Natcap Secures $10 Million to Integrate Nature into Business Decisions

Natcap announced today that it has secured $10 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round to scale its pioneering nature tech product. This funding will accelerate Natcap’s rapid growth in helping organizations understand their nature-related risks and opportunities. The company aims to provide high-quality nature data to the growing number of companies affected by the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, as well as those voluntarily reporting under the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) recommendations. Natcap is one of the first nature and biodiversity intelligence companies globally to complete Series A financing in this emerging market.

The new funding comes from André Hoffmann, Norinchukin Capital, Yeo Ventures, and Pelican Ag. The round also includes investment from former CEO of Refinitiv David Craig and follow-on investments from Oxford Science Enterprises, funds advised by MW&L Capital Partners, and Alea Iacta Est, all of which participated in the company’s £2.5 million seed round in early 2023. This endorsement underscores the positive impact of Natcap’s work and sets the stage for its growth as nature reporting becomes mandatory worldwide.

Natcap’s innovative platform combines leading science, data, and technology to empower companies to measure, report, and act on nature-related risks and opportunities. Founded in 2018 by Professor Baroness Kathy Willis at the University of Oxford and others, the company aims to embed nature intelligence into business decision-making.

Natcap has developed world-leading technology to support over 20 organizations, including Tesco’s Nature Programme and a partnership with MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings. The company was recently selected as one of just four UK tech companies to receive government support from the UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme for expansion into the Japanese market.

Quote from Natcap CEO, Sebastian Leape:

“It has been truly exciting to see the level of investor interest in our company, particularly in a less-than-optimal fundraising environment globally,” said Sebastian Leape, CEO of Natcap. “We see our investors’ support as a further endorsement of the market need for what we offer: a simple, straightforward solution for companies grappling with nature risks and reporting needs under CSRD and TNFD. We look forward to scaling our offering, allowing more organizations to integrate nature into their decision-making, and accelerating the world’s transition to a nature-positive future.”

Quote from André Hoffmann, Vice-Chairman, Roche Holding AG:

“As an investor deeply committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, I am thrilled to support Natcap. Their innovative and science-based approach to assessing nature risk and opportunity represents a pivotal step forward in our efforts to embed nature into how businesses make decisions. Through my role as a senior advisor to the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), I have witnessed firsthand the gap that Natcap fills: helping businesses to measure nature risk and opportunity at scale. I look forward to working with the Natcap team to help them achieve their ambitious goals.”

Quote from Nick Dixon-Clegg, Partner, Oxford Science Enterprises:

“Managing nature-related risks effectively is crucial for both companies and investors and requires the development of new innovative nature-related technologies. This significant round of capital is a testament to both Natcap’s remarkable progress in this cutting-edge field and to the team behind it. We are thrilled to continue supporting the growth of their platform as part of our mission to scale the most promising technologies from the Oxford ecosystem.”

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