+++ We’re happy to be attending the World Biodiversity Forum 2022 from June 26th until July 1st 2022 in Davos, Switzerland. +++
The Venture Studio
for Forests & Climate
More Forests.
Better Climate.
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!
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
Enabling a market of approximately
4.5 M Carbon Credits annuallyDelivering co-financing of 200 M € every year for reforestation of destroyed forest
Get in touch
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
Proven customer demand
Large impact potential
Opportunity for high returns
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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.
Interested in collaborating with Brainforest?
Entrepreneurs
… profit from our targeted venture building and scaling processes and our unique network of forest experts, talents, corporate partners and investors.
Companies
… 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
… 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!
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.
Prof. Dr. Jaboury Ghazoul
Board Member
Ecosystem Management, ETH Zurich
… 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
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.
May 3, 2022
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.
March 21, 2022
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.
March 8, 2022
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.
February 23, 2022
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.
February 15, 2022
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.
December 9, 2021
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.
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).
+++ We’re happy to be attending the World Biodiversity Forum 2022 from June 26th until July 1st 2022 in Davos, Switzerland. +++