Reducing CO2 emissions is crucial but not enough. To reach the world’s climate targets, we must absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

It is possible!

Forests play a central role in this, offering a wide range of environmental and social benefits. However, their potential is not realized due to market fragmentation and other barriers.

There is an urgency to unleash the climate potential of forests at large scale by unlocking the value of carbon and other co-benefits.

An urgent need for disruption – this is where we come in!

Brainforest is the first for-impact venture studio for forests and climate.

We are striving for game changing solutions to unlock the climate potential of forests at speed, scale, and quality through entrepreneurial approaches.

Our ambition

+ 20 million hectares

Brainforest’s objective is to solve the climate and biodiversity crisis  entrepreneurially by enabling 20 million hectares of additional forest by 2030.

One solution alone is not enough –
that is why we have chosen a unique approach:

Our first two ventures are seed-funded!

Venture 1:
A Global Digital Marketplace

Connecting capital to forests, faster!

Venture 2:
Forest Climate
Standard

A new digital standard shaping the German carbon market.

Reinventing forest climate standards shaping the German carbon market.

Digital standard generating the first carbon credits out of German forests

Allowing German economy to invest in local forest climate projects cofinancing reforestation

Automated processes by use of latest technologies e.g. remote sensing

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    Enabling a market of approximately
    4.5 M Carbon Credits annually

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    Delivering co-financing of 200 M € every year for reforestation of destroyed forest

More information?
Get in touch
Alexander Zeihe

Alexander Zeihe

Cooperation & Fundraising

Moritz Vohrer

Moritz Vohrer

Standards & Technology

Rüdiger Meyer

Rüdiger Meyer

Strategy & Organisational Development

Connecting funds to forests, faster!

Digital marketplace for sustainable forest projects from listing to fund deployment

Turning data into ongoing forest intelligence

Automated processes reducing transaction costs

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    Proven customer demand

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    Large impact potential

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    Opportunity for high returns

More information?
Get in touch
Tim Dührkoop

Tim Dührkoop

Co-Founder / CEO

Jamie Lawrence

Jamie Lawrence

Co-Founder

Stephan Pharies

Stephan Pharies

Digital Strategy

Angel Llavero Cruz

Angel Llavero Cruz

Strategic Alliance Manager

Yeray Martínez Montesdeoca

Yeray Martínez Montesdeoca

Forest Intelligence Team Lead

The Brainforest Biodiversity Lab

Co-founder of the Brainforest Biodiversity Lab

Protecting forests is key as they harbor 80% of the Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity, and WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022 shows wildlife populations have declined by 69% in the past 50 years, expected to rise.

To prevent this, Brainforest and the Somaha foundation co-founded the Brainforest Biodiversity Lab. The Lab is working on creating market-driven solutions to generate revenues from ecosystem services for local forest communities, focusing on the need for biodiverse agroforestry systems and accurate and transparent measurements of biodiversity.

Would you like to join our mission and become a strategic partner or funder? Do not hesitate and reach out to us.
Together we will further regenerate and protect forests worldwide.

What we aim to achieve in the near future

2021

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> 3 Mio.
CHF capital
for forests unlocked

1st Impact Venture spun-out (PoC #1)

2nd Impact Venture spun-out (PoC #1)

1st venture proceeds / revenue generated

2022

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10 Mio.
CHF capital
for forests unlocked

Significant CO2 absorbed over the next 20 years

New Impact Investment Vehicle founded: Venture Studio AG

Venture Studio AG capitalized with 5 mio.+ to scale several spin-outs

3rd & 4th Impact Venture spun-out

2023

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100 Mio.
CHF capital
for forests unlocked

500 Mio.
CHF capital
for forests unlocked

Pipeline of 30+ new impact solutions

Pool of 100+ entrepreneurs & board members

Association revenues reducing philantropic dependancy

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Interested in collaborating with Brainforest?

Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur

… profit from our targeted venture building and scaling processes and our unique network of forest experts, talents, corporate partners and investors.

Companies

Entrepreneur

… help our innovative climate ventures gain speed and scale, and in return get access to a pipeline of climate solutions enhancing the companies’ climate strategies.

Donors

Entrepreneur

… provide catalytic funds to build impact ventures which in turn unlock large scale capital flow for reforestation and climate mitigation.

Help us act – for more forests & a better climate!

Get in touch

It’s all about the right people at the right time …

Brainforest has been founded by a powerful combination of business entrepreneurs and NGO experts in December 2019 in Switzerland and is made possible by the Migros Pioneer Fund, part of the social commitment of the Migros Group.

Leo Caprez
Leo Caprez
Co-Founder & CEO
Impact & Fundraising
More info
  • 15 years in sustainability, with focus on climate, innovation & impact startups
  • Impact investing practitioner
  • Serial entrepreneur with several leadership & board roles

 

Susanne Wittig
Susanne Wittig
Co-Founder & Board Member
Impact & Strategy
More info
  • Over 20 years in private, public and nonprofit sector in different leadership and board roles e.g. Henkel, Ashoka, SDC
  • Special expertise in impact & business strategy and social entrepreneurship
Daniel Naeff
Daniel Naeff
Co-Founder & Advisory Board Member
Venture Building
More info
  • Founder/venture builder in big data, blockchain and fintech e.g. Teralytics, Oakura
  • Board member and mentor in diverse organizations & startups
  • Mechanical and industrial engineer (ETH, MIT)
Elke Guhl
Elke Guhl
Advisory Board Member
Marketing, Branding & Communications
(C-level & Board Roles e.g. Migros, ebay, Henkel)
Dr. Christian Wenger
Dr. Christian Wenger
Chairman
Business Angel
Thomas Vellacott
Thomas Vellacott
Board Member
CEO WWF Switzerland
Isabelle Silverman-Bodmer
Isabelle Silverman-Bodmer
Board Member
Environmental Consultant
Board Member
Board Member
Financial Consultant &
Entrepreneur
Dr. Carlos Nobre
Dr. Carlos Nobre
Advisory Board Member
Earth System Scientist, Nobel Laureate (University of Sao Paulo, MIT, WRI)
Anton Aschwanden
Anton Aschwanden
Advisory Board Member
Governement Affairs & Public Policy (10 years Google)
Simona Scarpaleggia
Simona Scarpaleggia
Board Member
Board Director
Matthias Frisch
Matthias Frisch
Board Member
Finance & Investment
Prof. Dr. Jaboury Ghazoul
Prof. Dr. Jaboury Ghazoul
Board Member
Ecosystem Management, ETH Zurich
Amir Suissa
Amir Suissa
Board Member
Venture Building (Co-Founder WeFox, DeinDeal)
Damian Doberstein
Damian Doberstein
Advisory Board Member
Venture Building (Tierarzt Plus Partner, Headline)
Alexander Zeihe
Alexander Zeihe
Forest Community &
Policy (Carbon)
More info
  • Expert on European Forestry
  • Former Head of the German Forest Owner Association (2 Million German Forest Owners)
  • Profound network of leading German & European politicians
Camille Accolas
Camille Accolas
Venture Builder
Gioia Lelli
Gioia Lelli
Associate & Entrepreneur in Residence
Jamie Lawrence
Jamie Lawrence
Forest Solutions
Entrepreneur
More info
  • 25 years in forestry
  • Senior Advisor to FTSE100
    and leading NGOS with
    focus on forest landscape
    restoration
  • Co-Founder of 4 SMEs
    (Consultant, Social
    Enterprise, NGO field office)
John Goedschalk
John Goedschalk
Entrepreneur in Residence
Nir Vaida
Nir Vaida
Venture Builder
Priscila Vazquez
Priscila Vazquez
Associate

… and the right partners who believe in us!

We are proud to be supported by partners who share our mission and passion joining us on our journey!

About Migros Pioneer Fund

The Migros Pioneer Fund looks for and supports ideas with social potential. It enables pioneering projects that break new ground and seek out forward-looking solutions. Its impact-oriented funding approach combines financial support with coaching services. The Migros Pioneer Fund is part of the Migros Group’s social engagement and is enabled by the Migros Group with around CHF 15 million annually. For further information: www.migros-pionierfonds.ch

 

Brainforest was co-founded by WWF Switzerland

Funding Partners

Developing Partners

Collaboration on forest project supporting SIG’s sustainability strategy

Collaboration on 250 forest projects from Openforests

Collaboration on Brainforest’s global market place development

In the News

Expert view: Accelerating forest-based climate solutions

Susanne Wittig, co-founder of Swiss venture incubator Brainforest, talks about the innovative approach the organisation is taking to identify and accelerate forest-based solutions addressing climate and biodiversity challenges.

Der Fokus auf CO2 ist ausdrück­lich nur der Anfang

Mit innovativen Ideen will Brainforest den Wald für das Erreichen globaler CO2-Ziele nutzen. Susanne Wittig und Leo Caprez Mitgründer*innen von Brainforest sprechen über den Wald als natürliche Klimalösung und wie sich Philanthropie und Impact Investment Kapital ergänzen können.

Impact Circle Event – Brainforest

Impact-first venture builder leveraging philanthropic & impact capital through launching ventures that unlock the climate potential of forests at speed and scale.

We Don’t Have Time

At the NOAH Conference in Zurich, Brainforest co-founder Susanne Wittig discussed the Brainforest mission and why entrepreneurship and innovation are key to bringing more capital into forests with Nick Nuttall and the We Don’t Have Time team.

Brainforest: Verstärkung mit wissenschaftlicher und unternehmerischer Kompetenz

Simona Scarpaleggia, ehemalige CEO von EDGE Strategy und IKEA Schweiz wird Mitglied des Vorstands des gemeinnützigen Vereins Brainforest.

Start-ups for more forests and a better climate

Can entrepreneurship solve the climate crisis? A Swiss venture studio is bringing start-up thinking to environmental action, generating projects that use technology and data to facilitate targeted, effective reforestation and afforestation. Its first two entities have just been incorporated.

We’re all guided by a shared set of principles …

The
Brainforest
Way…

Walking the Forest Talk
We value authenticity and do what we say.

NGO Heart & Business Mind
We unlock impact with regenerative market solutions.

Radical Collaboration
We embrace the existing and seek powerful partnerships.

Growing Together
We invest in people and help each other grow.

Fast & Furious
We make bold moves and pivot quickly when we fail.

Making it Fun!
We invite playfulness and celebrate our successes.

Contact us!

Get in touch to help us stabilize the climate.


    Please contact me directly, I have an idea!


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    Why forests play a central role

    Scientists reinforce the value of forests as the largest natural climate solution1, with an estimated carbon sink potential of up to 205 billion tons2 (equivalent to 66% of all anthropogenic carbon emissions3). Currently, the potential of forests remains unrealized.

    How forest economy and related markets work today

    The market for sustainable forest products and commodities is not adequately developed to attract the capital needed to grow and transform forests into high potential, biodiverse carbon sinks. The services provided by forests, such as storing CO2 or improving water quality, are not sufficiently rewarded by the market today. Accessing carbon markets is not possible for all types and sizes of forests and the process is complex, time-consuming and costly. Low-cost data interpretation and monitoring systems to inform investors are not available at scale.

    As a result, there is not enough growth of environmentally sound forests at a time when this growth is critical.

    1Griscom et al 2017, PNAS – Natural Climate Solutions 2 S. L. Lewis, E. T. A. Mitchard, C. Prentice, M. Maslin, B. Poulter, Comment on “The global tree restoration potential”. Science 366, eaaz0388 (2019). 3 J.-F. Bastin, Y. Finegold, C. Garcia, D. Mollicone, M. Rezende, D. Routh, C. M. Zohner, T. W. Crowther, The global tree restoration potential. Science 365, 76–79 (2019).

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