Natural Capital Research has secured almost £8 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round to scale its pioneering nature tech product.
Natcap’s platform brings together science, data and technology, empowering companies to measure, report and act on nature-related risks and opportunities.
The company was founded in 2018 by Professor Baroness Kathy Willis at the University of Oxford and others, and is on a mission to embed nature intelligence into business decision-making.
The company has developed technology to support 20+ organisations, including collaborating with Tesco’s Nature Programme, and a partnership with MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings.
Natcap 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.
It has secured the funding from new investors André Hoffmann, Norinchukin Capital, Yeo Ventures and Pelican Ag. The round also includes investment from former CEO of Refinitiv David Craig, as well as 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 £2.5m seed round in early 2023.
The company’s focus is to scale the delivery of high-quality nature data to the growing number of companies in scope for the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, or 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 the nascent market.
“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.
“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 organisations to integrate nature into their decision-making, and accelerating the world’s transition to a nature-positive future.”
Hoffmann added: “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.”
EnviroTech 50 – UK’s most innovative green tech creators for 2024