The NatureBacked Podcast

In this podcast episode, Deyan Angeloev, founder of Organic Tee Star, shares with Tarmo Virki his journey of building a green future over the past 20 years, starting with recycling projects and moving into the organic market.He highlights the importance of certified organic products and the benefits they bring to the environment and human health.Dejan also discusses his efforts to educate people in North America about sustainability.He emphasizes the need for a mindset change towards sustainability and the long-term benefits of organic products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The keys to unlocking climate financing in Africa lie in the digitalisation of records and the rolling out of new financing products, said Anete Garoza, co-founder of 1MTN, a carbon credit developer focused on restoring degraded lands in Africa using bamboo."We still see a huge investment gap in the climate financing," Garoza said. "And it's not because these projects at the moment operating in Africa would be uninvestable. It's because of the capital providers. I would say that they don't have so much insight about the operations, operation facilities and specifics in those countries.""Capital at the moment is the biggest need for all of us in this space. And now we need to unlock it. So, we need to work together with different stakeholders and just find a way how to do it. Where we need digitalisation, we need to bring it. Where we need different financing products, we need to find out and implement them," she said.Garoza explains the benefits of bamboo, including its various uses and impact on local communities. She also describes the process of selecting and preparing land for bamboo planting, emphasizing the importance of community involvement and public participation.The conversation touches on the challenges of land ownership and digitalization in Uganda, and the significant employment opportunities created by their projects.The speakers discuss the future goals and milestones for 1MTN, including their ambitious-sounding target of restoring 1 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.The conversation also touches on the challenges of carbon project certification and the need for more specialists in the field. Finally, Garoza emphasizes the importance of trust and open-mindedness in the voluntary carbon market, encouraging people to explore and understand its opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Venturebeam focuses on raising funds for impact-driven companies with substantial revenue and proven market fit, says its head, Oli Harris.Harris highlights the importance of self-awareness and small actions in making a significant impact and introduces Venture Impact Score.Venturebeam's first funding round was for Xocean, an Irish company developing autonomous underwater drones. The company raised a total of 30 million euros last month.The episode concludes with a discussion of Venturebeam's future goals, including expanding its impact in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.The episode was recorded from nature, so apologies for the distracting sounds of wind and birds in the background ;) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a background in music and project management, Gerald J. Leonard, CEO of Turnberry Premier, orchestrates a discussion on the critical role of data-driven processes in creating sustainable workplaces and reducing carbon footprints."Your climate strategy is your business strategy today," Leonard stressed.Leonard shares insights on the importance of leadership buy-in and cultural alignment for the effective execution of sustainability initiatives.As we explore the growing consumer demand for transparency in environmental impact, Gerald underscores the urgency of genuine commitment to sustainability practices, with 2030 looming as a pivotal year for global goals.Tune in as we uncover the power of education and storytelling in driving cultural change towards a greener future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sid Kitisakkul from Nature2need discusses their mission to decarbonize the plastic industry by incorporating agricultural residues into the polymer, potentially achieving negative emissions.The company has been operational since 2017, with a production facility in China, producing 4,000 tons of decarbonized plastic raw material annually. They are raising funds to scale production and expand operations to Thailand, leveraging the country's strong agricultural and polymer industries.The company also plans to franchise its model to maintain low carbon emissions and costs, with a potential franchisee in East Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ali Horriyat transformed from a top-tier capitalist to an activist founding Compassiviste, a movement advocating for systemic change through education and practical action. His journey began with a life-altering trip to Ecuador, leading to the relinquishment of his wealth and the pursuit of meaningful societal contributions.Compassiviste, structured like an octopus with various initiatives as tentacles, aims to educate the public on environmental issues, notably through a TV show designed to reduce carbon footprints. The movement's focus extends to ethical practices in production and consumption, and it collaborates with global charities to provide sustainable solutions for refugees through education and resettlement.By 2025, Compassiviste seeks to make a significant impact, with projects like a publishing house for marginalized voices and innovative programs to foster environmental responsibility."2025 is our year. 2025 is the year where we will have an impact," Horriyat said. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arkio Industries pivoted from bioplastics to developing a sustainable monomaterial from cellulose. Founder Timo Haanpää highlights the material's flame resistance and aesthetic qualities, emphasizing the importance of design in sustainability. He discusses the company's strategy to produce high-quality, desirable products with a focus on circularity, aiming to reuse materials to maintain or enhance their value. Arkio Industries plans to scale production and explore applications for their material, with ambitions to use it in building structures eventually. The conversation concludes with reflections on the transition from software to tangible products and the challenges of introducing new material to the market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aquaria, a technology company producing Atmospheric Water Generators, aims to make commonplace its innovation of creating clean drinking water out of thin air."We have a very large vision, and that is to build Aquaria into a technology solution for water that one day at least we have the option actually to replace tap water," said founder and Chief Executive Brian Sheng.Sheng highlighted the vast amount of water available in the atmosphere and Aquaria's technology that captures it using low energy. He emphasized the lack of attention and investment in water solutions despite their critical role in climate change effects. "Our focus is on making atmospheric water capture more and more energy-efficient over time so that in the future we hit this point where we have the option to build city-scale, society-scale water infrastructure without pipes or large centralized infrastructure," said Sheng, whose company built last year water supply for some of the first homes in the world whose water supply comes from the air.As a serial entrepreneur, Brian co-founded The Vanguard, Fresh VC, and he founded Asia Horizon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HeavyFinance incentivizes farmers to adopt climate-friendly practices by providing financial support for the transition from conventional to regenerative farming. Founder Laimonas Noreika, with a background in FinTech, was inspired to start the company after learning about the financial challenges faced by farmers, he said in an interview on sidelines of TechChill conference in Riga.HeavyFinance has evolved from a lending business to a climate-focused enterprise, leveraging a business model based on Verra standards to issue carbon credits to farmers who sequester CO2. They are now active in six European markets and are launching an Article 9 fund to further support regenerative farming practices. The company aims to create a financial ecosystem tailored for farmers, offering products like green loans to facilitate the switch to sustainable farming, with the ultimate goal of scaling up to meet the significant financial needs of small and medium farms across Europe.The company is working on unlocking institutional capital and launching a securitization deal, with plans to expand its support and educational efforts in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martin Kelly from Innovo Network discusses the company's mission to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by promoting and deploying profitable clean technologies."It is now actually technologically and profitably possible to achieve this reduction, but a huge amount has to happen in terms of the scale of the capital investment, and so on," Kelly said.He emphasizes the importance of making these technologies known to major companies and investors, as they are the key players in commercializing them on a global scale.Martin highlights several technologies, including fuel cells and algae biorefineries, which can transform waste CO2 into valuable products. He also discusses the potential of converting desert land into productive agricultural areas using algae.The challenges ahead for Innovo include raising capital and increasing public awareness about these technologies. Martin's vision is to accelerate the adoption of clean technologies, making them profitable for businesses and beneficial for the environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices