Participated · Seed · Apr 2024

Kubik uses proprietary technology to upcycle plastic waste into low‑carbon, durable, and affordable interlocking building materials such as bricks, columns, beams, and jambs. The company operates a factory in Addis Ababa and currently recycles 5,000 kilograms of plastic per day, with a capacity of 45,000 kilograms per day. Its materials have passed safety tests by Intertek covering strength, toxicity, and flammability. Kubik says its products allow wall construction without cement, aggregates, or steel and can reduce costs by at least 40% per square meter. The startup has partnerships with corporates and the Addis Ababa municipality for a regular supply of plastic feedstock and is exploring near‑term product diversification into pavers and flooring. Kubik plans to out‑license its technology to scale across Africa from 2025 and eventually pursue global growth; it was co‑founded by Kidus Asfaw and Penda Marre in 2021. Kubik upcycles hard-to-recycle plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene) into interlocking building materials such as bricks, columns, beams and jambs that enable wall construction without cement, aggregates, or steel. Its products are engineered to match the strength of cement-based walls while costing at least 40% less per square meter and producing at least five times lower greenhouse gas emissions. The company reports removing 45,000 kg of plastic waste from landfills every day and says its Ethiopia plant can produce over a quarter million square meters of wall surface annually — enough for up to 10,000 affordable homes per year. Kubik plans to scale production at its Ethiopia facility later this year and then expand to other African countries, building on operations in Kenya and Ethiopia. The startup emphasizes affordable, low-carbon housing solutions and has received recognition including Startup of the Year at the 2023 Global Startup Awards and being named the leading climate tech startup in Africa at VivaTech.

Participated · Series A · Sep 2023

Okra Solar develops a mesh-based solar solution that reallocates excess energy based on proximity, prioritizing neighboring homes rather than routing power to a centralized area. The approach is intended to increase efficiency and reduce costs, which the company says is particularly important in developing markets. Okra’s product targets last-mile electrification to provide basic services such as lighting, e-cooking and water pumping and to connect more people to the digital economy. CEO Afnan Hannan has framed mesh-grids as the most efficient path to electrifying off-grid communities, while noting regulatory updates are needed to reach widescale targets. The company won TechCrunch’s 2019 Hardware Battlefield in Shenzhen, an early recognition of its technology. Financially, Okra recently closed a Series A round that will fund its efforts to bring solar power to areas that presently lack access to electricity. Okra Solar builds integrated hardware and software solutions—including a Mesh-Grid that shares power across an interconnected network of homes and a cloud-based system for monitoring, maintenance, and remote control. Its platform leverages IoT and automation to make last-mile electrification affordable and sustainable, and the company says its tech has drawn demand from utility companies. Okra is focused on deployments in Nigeria, the Philippines, Haiti, and Cambodia and works with local governments to accelerate adoption. In Nigeria its technology has been approved for subsidies from a $550 million fund assembled by the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the Rural Electrification Agency. The company plans to scale production and R&D using newly raised capital and increase headcount from 28 to 35 by year-end, with a Series A planned to expand the team to roughly 50–60 employees.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2023

Climate Vault Solutions provides a data-centric platform for verifiable and immediate carbon calculations, reductions, and removals, leveraging government-regulated compliance carbon markets to eliminate emissions in days rather than decades. The company amplifies the mission started at Climate Vault, Inc., a nonprofit launched in 2021, and offers an integrated program to measure, reduce, remove, and report operational and product-related carbon footprints. Climate Vault Solutions plans to further develop its carbon measurement software and launch new carbon removal tools to meet rising demand from corporate partners. The company cites existing partner engagements with Northern Trust Bank, Morningstar, T. Rowe Price, Cleary Gottlieb, and DRW and reports that Climate Vault, Inc. helped avert an estimated $190 million in climate damages and reduced nearly one million metric tons of CO2. The Series A funding will be used to drive carbon measurement, reduction, removal, and reporting and to scale the organization's all-inclusive climate offering. The company is launching from Seattle.

Participated · Series C · Oct 2022

Clearspeed develops proprietary voice analytics that identify potential risk in speech using vocal characteristics universal to humans, enabling faster decisions in high‑stakes environments. The technology was initially developed for the U.S. Department of Defense and is now used commercially by insurers, financial institutions, and government agencies. Clearspeed supports over 60 languages and is deployed in 37 countries, and the company has won more than 25 industry awards. In insurance use cases the company reports more than 30x ROI, halving claims handling time and increasing immediate payments to customers by 40%. Government customers have seen a 95% reduction in vetting cycle time and a 65% drop in investigation costs. Clearspeed says it will double down on government, defense, insurance, and banking markets, expand globally, invest in teams, and accelerate product innovation. Clearspeed develops voice analytics technology that assesses security and fraud risk with high precision and accuracy. Its platform fast-tracks low-risk transactions and alerts when additional review is needed, enabling straight-through processing at scale. The company says its technology enhances existing security and fraud processes while improving customer experience and reducing costs. Clearspeed plans rapid commercial expansion, an expanded product suite, and continued development of its technology roadmap to serve the security and financial services markets. Founded in 2016 and based in San Diego, the company has raised $50 million in total funding to date. New board and investor additions are intended to support its commercial and product growth.