BOSTON, May 29, 2024 — Chloris Geospatial, the leading technology company measuring forest carbon from space, welcomes the Cisco Foundation and NextSTEP as investors. The two new additions join existing investors AXA IM Alts, Orbia Ventures, At One Ventures, and Counteract in a new funding round that will support the continued advancement of Chloris’ mission.

Forest conservation and restoration are vital solutions to the climate change and biodiversity crisis and a necessary tool to steer the global economy toward attaining net-zero emissions by 2050. Chloris’ monitoring technologies enable the scaling of these solutions by allowing trustworthy assessment of their impact on the ground.

Developed under the guidance of its co-founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Alessandro Baccini, Chloris’ technology produces reliable annual estimates of biomass density and quantifies forest carbon stock and change for any area of interest by utilizing earth observation data, proprietary sensor fusion, and machine learning algorithms. Chloris’ technology empowers governments, companies, civil society organizations, indigenous peoples, and local communities to track all biomass dynamics – including those arising from deforestation, degradation, and growth of trees – from field to continental scale and understand the impact of their forest carbon projects and supply chains.

The new funding round will enable Chloris to meet the evolving needs of the market, while facilitating continued commercial growth and solidifying Chloris’ position as the most trusted name in remote sensing for forest carbon accounting.

“We are thrilled to have secured continued support from our existing investors and extend a warm welcome to the Cisco Foundation and NextSTEP,” said Chloris co-founder and CEO Marco Albani. “This investment reaffirms the confidence of our investors and their commitment to our mission of delivering high-integrity data on the impact of nature and climate action.”

Chloris also announced today that Adam Gibbon, Natural Capital Lead at AXA IM Alts, has joined its board of directors.

“We think that Chloris’ technology is a leap forward, allowing forest biomass measurement at unparalleled scale, speed and accuracy, and expect it to become the de facto standard for forest carbon projects and supply chain footprinting. This investment contributes to AXA IM Alts’ mission to invest into activity and solutions that ensure the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of natural capital,” said Adam Gibbon, Natural Capital Lead at AXA IM Alts.

“Through the Cisco Foundation’s climate investments, we strive to support early-stage climate ventures that can catalyze substantial climate impact,” said Elias Habbar-Baylac, Climate Investor with the Cisco Foundation. “Our support for Chloris Geospatial is rooted in their exceptional ability to monitor forest carbon dynamics with precision and scale. Chloris’ advanced sensor fusion technology and machine learning models provide essential data for robust, scalable natural carbon sinks management, aligning with Cisco Foundation’s strategy to protect and scale natural carbon sinks.” The Cisco Foundation was established in 1997 with a gift from Cisco. In 2021, the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over the next 10 years to fund innovative climate solutions.

“Our strategic investment in Chloris, a decision made in alignment with our mission and values, reflects the critical role of trusted monitoring technologies in tackling climate change effectively,” said Claudio Colombo, Managing Director at NextSTEP. NextSTEP (NextEnergy Sustainable Technology for the Planet) is an investment initiative promoted by NextEnergy Group dedicated to pre-seed and seed investments in CleanTech startups.

“Nature based solutions are critical components in humanity’s efforts to reduce carbon in the atmosphere. Orbia Ventures spent many months evaluating the remote sensing market before deciding to invest in Chloris. Having the best team in the industry, Chloris is the only company in the world that can cost effectively and at scale measure the carbon stocks and changes in every forest in the world since the year 2000,” said Shai Albaranes, VP Innovation and Ventures at Orbia.

About Chloris Geospatial
Chloris Geospatial is a leading provider of trustworthy forest carbon insights, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to create innovative solutions that drive business value. The technology helps businesses make informed decisions and improve operations through scalable and cost-effective actionable insights maximizing funds for action on the ground.

For more information, visit www.chloris.earth.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2424680/Chloris_Geospatial_Logo.jpg

NEW YORK, May 29, 2024 — Silas Capital, an “emerging growth” equity and venture capital firm that invests behind exceptional next generation consumer brands, has announced today that Mary Murtagh has joined the firm as a Vice President on its investment team.

Ms. Murtagh joins Silas Capital with 7 years of consumer growth equity, investment banking and operational experience. Most recently, Mary was a Senior Associate at CAVU Consumer Partners, where she worked on venture and growth equity transactions across the beauty, personal care, food and beverage categories. Prior to CAVU, she was a Commercial Finance & Strategy Associate at Vita Coco. Mary began her career as a consumer investment banker at Rothschild & Co. Mary graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A in Finance.

“We could not be more excited to welcome Mary to our investment team and look forward to the significant contributions she will make to the firm,” said Carter Weiss, Partner of Silas Capital. “We will continue to add talented, experienced consumer-focused professionals who will enable us to expand our investment capabilities.”

Silas Capital will continue to focus on $3 million to $15+ million investments in high-growth, and typically profitable, consumer brands between $5 million and $50+ million in revenue. This “emerging growth” strategy resides uniquely between venture capital and private equity, which has proven to be an ever-inefficient segment of the market within the consumer segment.

About Silas Capital:

We’ve been there too — Silas Capital is a consumer growth equity and venture capital firm formed in 2012 by founders and principal investors with a long record of success across e-commerce, wholesale, and retail.

The firm’s flagship funds, Silas Capital I & II, specialize in partnering with growth stage consumer businesses between $5 and $50+ million in revenue that are capital efficient and on a clear path to profitably as lead investor with check sizes of $3 to $15+ million. Silas is one of the few experienced firms specializing in “emerging” growth stage consumer businesses, having pioneered the segment.

Additionally, Silas looks to invest up to 10% of its capital into seed and early-stage brands with smaller passive checks under $500K through Silas Ventures, the firm’s early-stage venture platform comprised of two micro funds, Silas Ventures I & II.

For more information www.silascapital.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Silas Capital
[email protected]

SOURCE Silas Capital

SEATTLE, May 29, 2024 — TraceAir, a leading provider of site intelligence software for homebuilders and land developers, today announced a $25 million Series B funding round led by PeakSpan Capital, with participation from Flashpoint Venture Capital among other existing investors. TraceAir offers builders and developers a visual and collaborative construction management platform that empowers businesses with data-driven insights to lower costs, improve efficiency, and reduce the risk of errors and delays.

The investment will support the development and market roll-out of new products to boost land development and homebuilding workflows with predictive analytics and to set the industry on a new level of efficiency and automation. TraceAir’s expanded offerings will encompass the entire lifecycle of land development and homebuilding projects—from land acquisition and planning up through construction—delivering unparalleled value to top builders, proving that TraceAir is the must-have partner for any developer to compete in the land-development market.

“We are thrilled to embark on this next chapter of TraceAir’s journey with the support of PeakSpan Capital and Flashpoint Venture Capital,” said Maria Khokhlova, co-founder of TraceAir. “This funding will enable us to accelerate our mission of transforming the land development and homebuilding industries through radical transparency and visual data-driven approach as well as through empowering essential workflows with innovation and technology.”

Since founding TraceAir in 2015, co-founders Maria Khokhlova, Dmitry Korolev, Alexander Solovyev, and Nikita Ushakov have grown the company to serve the top thirty homebuilders in 40+ states and Canada. Trusted by industry leaders including DR Horton, Howard Hughes, Lennar, and more, TraceAir is committed to meeting the complex business needs of builders and land developers worldwide.

“Our vision is to empower construction professionals with intelligent and easy-to-use tools that drive efficiency and sustainability,” added Dmitry Korolev, co-founder of TraceAir. “With this investment, we are poised to deliver even greater value to our customers and partners.”

The construction technology market is predicted to exceed a market size of $24 billion by 2033, a considerable increase from $5 billion in 2023. Private equity investments in PropTech and adjacent sectors are poised to fuel this market growth in response to industry challenges such as workforce and supply chain shortages, inflation, and dynamic regulation.

“TraceAir has demonstrated exceptional growth and innovation in an industry ripe for disruption,” said Phil Dur, co-founder and general partner at PeakSpan Capital. “We are excited to partner with Maria, Dmitry, and the entire TraceAir team as they continue to pioneer advancements in construction technology.”

“TraceAir’s commitment to leveraging AI and machine learning to address critical challenges in land development and homebuilding aligns perfectly with our investment thesis,” added Tony Fedorov, partner and the Head of US operations at Flashpoint Venture Capital. “We look forward to supporting TraceAir as they scale their transformative solutions.”

To learn more, please visit www.traceair.net.

About TraceAir 
TraceAir is the premier provider of construction site analysis and management solutions, revolutionizing the modern approach to land development and homebuilding. TraceAir’s platform captures valuable 3D project data and empowers construction teams by significantly saving time and reducing the risk of costly errors and delays. TraceAir’s diverse team of technology enthusiasts, engineers, drone pilots, project managers, and software developers is driven by a passion for construction and a commitment to advancing the success of clients across the globe. For more information, visit www.traceair.net.

Public Relations Contact
Coleman Pyeatt
[email protected]
(214) 797-9848

SOURCE TraceAir

BROOKLYN, N.Y., May 29, 2024 — Matter Bio, a pioneering biotech company dedicated to preserving genome integrity and extending healthy human lifespan, today announced the successful close of its seed round funding, raising $7 million to advance its groundbreaking work in longevity research.

The seed round was led by Lifespan Vision Ventures, with participation from quadraScope Ventures and others, and includes grant support from NIH, NCI, and NIEHS. The funds will be utilized to conduct further research into the information theory of aging at a genomic level, which Matter believes contributes significantly to the aging process. The funds will also enable the filing of an IND and the start of a Phase 1/2a clinical trial in solid cancer.

Matter Bio tackles the problem of genome instability holistically, addressing the issue through a multi-pronged approach:

1. Reading Mutation: Detecting and identifying loss of genomic information.
2. Reversing: Correcting integrated mutations and reintroducing original genetic information.
3. Removing: Eliminating cells that are too damaged to be repaired, such as cancerous, clonal, and senescent cells.

Matter Bio has assembled a world-class team of scientists and executives, including co-founders such as George Church, PhD, a pioneer in genome sequencing and gene editing, Jan Vijg, PhD, an expert in genome instability and somatic mutations, and Claudia Gravekamp, PhD, a world authority in attenuated bacterial therapeutics. The company operates at the forefront of longevity biotechnology, leveraging cutting-edge science and innovative approaches to address the complexities of aging.

“Genomic integrity is a cornerstone of longevity and healthspan extension,” said George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. “Matter Bio is pioneering a crucial approach in the fight against aging by focusing on the preservation of our genetic blueprint. I am excited to see the impact of their work on enhancing human health.”

“Our investment in Matter Bio furthers our mission of supporting the cutting-edge interventions that promote longevity and combat aging,” said Andrew Worden, Founding Partner of LifeSpan Vision Ventures. “Matter Bio’s strong team, cutting-edge genomic preservation technologies, and early-stage partnerships give the company excellent prospects to succeed with its vision.”

For more information about Matter Bio’s history and mission, please visit matterbio.com.

Media Contact:
[email protected]

SOURCE Matter Bio

Compliance leader on pace to double messaging volume this year, as highly regulated industries increase adoption of compliant text and text-based payment solutions

DALLAS, May 29, 2024 — Solutions by Text (SBT), a leading platform for compliance-first messaging and payments, today announced raising $110 million in new growth financing. Growth equity investment firm Edison Partners co-led the transaction with StepStone Group, a global private markets investment firm. Stifel Venture Bank, a division of Stifel Bank, provided a lending facility.

Since Edison Partners’ initial investment in November 2021, both SBT’s bookings and revenue have grown more than 3X through compliant messaging and payment solutions built for consumer finance businesses across origination, servicing, marketing and accounts receivable use cases. In 2023, SBT’s messaging volume increased 95% from the prior year. This year, SBT is on pace to more than double messaging volume growth.

“We are so pleased that Edison Partners and StepStone share our conviction about the vast potential for an enterprise-scale compliance platform to orchestrate text messaging and payments in consumer finance,” said David Baxter, CEO of Solutions By Text. “Consumers want an alternative to endless emails, confusing web portals, and lengthy rounds with call centers when engaging their financial providers. While texting is ubiquitous with consumers, it has not matched up with the rigorous business requirements of finance regulators and carrier networks. We have bridged this divide to drive massive returns for our financial customers and put us on an accelerated upward growth trajectory.”

Text messaging proves to be one of the most effective ways to reach consumers. Ninety percent of consumers prefer text over other forms of communication, with the majority of text messages received and read in under five minutes. Despite this, and in the face of increasing regulatory complexity and carrier policies, 60% of SBT’s new customers were not using text messaging for fear of violations over the last 12 months. The difficulty of compliance has also forced some customer engagement and messaging providers to exit the financial services sector. Currently, SBT is the only end-to-end enterprise compliance platform for messaging and payments solutions to serve the consumer finance industry.

SBT’s compliant-forward platform is also enabling its customers to tap into new opportunities such as payments, where the dynamics are ripe for messaging. Nearly 17 billion bills are issued each year in the U.S. at an annual growth rate of 7%, comprising nearly $6 trillion in spend. Of this, 40% of bills focus on consumer finances. However, while 88% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers say they would make a text payment, only 9% have been given the opportunity (see: Datos report).

“When Edison first invested in SBT two and a half years ago, we saw a founder-led, capital-efficient business with a competitive moat that went deep on regulatory and carrier compliance and wide on financial industry solutions and third-party technology integrations,” said Kelly Ford, General Partner, Edison Partners. “Since then, David and his team have consistently overperformed and further cemented unparalleled trust among regulators, carriers and leading financial institutions. It’s been an incredible partnership that we’re thrilled to continue through this next phase of profitable growth.”

With this investment, SBT will continue accelerating growth with large financial institutions, expand its payments and artificial intelligence capabilities, and seek inorganic opportunities.

About Solutions by Text

Solutions by Text (SBT) is the pioneer of FinText™, empowering enterprise financial services companies to compliantly engage, interact and transact with their consumers in real-time. The nation’s largest consumer finance organizations rely on SBT’s robust compliance platform to mitigate legal and reputational risk while driving messaging and payments performance throughout the consumer lifecycle – from marketing and loan origination to servicing, collections and bill payment. SBT has been recognized as a Built In Best Place to Work and an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company. For more information about Solutions By Text, please visit solutionsbytext.com and follow on LinkedIn.

About Edison Partners

Edison Partners is a leading growth equity firm providing the financial and intellectual capital that CEOs and their executive teams need to grow and scale their companies. The firm’s team brings more than 275 years of combined investing, operating and sector experience to each investment, accessible via the Edison Edge value creation platform, which is tailored to each business’ strategy, stage and operating needs. Edison targets high-growth vertical SaaS, financial technology, healthcare IT and marketplace companies located outside Silicon Valley with $10 million to $30 million in revenue. Investments also include buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, and secondary stock purchases. Named as a Top Growth Investment Firm by GrowthCap for two years running, Edison’s active portfolio has created aggregated market value exceeding $10 billion. Edison Partners manages $1.7 billion in assets. For more information on Edison Partners, please visit edisonpartners.com and follow on LinkedIn.

Media:
Gregory Papajohn
[email protected]

SOURCE Solutions by Text

Half of U.S. small businesses operate with just 27 days of cash buffer—Relay’s banking platform gives them tools to extend their runway.

NEW YORK and TORONTO, May 29, 2024 – Relay, the business banking platform that gives cash flow clarity to small businesses (SMBs), announced today the close of a US$32.2 million Series B financing round, led by Bain Capital Ventures. This brings Relay’s total funding to US$51.6 million. The new financing accelerates Relay’s product development in spend management, smart credit products and a financial API marketplace. It’s the next step toward Relay’s overarching goal of delivering AI-powered predictive cash flow analytics to SMBs.

The funding comes after consecutive years of outsized growth—Relay’s revenues rose 3x in 2022 and close to 6x in 2023—and a single-minded focus on the small business market.

“68% of U.S. small business owners have cash flow problems. They worry about making payroll and mission-critical bills but lack the tools to truly address these existential threats,” said Yoseph West, Relay’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Relay gives them cash flow clarity and control—what SMBs need to sustainably fuel everyday operations—by pairing financial services with software and making banking work harder for them.”

The funding round includes previous Relay investors BTV, Garage, and Tapestry, with new participation from Industry Ventures. “Relay’s been on an incredible trajectory, even as others in the industry have had to pivot and find new footing,” said Kevin Zhang, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures. “We were eager to get behind Relay again as the company enters its next stage of growth and doubles down on the unique needs of the SMB market.”

Relay taps into the ingrained money management behaviors of business owners. SMBs want to see what they’ve earmarked for different expenses and understand their cash position at a glance—which is what Relay delivers. As a result of this approach, last summer, Relay became the official banking platform for Profit First. Created and authored by serial entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz, Profit First is a behavior-based cash management methodology and book—with over 1 million copies sold—that teaches SMBs better financial habits.

“What makes Relay so powerful for small business owners is how it works with our natural tendencies rather than against them,” says Mike Michalowicz. “Everything from saving for taxes to tracking expenses becomes second nature in Relay, and it removes so much friction from the day-to-day work of running a business.”

On average, business owners log into Relay 13 times per month, and 40% of customers who use Relay for their primary banking log in daily. The company most recently launched a credit card in limited release, complementing their smart checking and savings accounts, and a line of credit is slated to come.

About Relay:
Relay is an online banking platform that puts business owners in complete control of their cash flow and makes it easy to understand precisely what you’re earning, spending and saving. With Relay, entrepreneurs can make the smartest decisions for their businesses. Disclaimer: The Relay Visa^® Credit Card is currently available to eligible Relay customers by invite only. Relay is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and FDIC insurance are provided by Thread Bank; Member FDIC. The Relay Visa^® Business Credit Card is issued by Thread Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted.

Sources: JPMorgan, Intuit

SOURCE Relay

Oversubscribed round led by Two Sigma Ventures and RA Capital

Company has raised $73 million to date

NEW YORK, May 29, 2024 — Gameto, a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing treatment options in women’s health, has closed an oversubscribed $33 million Series B financing round, led by Two Sigma Ventures with RA Capital and participation from existing investors, including Insight Partners, Future Ventures, and BOLD Capital Partners. Gameto’s investor group is also joined by Olivia Walton’s Ingeborg Investments, Stacey Bendet Eisner, Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of alice + olivia, and Chelsea Hirschhorn, Founder and CEO of Frida.

This latest funding brings Gameto’s total capital raised to $73 million. In the U.S., the financing will support the clinical development of Fertilo, their novel investigational in vitro maturation (IVM) solution containing engineered ovarian support cells (OSCs) to mature eggs outside of the body. Following productive discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Gameto received tentative approval to proceed to Phase 3 trials, subject to the completion of certain assay and manufacturing requirements. The funding will continue to support the commercial launches of Fertilo in Australia and Latin America where it is already being used in the clinic.

“I am proud of the strong scientific foundation, driven and high performing team, innovative pipeline and encouraging data that we have cultivated at Gameto, and I am incredibly excited to amplify and build upon this momentum with the addition of leading investors with extensive expertise in reproductive medicine,” said Dr. Dina Radenkovic, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Gameto. “These funds will support our late stage clinical development in the U.S., post-market surveillance outside the U.S. and the creation of a commercial operations function. We are honored to have added the teams at Two Sigma, RA Capital, and others to our stellar investor base, and we’re pleased to see increased investor confidence in our platform technology and a recognition of the pressing need for modern treatments in the historically underfunded women’s health space, despite a challenging market. I believe that each small step we take in investing in women’s health can lead to a giant leap in medical breakthroughs and innovation.”

Gameto’s novel approach uses cellular engineering to create a pure population of highly potent OSCs from a female clinical-grade human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line that recreates the dynamic, bidirectional follicular environment in a dish when co-cultured with immature eggs. This technology is designed to replace hormonal injections and shorten the in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg freezing cycle from 10-14 days to 2-3 days.

“Gameto’s pioneering approach to IVF has the potential to impact families and societies on a global scale,” said Dusan Perovic, Partner at Two Sigma Ventures. “In addition to making treatments much easier and more accessible for women, Gameto’s advanced IVF/egg-freezing solution addresses a massive societal need as we’re living longer and looking to start families later in life while facing rising female and male infertility rates. There’s also a growing demand for IVF from a broader group of people, such as those with certain genetic disorders now discoverable by carrier screening, and single and same-sex parents starting families, to name a few. By harnessing cutting-edge breakthroughs in genetic sequencing and cellular engineering – tools that didn’t exist until recently – Gameto is poised to upend traditional IVF treatments to make them more accessible, convenient, and faster for anyone to start a family.”

“It’s astounding how little innovation has gone into improving IVF over the past 45 years,” said Laura Stoppel, a Principal at RA Capital Management. “Gameto is a pioneer in the women’s health industry, and we believe Fertilo represents a much-needed option for women as they navigate their fertility journey.”

“This investment is among the most personal any investor can make,” added Peter Kolchinsky, Managing Partner of RA Capital Management and father of two children. “Many at our firm have been blessed by what IVF makes possible, and know the ordeal that women tolerate at the outset of that journey just to conceive. To contemplate the importance of easing that burden, of expanding the freedom of many to have children when they are ready, it’s hard to overestimate the potential impact of such an advance on humanity, for all of our society, for the rest of time.”

Gameto is also supported by existing investors including Anne Wojcicki of 23andMe, Bob Nelsen of ARCH Venture Partners, Arcadia Investment Partners, Overwater Ventures, Plum Alley, Lux Capital, FJ Labs, SALT Fund, Myelin VC, TA Ventures, Jack Abraham of Atomic, YES VC and Dan Rose.

About Fertilo

Fertilo, Gameto’s lead investigational program, is a solution derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and designed to mature eggs outside of the body as part of minimal hormonal stimulation cycles for in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. Gameto’s goal in developing Fertilo is to make fertility treatments more convenient, safer, and accessible for a wider patient population. Fertilo has received different regulatory classifications in foreign jurisdictions, and after consultation with national regulators, has been cleared for commercialization in Australia and in large markets in Latin America.

About Gameto

Gameto is a biotechnology company developing novel treatment solutions for women’s health, starting with infertility. Gameto brings together an experienced scientific management team with the vision and passion to develop a product suite to support women throughout their reproductive journeys. Gameto’s lead program, Fertilo, aims to make IVF and egg freezing shorter, safer, and more accessible through reduced hormonal injections by maturing eggs outside of the body. Gameto is led by physician-turned-entrepreneur Dina Radenkovic as CEO and serial entrepreneur and founder of one of North America’s largest fertility networks Prelude Fertility, Martin Varsavsky, as Chairman. For more information, go to gametogen.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @gametogen and on LinkedIn.

Investor Contact
Kylie Jordan
[email protected]

Press Contact
Alexis Feinberg
[email protected]

SOURCE Gameto

Entrants Compete in a Shark Tank-style competition June 13-15 in advance of Juneteenth as part of minority entrepreneurship learning forum

DALLAS, May 29, 2024 — T.D. Jakes Enterprises, a social impact company, announced that it is providing small businesses and entrepreneurs an opportunity to compete for grants totaling $500,000 during its 2^nd Annual Seed Capital Pitch Competition for which Wells Fargo is the presenting sponsor.  The Shark Tank-style competition, part of The Good Soil Forum event taking place in Dallas at the AT&T Performing Arts Center June 13-15, supports minority entrepreneurs by enhancing their skills in crafting investable business plans and impactful pitches.

“This competition is more than just a platform for pitching business ideas—it’s a catalyst for change and a powerful vehicle for empowering underserved entrepreneurs,” said Michael Phillips, Chief Operating Officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises. “We encourage minority small business owners and entrepreneurs to seize this moment to compete for a share of the $500,000 prize pool, with a $200,000 grand prize. This is a transformative opportunity to drive economic mobility and create generational wealth for communities.”

“We know that small businesses and entrepreneurs are a vital part of our economic ecosystem and supporting their growth is more critical now more than ever,” said Michael Martino, head of Consumer, Small and Business Banking, Diverse Customer Segments, at Wells Fargo. “Wells Fargo is excited to partner with T.D. Jakes Enterprises to accelerate access to capital for small businesses, especially Black and African American entrepreneurs and other minority-owned businesses.”

In 2023, Good Soil awarded $250,000 in grants during the first annual Seed Capital Pitch Competition.

The competition will culminate in the awarding of seed grants to the top entrants, with the first-place winner receiving $200,000 and mentorship from a leading business leader. Other awards include a $100,000 grant for the second place winner, a $75,000 grant for the third place winner, a $75,000 Host grant for the best entry from Dallas, and a $50,000 grant for the most improved participant. Judges will evaluate submissions based on the  business plan readiness, results to date, ability to demonstrate how the plan will be utilized for business growth, and the quality of presentation.

Prior to the competition, Chairman T.D. Jakes will continue to host a series live sessions with special guests to discuss entrepreneurship as well as the impacts and demands of growing and scaling a business. Recent special guests include, Wallstreet Trapper, B. Michelle Williams and more found here and here.

Good Soil is dedicated to helping one million entrepreneurs generate $1 million dollars in revenue over the next ten years by providing networking and solutions for growing and scaling businesses. The inaugural Good Soil event held in Orlando last year brought more than 2,500 entrepreneurs together and organically had about 5,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs during that time join the Good Soil network. Currently the Good Soil app has more than 20,000 members and is continuing to grow by providing tangible things that are helping entrepreneurs grow. Wells Fargo and Stand Together Foundation, are co-presenting partners of this year’s event.

Good Soil Forum will feature educational fireside chats, breakout sessions and hands-on workshops in which business leaders can learn and participate in key conversations on a variety of topics from business planning and marketing strategies to financial management and leadership development, equipping them with practical skills and knowledge to elevate their business. The Good Soil Forum will also feature a vibrant marketplace with a diverse array of vendors, from tech startups to artisanal craftspeople, a unique opportunity to network, discover new products and services, and gain inspiration for attendees’ entrepreneurial ventures.

For more information on the 2024 Good Soil Forum, speakers and registration visit: https://www.prekindle.com/event/23773-good-soil-2024-dallas

About Good Soil
Good Soil is a project of T.D. Jakes Enterprises, LLC and a mission to connect entrepreneurs to opportunities in an effort to increase and maintain generational wealth and economic health in our communities. Here, every conversation plants a seed for growth, making every moment an opportunity to bloom into the next phase of small businesses. Learn more about the mission to increase generational wealth and employment by supporting and nurturing under-resourced entrepreneurs by visiting https://www.goodsoilforum.com/

Media Contact Information:
Jordan A. Hora  
T.D. Jakes Group
[email protected] 

Liz Gleason
BCW
(469) 978-3657
[email protected] 

SOURCE Good Soil

• The firm closes an oversubscribed second fund to scale world-changing climate tech startups that can mitigate gigaton-scale greenhouse gas emissions
• With the opening of a London office, Fund II marks the beginning of a push into Europe and Israel to support local climate innovation ecosystems 
• Investing with a technology-first lens, more than 60% of CEV’s team began as scientists and engineers, a critical validator in the deep-tech early-stage market

BOSTON, May 29, 2024 — Clean Energy Ventures (CEV), a leading global venture capital firm funding early-stage climate innovations, today announced the closing of an oversubscribed second flagship fund with total capital commitments of $305 million. In addition to significantly expanding the firm’s investment opportunities in North America, the latest fund allows CEV to bring its strategy and expertise to climate technology entrepreneurs in Europe and Israel. The launch of Fund II follows the successful deployment of a $110 million Fund I, which has backed 20 disruptive companies across the climate tech landscape that collectively are poised to mitigate over 50 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Since the early days of Cleantech 1.0, CEV’s team of veteran climate investors have guided the next generation of companies spanning mobility, renewable energy, carbon capture utilization and storage, energy storage, critical minerals, and more through seismic market shifts. With a unique investment thesis, the CEV team positions quantitative climate impact alongside financial performance – requiring that each investment be capable of mitigating at least 2.5 gigatons of CO₂e emissions cumulatively between the initial investment and 2050. CEV takes a hands-on approach to commercialize its portfolio companies by leveraging a deeply technical and commercial team with support from a group of venture partners and angel investors with extensive industry executive experience and a Strategic Advisory Board led by former U.S. Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz.

“Demand for climate investment opportunities is rising from all corners of the globe, and we are grateful for the amount of interest from our new and existing LPs,” said Temple Fennell, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clean Energy Ventures. “As we look to scale decarbonization technologies globally, we’re doubling down on our thesis to invest in novel hardware-oriented climate-saving technologies with the potential to bring outsized emissions reductions and top-tier financial returns.”

With a 15+ year track record of growing climate tech companies, CEV now works alongside more than 70 strategic co-investors, and is backed by LPs including Carbon Equity, The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, Builders Vision, and New Summit Investments.

“As we catalyze the innovators building the decarbonized economy with new climate tech solutions, CEV’s combined ability to pinpoint the most impactful companies and technologies and then shepherd them into commercialization has been a crucial force for us and the global climate tech ecosystem,” said Scott Gerdes, Director of Private Investments for Builders Asset Management, the asset management team of Builders Vision and a limited partner in CEV’s new fund.

Alongside the launch of Fund II, CEV has established offices in London to support the growth of its team and operations in Europe. “With climate tech funding soaring tenfold across Europe in recent years, today it is the continent’s fastest growing sector. Tapping into the region’s thriving innovation ecosystems, we are primed to bridge the funding gap for promising early-stage companies and bring our expertise and network to accelerate European companies’ path to market,” commented Daniel Goldman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner.

To date, CEV has deployed capital from Fund II into long-duration energy storage company Noon Energy, compressor technology Evari, Israeli green ammonia company Nitrofix, and UK-based sustainable aviation fuel company OXCCU, with two additional stealth companies soon to be announced. “Climate action is atop the European agenda, and climate technologies are poised and ready for development and adoption. We are fortunate to have CEV’s support and guidance as OXCCU scales its innovative one-step technology from lab to planet,” said OXCCU CEO Andrew Symes.

“We know our hands-on guidance goes well beyond standard venture capital, through dedicated leadership coaching, strategic marketing, IP development, engineering support, and active board participation,” commented David Miller, Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “We are eager to seize this next chapter in our firm’s growth with our second fund and support more early-stage companies with deeply technical, game changing approaches to decarbonization.”

About Clean Energy Ventures:
Clean Energy Ventures creates global climate solutions by backing expert technical teams and transforming them into market-leading commercial teams. CEV looks for technologies that can mitigate 2.5 gigatons of CO₂e by 2050 and entrepreneurs that can benefit from the team’s decades of climate tech operating experience. Founded in 2017, CEV now holds more than $415 million in assets under management and has funded 26 companies to-date. For more information, please visit cleanenergyventures.com.

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SOURCE Clean Energy Ventures