Katapult’s single largest investment of 5.9 M USD was made this year in 18 impact tech startups; beginning the 2021 Accelerator Program this October.
Together the Katapult investment teams screened over 2700 companies in order to secure the best investments in terms of profit and impact. In total, this recruitment round looked at startups from 6 continents and around 75 countries, and selected 18 companies to invest in from 15 different countries and spanning 5 continents.
These startups represent the top 1% of all candidates to the accelerator program and each of the 18 companies are committed to addressing one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The chosen startups are the latest Katapult portfolio companies mobilized through either the Katapult Ocean or the Katapult Climate fund.
Tharald Nustad, Founder and Owner of Katapult says, “In recent years we have seen a strong development within the startup environment internationally, especially those attempting to solve problems through the use of ocean and climate technology. These represent natural investment opportunities for us.”
Katapult Ocean
Katapult Ocean is now the most active ocean investor for startups and in the top 50 of climate investors worldwide. The 2021 investment round includes many milestones, as the portfolio now comprises three additional energy investments within offshore wind and turbine energy. WWF is also now onboard, partnering-up with Katapult Ocean to ensure investments are made with a no-animal harm approach.
Jonas Skattum Svegaarden, CEO of Katapult Ocean comments on the portfolio’s trending investments for 2021, “This round we are still very positive to seaweed and have in total 6 investments in the macro- and microalgae sector, adding three more this year [Oregon Dulse, SoftSeaweed and 12 Tides ].”
Katapult Climate
Katapult Climate is a new thematic vertical by Katapult as of 2021. The new fund is built upon Katapult’s existing experience making solid climate investments, as around half the companies in the current portfolio already have a climate dimension. Based on the 58 investments made over the past 4 years, the development of the climate tech industry, and the extreme urgency, Katapult is reorienting towards solving the world’s most pressing issue of our time: the climate crisis.
Nina Heir, CEO of Katapult Climate says about the direction of the new portfolio for 2021, “For the first Katapult cohort focusing solely on climate tech, we have evaluated more than 1000 impressive companies from across the globe. It’s no surprise that energy efficiency and renewable energy is the clearly largest category in our pipeline. We are adding several companies within energy, smart cities/industry and enabling technologies to our portfolio this year.”
Accelerator Program
The chosen startups will join one one of our two accelerator programs this autumn: The Ocean Accelerator Program or The Climate Accelerator Program, powered by Lundin Foundation.
This year, in addition to being fully digitalized, both accelerator programs will run parallel to each other. Startups will benefit from adjustments made to accommodate the global time zones of our international cohort and from an extensive network of expert mentors that has doubled in size.
Program Director and Partner in Katapult, Marcus Hølland Eikeland, is enthusiastic about what’s to come, “I think there are going to be two distinct aspects of this year’s program which will benefit the startups immensely; first, we’re now delivering 80% of the program as asynchronous programmatic elements with supporting live sessions. The founders are then unaffected by time zones and can work more efficiently with our modules. Second, we’re combining the best of two programs in the Katapult Universe – the Ocean Accelerator and Climate Accelerator – into one super program. That is bringing the game to a whole new level.”
The 10 ocean tech startups in the third Katapult Ocean Fund are:
- ACUAOcean (United Kingdom): Long endurance, hydrogen-powered uncrewed surface vessels for monitoring and sustainable management of oceans and waterways.
- BioFeyn (France): Optimizing existing ingredients in fish feed, producing the most sustainable and nutrient-packed farmed fish on the market.
- Freepower (Norway): Self sufficient and 100% solar energy-driven electric boats, which are easy to use, silent, emission free, and have a low carbon footprint.
- Oregon Dulse (USA): A pure vegan complete-protein powder extracted from seaweed and used as a 100% vegan friendly protein supplement.
- GazelleWindPower (Ireland): Floating offshore wind power generation plants.
- GKinetic (Ireland): Generates tidal energy to offer clean, predictable energy from free flowing water, with minimal impact on the natural environment.
- SoftSeaweed (Norway): A software solution developed and designed to make seaweed farming businesses more sustainable and profitable.
- Brayfoil (South Africa): The next generation of wind turbine blades – that change shape to tailor loadings and respond better to incoming winds, enabling lighter blades, longer bladespans, and reducing the overall cost.
- UmamiMeats (Singapore): Developing cultured seafood based on a proprietary, low-cost, and sustainable formulation of growth factors.
- 12 Tides (USA): Ocean-friendly foods with kelp from regenerative ocean farms.
The 8 climate tech startups in the first Katapult Climate Fund are:
- Connected Energy (UK): Remote monitoring and control meters collect real-time data from biogas digesters and solar PV assets.
- Frame (Denmark): A digital platform which integrates project management and building design with certification systems widely used to certify sustainable buildings.
- Hyperion Robotics (Finland): A 3D printing technology that produces large-scale reinforced concrete elements with recycled materials.
- NXT Grid (Netherlands): Profitable, clean mini-grids, everywhere, by everyone. Onboarding investments, buying solar equipment and renting it to local developers.
- Recylink (Chile): A software platform for the management of industrial waste; allowing companies and institutions to manage all the associated suppliers/transport operators/recycling plants/landfills.
- Sally-R (Sweden): A technology provider for commercial building energy optimisation with 2 products: ‘ADA’ (cloud optimisation service) and ‘EUNICE’ (carbon capture).
- Wattnow (Tunisia): Offers IoT solutions by combining hardware and software for companies to optimize their energy consumption and reduce their costs and carbon footprints.
- Wegaw (Switzerland): Clean energy trading optimisation through remote sensing satellite and data analytics.
Katapult is an investment company, focused on highly scalable impact tech startups. Katapult currently has 50 M USD under management, invested in 138 companies from more than 35 countries. Katapult’s accelerator programs strengthen its investment in highly-promising impact tech startups.
Katapult established the Katapult Foundation in 2020, gathering its non-profit initiatives under one arm. The Foundation is focusing on building the impact community and educational efforts around impact investment. Initiatives include Katapult Future Fest, Katapult X and the Nordic Investment Network.
Images
Tharald Nustad, Founder and Owner of Katapult
Marcus Hølland Eikeland, Program Director at Katapult
