Climate Tech Highlights #1 - March 2024

Hello there!

I've been closely following the Climate Tech landscape and I've decided to start sharing the standout updates, with a spotlight on Brazil, that have caught my eye.

While my usual publications are in Portuguese, I'm taking a different path with this content line by choosing English to reach a broader audience.

Now, let's dig in the highlights from March 2024!

Around the globe 🌎

• Lego's Leap into Carbon Capture: The Danish titan has invested $2.4 million in Climeworks, a company specialized in technology to filter CO2 out of the air. Climeworks operates Orca in Iceland,  the largest direct-air capture (DAC) facility in the world, capable of capturing 4,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. This move is part of Lego's broader plans to double its annual spending on emissions reduction and sustainability measures between 2023 and 2025. Read the full story

• Satgana's First Fund Closure: Climate tech VC, Satgana, has successfully closed its first fund at €8 million, targeting early-stage startups in Africa and Europe. Notable commitments come from influential figures and it aims to support up to 30 startups working on mitigating and building resilience to climate change. Read the full story

• The world’s first electric aircraft charging network: the UK startup Aerovolt, has launched what is claimed to be the world's first public charging network dedicated to electric aircraft. The company has so far installed and connected charging points at six airfields in England and it is planning dozens more installations within the next 18 months. Read the full story

• NVIDIA's Earth Climate Digital Twin: NVIDIA announced its Earth-2 climate digital twin cloud platform for simulating and visualizing weather and climate at unprecedented scale. The platform's cutting-edge AI model enhances forecasting precision, promising significant improvements in extreme weather preparedness. Read the full story

• From coal to clean?  Adani Green Energy is building the largest solar and wind power plant in the world. It will be located in the western Indian state of Gujarat and cover 200 square miles — nearly the size of Chicago. The company is the clean energy unit of the Adani Group, the biggest coal miner and importer in India founded by billionaire Gautam Adani. Read the full story

A glance at Brazil 🇧🇷

• Fundo Clima's Boost: The Climate Fund, managed by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), will allocate up to R$ 10.4 billion to finance projects in the public sector, private companies and the third sector,  focusing on the areas: resilient urban development, green industry, green transportation and mobility, energy transition, conservation of forests and water resources and green innovation. Read the full story

• AI and Satellite Imaging for Agriculture: Brazilian researchers have developed a method to map crop-livestock integration areas using AI and satellite images. The precise identification of those areas improves the management of agricultural resources, enabling farmers to optimize land allocation and efficiency. Read the full story

• UmGrauEmeio's Investment Round: the Brazilian startup raised $3.7M aiming to further develop an AI-powered risk management and analysis solution to prevent forest fires. Indicator Capital, Baraúna Investimentos, The Yield Lab Latam and Rural Ventures participated in the round. Read the full story

Don't miss out! 👀

• The 17th edition of the Future Today Institute's Tech Trends Report has been released! The Energy & Climate section is packed with insightful information. Check it out!

• Revolusolar is on the lookout for new talent! This Brazilian NGO, dedicated to combating energy poverty, is currently seeking applicants for its board of directors. Learn more!

• AMAZ Call: The AMAZ accelerator is actively seeking businesses dedicated to creating positive effects for the forest and its communities, offering investments of up to R$ 400,000. Applications are now open until April 12th.

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