Climate startups and investors raised billions in 2022. See 31 of the hottest pitch decks used to land funding.
- Climate change is the most pressing crisis for humanity.
- Startup founders and investors want to help find solutions.
Climate change is the most pressing crisis humanity is dealing with right now, and startup founders and investors are racing to build and fund solutions.
The importance of impact investing, plus friendlier legislation, has fueled the rush to climate tech both in the US and Europe. Celebrities and established venture capitalists are "greening up" their portfolios, pouring billions into a sector once regarded as niche.
Leonardo DiCaprio-backed fund Regeneration VC, for example, has handed checks to founders building everything from carbon utilization to rental companies.
That meant, as capital dried up in the wider market, climate and sustainability-focused companies continued to raise throughout last year. Venture capitalists also raised funds from limited partners to focus on investing on climate tech.
Globally, climate and clean tech startups raised $54 billion in 2022, according to PitchBook. It is a near $13 billion-drop from the record levels raised in 2021, a year flush with cash and largely considered an outlier, but almost double 2020's $28 billion. Clean tech refers to startups trying to reduce human impact on the environment, while climate tech covers those on mitigation, adaptation, and decarbonization.
The sector may not remain immune to the broader slowdown in funding, with early data showing investment activity tailing off in the first quarter of 2023 to a near three-year low.
Insider has collected 31 pitch decks that founders and investors used to raise billions in 2022.
Read the full collection below:
Food, farming, and transport
- Plant-based meat startup Heura just raised $20 million as it aims to become Europe's industry leader. Here's the pitch deck it used to raise the funds (35 slides).
- This startup wants to give plant-based foods a meaty aroma and taste. Here's the pitch deck Nourish Ingredients used to raise $28.6 million (13 slides).
- We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck Innovafeed, an insect protein startup, used to raise $250 million (9 slides).
- Crop monitoring startup PlanetWatchers used this pitch deck to raise a $11 million Series A from Seraphim Space and help farmers get paid after extreme weather events (11 slides).
- This startup wants to turn farms into carbon storage hubs. Check out the pitch deck eAgronom used to raise $7.4 million (15 slides).
- This startup wants to decarbonize the construction industry using biochar. Check out the pitch deck EcoLocked use to raise $1.8 million (11 slides).
- Check out the pitch deck Liefergrün, a sustainable last-mile delivery startup used by Dyson and Adidas, used to raise $12 million (9 slides).
- Amogy, a startup enabling tractors and ships to run on carbon-free fuel, just raised $46 million using this pitch deck (12 slides).
- We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck sustainable last-mile delivery startup Liefergrün used to raise $3.4 million from Speedinvest (10 slides).
Carbon accounting and rating
- This startup wants to show the impact Fortune 500 companies have on the environment and society. Check out the pitch deck Upright used to raise $5.2 million (18 slides).
- This startup could become the Google Analytics of carbon accounting. Here's the pitch deck Climatiq used to raise $5.8 million (13 slides).
- Worldfavor helps companies vet their supply chains for sustainability. Check out the pitch deck it used to raise $10 million (14 slides).
- HowGood, a startup that scores ingredients on their climate and social impact to make a more sustainable food system, just raised $12.5 million with this deck (11 slides).
- Check out the pitch deck Vaayu, a carbon-accounting startup for retail and e-commerce, used to raise $11.5 million from Atomico (11 slides).
- Here's the pitch deck Waterplan, a Y Combinator-backed startup tackling the water crisis, used to raise $7 million in a round backed by Leonardo DiCaprio (13 slides).
- Sylvera is a startup that rates carbon-offset projects. Check out the pitch deck it used to raise $32 million from Index Ventures and Insight Partners (7 slides).
The circular economy
- This secondhand fashion startup wants to become the Depop of Africa. Here's the pitch deck Yaga used to raise $2.2 million (11 slides).
- Leonardo DiCaprio's Regeneration VC joined on-site rental startup Tulu's $25 million Series A after seeing this pitch deck (12 slides).
- Bower pays you to recycle correctly. Check out the pitch deck the Swedish startup used to raise $4.7 million (17 slides).
- Take a peek at the pitch deck Circular, a recruitment startup inspired by the way VCs share talent among portfolio companies, used to raise $7.5 million (10 slides).
Materials and energy
- One Point Five just raised $10 million to replace single-use plastics. Check out the pitch deck it used to raise the round led by Speedinvest (10 slides).
- Tozero wants to recover more critical minerals from recycled lithium-ion batteries. Check out the pitch deck it used to raise the funds (6 slides).
- This startup aims to make extracting lithium for batteries more sustainable and efficient. Check out the pitch deck EnergyX used to raise $450 million (27 slides).
- This startup finds the best deals on solar-panel installations. Check out the pitch deck Otovo used to raise $34 million in a post-IPO raise (16 slides).
- Check out the pitch deck Bramble Energy, a startup trying to make hydrogen cheaper and more scalable, used to raise $47 million (12 slides).
Investment funds
- Nesta's VC arm just launched a $60 million fund to back social and climate impact startups. We got an exclusive look at the 13-slide pitch deck it used to sway its board (13 slides).
- A pair of European VCs just closed the first tranche of a $50 million social impact fund. Here's the LP deck Redstone and EnjoyVenture used to raise the funds (7 slides).
- Climate investor Satgana funds early-stage founders tackling issues across food, energy, and carbon removal. Here's a peek at its first LP fundraising deck (16 slides).
- We got an exclusive look at the LP deck European climate fund Climentum Capital used to close the first batch of its $156 million fund (24 slides).
- We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck climate tech investor Contrarian Ventures used to close the first tranche of its $101 million fund (21 slides).
- Climate-tech VC World Fund just added PwC as an anchor LP to its $365 million fund. Check out the pitch deck it used to land the deal (17 slides).