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Living Carbon raises new funding to plant 4M fast-growing, carbon-guzzling supertrees in US

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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Living Carbon, a climate biotech company developing plants that capture and store more carbon, has raised $21M in a Series A funding round led by Temasek with participation from Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures, Felicis Ventures, and other strategic angels. This brings the total investment secured to date to $36M. 

Living Carbon’s first product is a photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplar tree that grows faster than control seedlings and is resilient in high temperatures. Earlier this year, Living Carbon released a whitepaper demonstrating the efficacy of a photosynthesis enhancement genetic trait to improve biomass accumulation in trees by up to 53%. These breakthrough findings revealed, in a world first, the potential to capture approximately 27% more carbon and underscored the role of responsible biotechnology in stabilizing the climate. 

Chris Sacca, Founder of Lowercarbon Capital, said: “Living Carbon engineers supertrees that grow up to 50% faster and eat up to 27% more CO2 than your run of the mill logs. That means more timber, forests, and other carbon-storing products sooner and cheaper.” 

Living Carbon’s goal is to provide companies with an easy way to reduce their carbon emissions using excess or marginal land. The company’s photosynthesis-enhanced trees will complement the benefits of traditional forests by offering opportunities for carbon removal and positive ecological impact on land that is otherwise unproductive. 

Maddie Hall, CEO and Co-Founder said: “We’re excited to close our Series A and continue to make progress on large scale carbon removal using plant biotechnology. This new funding will allow us to produce 4-5M photosynthesis-enhanced seedlings and plant them at large scale. Humans have warmed the world so quickly and degraded over 75% of the land on our planet. We want to focus on restoring land where trees are not otherwise thriving.”

Living Carbon is accelerating commercial production of its photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplar, and is on track to supply 4-5 million seedlings throughout the US in 2023-2024. The seedlings will be available for companies to purchase to reduce their carbon footprint alongside Living Carbon’s carbon quantification and monitoring. The company is also developing carbon projects with photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplar and loblolly pine in mixed stand plantings that can help restore degraded ecosystems. The company is partnering with landowners to develop carbon projects in Pennsylvania and Georgia. With a focus on the US as a first market, Living Carbon aims to double its acreage annually – creating truly additional carbon removal on the millions of acres of reforestable land in the US.

Vince Stanley of Stanley Farms, one of Living Carbon’s land partners, said: “Our partnership with Living Carbon will increase the productivity of our land, while also increasing the amount of carbon captured by our trees. It’s an honor to use our family land to restore nature and advance much-needed nature-based solutions to climate change. Through partnerships with landowners like us, Living Carbon has the opportunity to draw down carbon and create revenue for landowners by making it profitable to plant on underperforming land with faster-growing trees.”

Living Carbon will also use this funding to grow its team and expand its work on bio-engineered climate solutions. In addition to photosynthesis enhancement, the company is developing a trait that enables trees to accumulate higher levels of metals in their roots, naturally slowing decay to increase the duration of carbon storage, produce more durable wood products, and remediate toxic soils. The company is also working on a cutting-edge R&D project with funding from Frontier Climate which seeks to engineer durable biopolymers which sequester carbon for millennia. 

Lisa Coca, Climate Fund Partner at Toyota Ventures, said: “The voluntary carbon credit market is on track to exceed $50 billion by 2030, but the momentum will only be sustained by the near-term introduction of credits that are transparent, cost-effective, and produced in high volumes. Living Carbon’s synthetic biology platform has the potential to fill the gap between supply and demand by leveraging the powerful combination of proven nature-based solutions as a carbon sink and genetic engineering to deliver high-quality credits to the market.  And, most importantly, to do so on a timeline that will supply credits in scale within the next three to five years. We look forward to supporting the team as they continue to engineer a path to net zero with nature-based approaches to carbon drawdown.”

Living Carbon’s biotechnology is an example of how engineering can be combined with nature’s innate ability to capture and store carbon. The company’s use of biotechnology in trees demonstrates how human-empowered ecology can be a scalable and viable solution to the climate crisis.

You can learn more about partnering with Living Carbon, see research results, or join the team at Living Carbon’s website: Livingcarbon.com 

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Additional Quotes:
Martin Srna, Living Carbon’s Commercialization Lead, said: Since Living Carbon’s launch last year, we’ve been filling the gap between traditional nature-based offsets and engineered carbon removal, and are ready to deliver our climate solution widely this year. We’re an essential partner in the decarbonization movement and are excited to bring to the market a nature-based carbon removal solution that is verifiable, scalable and additional, while working with forward-thinking companies to deploy it. We look forward to using this funding to continue supporting companies in developing their carbon removal portfolios as well as deploying our tree technology on their own land assets.

Claire Kiely, Business Development and Marketplace representative at Watershed said: “We work closely with our customers to offer them the most robust and impactful carbon portfolios available to reach their climate  goals. Living Carbon’s removal solution brings much needed innovation to the space, offering truly additional carbon solutions. Living Carbon’s removal  solution is available now, utilizing existing infrastructure to scale and at a great price point for our customers. We are proud to partner with them and are excited to see the incredible work they will be able to achieve as a result of this fundraising.”

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About Lowercarbon Capital:
Lowercarbon Capital is a multibillion dollar venture capital firm founded by Chris and Crystal Sacca that backs kickass companies making real money slashing CO2 emissions, sucking carbon out of the sky, and buying us time to heal the planet. For more information, visit www.lowercarboncapital.com

About Temasek:
Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$403 billion (US$297b) as at 31 March 2022. Headquartered in Singapore, it has 12 offices in 8 countries around the world. Temasek’s Purpose “So Every Generation Prospers” guides it to make a difference for today’s and future generations. The Temasek Charter defines its three roles as an Investor, Institution and Steward, and shapes its ethos to do well, do right and do good. Sustainability is at the core of all that Temasek does. It is committed to catalysing solutions to global challenges and activating capital – financial, human, social and natural – to bring about a better and more inclusive world for all. For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg

About Toyota Ventures:
Toyota Ventures is a San Francisco Bay Area-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups from around the world. Founded in July 2017, its mission is to discover what’s next for Toyota by helping startups bring disruptive technologies and business models to market quickly. With more than $500 million in assets under management, the firm’s funds include the Toyota Ventures Frontier Fund focused on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, autonomy, mobility, robotics, smart cities, digital health, financial technologies, materials, and energy; and the Toyota Ventures Climate Fund focused on innovative solutions for carbon neutrality. For more information about Toyota Ventures and its portfolio companies, please visit www.toyota.ventures.

About Living Carbon:
Living Carbon is a public benefit company with a mission to responsibly balance the planet’s carbon cycle using the inherent power of plants. Starting with photosynthesis-enhanced trees, the company is demonstrating the promise of advanced biotechnology to restore ecosystems, improve biodiversity, and enhance the ability of photosynthetic organisms to remove carbon from the atmosphere. To learn more about Living Carbon’s technology and ongoing projects visit: livingcarbon.com

GlobeNewswire is one of the world's largest newswire distribution networks, specializing in the delivery of corporate press releases financial disclosures and multimedia content to the media, investment community, individual investors and the general public.

Artificial Intelligence

Point Fort Fichet, a division of ASSA ABLOY France, Partners with Essence Security to Provide the MyShield Intruder Intervention System to the French Security Market

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The ASSA ABLOY subsidiary selected Essence’s advanced active solution after identifying a need among French property owners to have direct, remote control over security
HERZLIYA, Israel, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Essence Security, a part of Essence Group, a leading technology group developing and supplying wireless, cloud-based security solutions for homes and businesses, today announced its collaboration with Point Fort Fichet, France’s leading locksmith network and a subsidiary of ASSA ABLOY AB (ASSAB:Stockholm). The partnership aims to distribute and implement Essence’s all-encompassing MyShield connected smoke-generating intruder prevention solution across France. MyShield is available for private properties, retail establishments and small businesses — specifically those dealing with large volumes of tax revenue — to fortify these spaces against intensifying security threats.

 
The rate of break-ins in France rose nationally by 3% in 2023, creating a demand for active intervention security solutions. As the first standalone security smoke device, MyShield is at the forefront of the battle against security threats with its ability to proactively detect and act to ensure swift intervention and minimal risk to property damage. Through this partnership, Point Fort Fichet will offer Essence’s MyShield system as a complement to its portfolio of preventative security solutions, which helps consumers gain control of their security from a smartphone or tablet. Together, Point Fort Fichet and Essence offer customers the ability to take direct action, enhancing safety protocols and providing peace of mind to business owners and residents alike.
“As theft and burglary rates rise, we are excited to partner with Essence Security to provide our customers with direct intervention capabilities to stop intruders in their tracks,” said Frederic Colin, Managing Director of Fichet Division of ASSA ABLOY France. “MyShield complements our high-security offerings by providing property owners, especially those who own small businesses, with an added layer of protection that takes auto-surveillance up a level to auto-action. At Fichet, we aim to address the demand for comprehensive solutions that are redefining the meaning of security, and we’re proud to collaborate with a company like Essence to help us achieve this goal.”
MyShield stands out for its intrusion detection and intervention capabilities through security smoke generation. The award-winning, first-of-its-kind device deploys a veil of harmless yet disorienting smoke that fills a room in 30 seconds, forcing intruders off premises before they can cause harm to people or property. MyShield acts as a ‘first responder,’ significantly narrowing the window of time in which intruders can operate and providing an enhanced level of security to residential and commercial users — particularly advantageous in high-risk environments with lone workers or unoccupied buildings where rapid response is crucial. MyShield provides Point Fort Fichet customers full agency over their residential and retail properties’ security.
“In today’s dynamic security landscape where threats are constantly evolving, it’s not enough to just passively watch; there must be action and intervention.”  said Dr. Haim Amir, CEO and Founder of Essence Group. “Partnering with a security leader like Point Fort Fichet ensures home and business owners in the French market will have direct control in protecting their assets. Together we are building on our combined expertise to deliver a comprehensive service that makes properties all over the country safe and secure.”
Easy-to-install, MyShield’s battery-powered system includes an integrated motion detector, high-definition video camera to eliminate false alarms, voice announcement and rapid action remote smoke deployment. It utilizes cellular IoT networks and can be used as a standalone app-based solution or integrated into existing security systems. The low-maintenance device can be easily moved to ensure properties have 24/7 security on demand for reliable protection.
To access MyShield through Point Fort Fichet, please visit here.
About Essence GroupEssence Group is a global technology leader with a mission to develop and deploy innovative, cloud-based, end-to-end security and healthcare solutions, underpinned by supporting services, that provide peace of mind to users. For over a quarter of a century, Essence has challenged convention by making care and safety both accessible and affordable. With over 75 million connected devices deployed worldwide, Essence helps people to live safer and more independent lives.
For more information: https://www.essence-grp.com/
Follow Essence Group on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
About Point Fort FichetPoint Fort Fichet is the largest network of locksmiths in France, also operating in Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal. For more than 50 years, Point Fort Fichet has been France’s leading producer of anti-burglary doors, high security locks and cylinders. Point Fort Fichet protects what matters most.
For more information: https://www.fichet-pointfort.com/
 
Media Contact:Mushkie MeyerHeadline [email protected]:+19143364035
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Artificial Intelligence

HaloWallet Rebrands To Halo: Integrating SocialFi & AI To Revolutionize Social Influence Monetization

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VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, it is thrilling to announce the official brand upgrade from HaloWallet to Halo (halo.social). This upgrade signifies a significant shift in Halo’s vision and commitment to thriving alongside millions of Halo users worldwide in the SocialFi UBI revolution.

Since its inception in October 2023, Halo has been at the forefront of the SocialFi movement. With the launch of Halo Genesis Pass, it has yielded a remarkable 2,000% return for holders and earned international acclaim from users of more than 100 countries.
Moving forward, Halo’s mission is to disrupt the Web2 monopoly and revolutionize the monetization of social influence while ensuring fair and equitable profit sharing. This mission is accomplished through the integration of AI and Web3 DID.
With funding from KuCoin Ventures, IDG, HashKey, and strategic Web3 partners globally, as well as the financial support of the Cyberport incubation program by the Hong Kong government, Halo is poised for an unprecedented leap forward within the realm of SocialFi.
Halo: Pioneering the SocialFi UBI Revolution
Halo (halo.social) is designed to create a revolutionary monetization layer within the SocialFi field, aiming to establish a new paradigm of Universal Basic Income (UBI) that provides ownership to everyone.
Web2 tech giants have generated immense commercial value. However, their centralized nature has led to many concerns on users’ loss of personal data autonomy and unequal value distribution. With blockchain, users can regain control over their assets, data, and accounts. Halo aims to capitalize on advertisement value while respecting user privacy and consent.
Beyond just advertisement, Halo identifies a crucial avenue for monetization: data value. The AI industry has grown rapidly, but due to vague ownership of data copyrights and a lack of unified regulations, high-quality AI corpus remains scarce. As an innovative Web3 project, Halo provides an innovative solution to address this requirement of AI.
Halo has the ability to acquire both on-chain transactions and social content, surpassing Scale AI with full copyright and user consent. By integrating the power of the community to complete data labeling tasks and implementing decentralized governance, Halo meets the demand for high-quality labeled data in AI, enabling the monetization of user data and ensuring a fair redistribution of business profits.
Jeff Hou, the Head of Halo, stated, “The brand upgrade is not merely a marketing move but a natural progression and evolution in the development of Halo. We are gradually transitioning from being a crypto wallet to becoming a fully-fledged ecosystem within SocialFi. It’s time for everyone to see Halo in a new light. We will lead the new wave of the SocialFi UBI revolution, monetizing users’ social influence through our advanced technology architecture and fantastic partnerships in the industry.”
The SocialFi UBI revolution is at our doorstep, and Halo is at the forefront, ready to unlock new opportunities for users to earn, learn, and socialize in a decentralized and equitable environment.
Looking Ahead
Halo token airdrop is a crucial aspect of our vision, designed to strengthen the bond among all members and foster a more engaged and dynamic Halo community. The largest share of Halo tokens, 35%, will be allocated to community, early adopters and alliance members from KuCoin, Mocaverse & other excellent partners.
As a key indicator, Halo Membership Pass will be available for minting on April 26, operating on a season-based promotion system. We’ve launched exclusive discount code giveaways of the Pass with our esteemed partners. Join now to secure a high-level Pass.
Stay tuned for more updates and information on TGE as we continue to evolve and grow as Halo.
About Halo
Halo (halo.social) is designed to build a revolutionary monetization layer within the SocialFi field. We aim to create a new paradigm of UBI (Universal Basic Income) that grants ownership to everyone. By integrating AI, Web3 DID, and Wallet Aggregator, and implementing decentralized governance, Halo is dedicated to transforming the way social influence is monetized and fostering a system of fair and equitable profit sharing.
Website | X | Discord | Telegram
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Carbon Accounting Startup Zevero Acquired by LEVELUP to Help Companies in Fight to Reduce Global Carbon Emissions

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The combined company will operate under Zevero brand26 and 27-year-old founders secure multi-million-pound deal following rapid UK growthZevero will expand its specialisms in high-emission food and beverage industry to new industries and geographies with a new global management teamLONDON, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Zevero, a decarbonisation platform that empowers companies to reach a net zero future, announced it has been acquired by Singapore-based climate tech startup, LEVELUP. The multi-million-pound deal will see the two companies merge under the Zevero brand and expand operations across Asia, Europe and the U.S., fuelling Zevero’s access to the global $15 billion* carbon accounting market.

Zevero’s innovative software platform uses AI-driven carbon modelling, automated emissions calculations and real-time analytics to help companies within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry to accurately measure, manage and reduce their carbon footprint across their entire supply chain. In bringing together these capabilities with LEVELUP’s extensive agriculture industry expertise, the new combined offering will be a powerful tool in the global fight against climate change.
“In just three years, Zevero has proven its ability to provide full-stack carbon accounting to clients in over 13 countries,” said Shigeo Taniuchi, incoming CEO of Zevero – previously of LEVELUP. “Combining Zevero’s strong product foundations and UK market experience with our team’s expertise across Asia will rapidly accelerate our shared mission to become the definitive carbon management solution for businesses worldwide.”
Zevero was founded in 2020 by friends Ben Richardson and George Wade, then both just 23. The pair grew frustrated at how challenging it was for businesses to understand their carbon impact end-to-end. With increasing environmental-focused regulation at the time impacting more and more industries, Ben and George recognised a critical need to digitise the carbon accounting process and make it possible for businesses to see the full picture of their carbon impact throughout each stage of their supply chain. As, only through having this visibility, can businesses make any impactful changes to their operations.
A strong footing in the UK
Zevero initially made its name in the UK carbon accounting market, quickly acquiring customers in the food and beverage industry – such as Brixton Brewery and MOTH, amongst others. Rising consumer demand for environmentally-friendly products and services, increasing regulatory enforcement and consequent supply chain pressures are driving the need for accurate emissions data and credible decarbonisation strategies – both areas in which many companies currently lack the right resources, knowledge and tools.
“Climate change is the biggest threat facing society. For most companies, there are multiple challenges in their way.” said Ben Richardson, Co-Founder of Zevero. “Despite pressure to act, they lack the capabilities to see the full impact of their products on the environment. Without that transparency, it’s impossible to set realistic emission reduction targets and drive meaningful change.”
“Traditionally, calculating corporate emissions has relied on spreadsheets and static PDFs. Zevero makes it easier and more accurate for companies to measure, reduce and report on their carbon emissions in real-time, not just once a year,” said George Wade, Zevero’s other Co-Founder. “Much has been said about brands greenwashing, but what we’re hearing from these businesses is that they actively want to make drastic changes to clean up their supply chains – but up until now they haven’t had the data to make those decisions confidently. Zevero has created a solution for that.”
Through the acquisition, Ben and George will remain actively involved as Co-Founders – together with other Co-Founders, seasoned executive, Shigeo Taniuchi and serial entrepreneur, Yuya Kuratomi – and will be responsible for driving Zevero’s product roadmap and growth initiatives. Zevero’s diverse leadership team will integrate LEVELUP’s extensive presence and network in Asia to accelerate the expansion and impact of Zevero.
Notes to Editors
*https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/carbon-accounting-software-market-107292
Media pack can be found here
Media Contacts
Hannah Martin: [email protected]; Jo Cresswell: [email protected] 
About Zevero
Zevero is a leading carbon accounting and decarbonisation platform empowering companies towards a net zero future. Its full-stack software solution leverages AI, automated emissions calculations, supply chain data integrations and real-time analytics to accurately measure and reduce carbon footprints for companies across multiple industries. With an impressive track record of operating in 13 countries and 50 million kgCO2e under management, Zevero is headquartered in London with operations across the UK, Europe, Asia and North America. To learn more, visit https://www.zevero.earth/
About Co-Founders
Benjamin Richardson is a Co-Founder of Zevero, a leading carbon accounting and decarbonisation platform that empowers companies to achieve a net zero future. Zevero’s platform leverages AI to make it more efficient to measure and reduce its supply chain carbon emissions. Before Zevero, Ben started a carbon consultancy helping SMEs in the UK with carbon reporting and reduction.George Wade is a Co-Founder of Zevero, a leading carbon accounting and decarbonisation platform that empowers companies to achieve a net zero future. Zevero’s platform leverages AI to make it more efficient to measure and reduce its supply chain carbon emissions. George started Zevero after working in a waste technology startup whilst studying at the University of Exeter. George also founded the positive climate newsletter, The Grumpy Optimist, in 2020, sharing positive climate news with over 4,000 people each week.Shigeo Taniuchi is a Co-Founder and CEO of LEVELUP Climate Tech and is the CEO of Zevero after the integration. Shigeo is the former CEO of a global life science company and a proven global business executive with more than 25 years of experience in various senior roles, including Head of Europe and China. Having studied at Judge Business School and CISL of the University of Cambridge, Shigeo is leveraging his business and academic expertise to lead the global expansion of Zevero and to continue its contribution to society.Yuya Kuratomi is a Co-Founder of Zevero. Yuya is an award-winning serial entrepreneur with a successful track record of launching a digital startup offering enterprise cyber security platform, which he divested at $173M to GMO Internet Group, one of the leading internet service providers in Japan. Since his relocation to Singapore in 2022, he has launched several startups, including LEVELUP Climate Tech.

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