions Cultivo works on
• [23:54] The climate impact and portfolio approach of Cultivo's work
• [31:19] Cultivo's progress and recent $14 million funding round
• [35:09] What the nature-based solutions market needs

Resources Mentioned

• Cultivo

Connect with Manuel Pinuela

• Connect with Manuel on LinkedIn

Connect with Jason Rissman

• On LinkedIn
• On Twitter

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