Climate Tech Highlights #8

Hello, there!

For those of you in Rio de Janeiro, I've got exciting news! This Thursday, 23/05, I'm helping organize a free networking event focused on Climate Tech in the region. For more information, click this link. I hope to see many of you there!

The climate scene is also buzzing in São Paulo, with Climate Investment Week happening today and the Nature-Based Solutions Summit tomorrow, organized by Converge Capital. I'll be keeping an eye on these events and will bring you interesting updates.

Now, let's get to last week's highlights on climate-related technologies!

Image of the week 📷

• Beautiful marine ballet: Brazilian photographer Rafael Marinho was amazed to spot an enormous school of rays off the northern coast of São Paulo. Struck by the beauty of the scene, he started filming and was even more surprised when a humpback whale joined the group, making the spectacle even more breathtaking.Watch the video

Around the globe 🌎

• Safeguarding birds with AI: Government regulations in several countries require wind farms to monitor and track their impacts on birds, especially in areas with endangered species. However, before AI-enabled computer vision, there wasn’t an effective way to do this. Startup Spoor offers software that uses machine learning to detect birds on video, record their movements, and predict their flight patterns. Existing wind farms can use this data to better react to bird migration patterns and can slow or even stop wind turbines when avian activity is expected to be heightened. Companies can also use the technology to monitor potential sites for wind farms and evaluate their risk to local bird populations. Read the full story

• Wind, sun and sand: To advance the energy transition, we need practical ways to store energy from renewable sources. One promising solution is sand batteries. These systems use a heat exchanger inside a giant, insulated silo filled with sand to store energy from wind and solar power as heat. The sand can store heat at up to 500 degrees Celsius for weeks to months. When the heat energy is needed, the sand battery sends hot air to warm water in the district heating network. The small town of Pornainen, Finland, is installing a 1-megawatt sand battery capable of storing up to 100 megawatt-hours of thermal energy for extended periods, enabling the town to completely wean itself off oil.  Read the full story

• Chinese EV maker Zeekr debuts on the NYSE: Zeekr's (ZK.N) shares surged nearly 35% above their IPO price on May 10th, marking a strong debut for the electric-vehicle maker. This is the first major U.S. market entry by a China-based company since 2021. Zeekr, a premium brand of Geely, which also owns Volvo and Lotus, aims to stand out in the competitive Chinese EV market and expand into Europe. The company has delivered nearly 200,000 cars since its founding in 2021. Ironically, Zeekr's debut coincides with the Biden administration's plans to increase tariffs on Chinese vehicle imports. Read the full story

A glance at Brazil 🇧🇷

• Microsoft 🫱🏽‍🫲🏼Re.green: The forest restoration company Re.green has announced that Microsoft is its first carbon credit customer. Microsoft will purchase 3 million tons of carbon credits over 15 years, though the transaction's value has not been disclosed. This is Microsoft's second acquisition of this new type of credit in Brazil. In December, Microsoft committed to buying up to 1.5 million credits from Mombak, another Brazilian reforestation startup. Read the full story

• Academia🫱🏽‍🫲🏼Corporations: The Federal Fluminense University (UFF), in partnership with Engie, has launched Project Tupã, a cutting-edge technological tool designed to integrate past, present, and future climate data. This initiative aims to enhance the prediction of climate events and their variations by addressing the challenge of long-term climate data records in Brazil through the use of paleoclimatology. The goal is to develop advanced software that enables Engie to analyze comprehensive climate data, facilitating strategic decisions regarding specific regional climates. The project is expected to contribute to safer resource planning and risk management in the face of climate change. Read the full story

Don't miss out! 👀

• Until June 23, the Zayed Sustainability Prize is accepting applications to recognize and honor leaders and initiatives in sustainability across various categories, including Water, Energy, and Climate Action. Learn more

• Report: Sebrae Startups has launched the 2024 Impact Startups Mapping. This groundbreaking study is the first in Brazil to focus specifically on impact startups, providing a comprehensive overview by mapping a significant sample of these companies across the country. Check it out

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See you next Tuesday!