Annual Report 2024
As we celebrate our 5th anniversary since our founding in December 2019, we stand as the world’s first non-profit Venture Platform dedicated to forests and biodiversity.
The world’s first Venture Platform for forests & biodiversity
We accelerate ventures by leveraging philanthropy, science, technology, entrepreneurship and our unique access to indigenous and local knowledge.
Brainforest Intro
Since 1970, 69% of global wildlife has been lost, putting ecosystems and biodiversity at serious risk. While awareness is growing, there’s still not enough action to close the gap in preserving our forests and biodiversity. As we celebrate our 5th anniversary since our founding in December 2019, we stand as the world’s first non-profit Venture Platform dedicated to forests and biodiversity.
Our Vision is to regenerate and protect 20 million hectares of biodiverse forests by 2030. We strive to achieve this by bringing together entrepreneurs, experts, and funders to create real and impactful solutions. We use philanthropic funding to support early-stage startups until they can attract impact investment.
Our Flaghip Inititative is our Venture Program which has now supported four cohorts of global teams tackling forest and biodiversity challenges. We provide expert guidance on topics ranging from business strategy and impact measurement to financial planning and pitching.
At the end of each cycle, we invest in the most promising ventures, providing financial support and ongoing collaboration to ensure long-term success.
Portfolio Updates
In 2024, we welcomed two new ventures into our Portfolio: Muvuca, a food subscription service to reforest Brazil and Orijin, a software solution to solve EUDR compliance for coffee & cocoa importers and producers.
Venture Program
In 2024, we hosted two Venture Programs (VP), which resulted in:
160+ Applications
13 Startups supported
6 continents
We continued to refine the program’s structure and updated our funding terms for winning teams to $125k and up to $50k valued services for a 10% equity stake in the company. We also expanded our expert pool to provide each team with a dedicated mentor as well as weekly expert sessions.
How we select and work with startups
We systematically choose the most promising impact partners and grow them systematically and sustainably.
The expert sessions were a cornerstone of the program, offering startups practical insights and tools to grow and succeed. Highlights included Joshua Berger’s guidance on selecting biodiversity measurement tools, Beatrice Scarioni’s introduction to the Impact Canvas framework for aligning interventions with measurable outcomes, and Jenny Lindblad’s coaching on delivering impactful pitches. For more information on our Venture Program and cohorts, check out our blogs!
At the end of the 8-week program, teams participated in a hybrid pitch event, predominantly held in person, where they presented to a selection committee and our network of experts, funders, and family offices. This was a valuable opportunity for teams to receive feedback, build connections, and gain visibility. Brainforest ultimately selects 1-2 teams to invest in, providing both financial and strategic support to drive their ventures forward. For a full overview of our venture portfolio, check out our portfolio.
Brainforest Updates
Canopy Pool
We launched our first-ever Swiss Canopy Pool, a catalytic initiative designed to accelerate impact-driven forest and biodiversity ventures by addressing funding gaps at the earliest stages. The Canopy Pool mobilizes philanthropic capital to attract private investment, filling this gap and creating scalable, lasting impact. Securing Fondation Valery as our first funder marked a significant milestone in advancing early-stage venture support.
Impact Methodology
In line with our commitment to transparency and effectiveness, we published a whitepaper on our own Impact Methodology, providing a framework to track and measure the success of our portfolio ventures and ensure meaningful contributions to forest and biodiversity while upholding accountability at every stage.
Events
This year, we actively engaged with a broad audience to spread our mission by organizing and participating in events such as Hack Summit, Trust & Sustainability Forum, Future Forest Forum, Norrsken Demo Day, GreenBuzz, Impact Week, Future Horizon, the <<100 Minuten>> Podcast and many more.
In addition to the two pitch events for our Venture Program, we hosted two funder-focused events to deepen understanding and foster collaboration:
Zurich’s Tax Reform Unlocks - Entrepreneurial Funding Models.
Entrepreneurial Funding Models - Zurich Tax Reform in Action.
These events featured many speakers, including funding-model expert Aunnie Patton Power, foundation director Yannick Ritschel from Fondation Valery, SwissFoundations CEO Katja Schönenberger, and founders from our spin-off ventures such as Muvuca and Orijin. Together, these events showcased innovative approaches to funding and highlighted the transformative impact of entrepreneurial initiatives.
New Partnerships & Funders
We established impactful partnerships with organizations dedicated to advancing sustainability and innovation, including Tech4Regeneration, Maze, Phineo Startups, HackGroup, Unearthodox, Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa, The First Thirty, and The Biodiversity Accelerator and welcomed a new funder, the Nando und Elsa Peretti Foundation.
Team
Our team has evolved this year, welcoming new members while saying goodbye to others. Throughout the year, we organized many team-building events like learning survival skills in the forest, taking several ice baths, enjoying shared lunches, and engaging & fun remote game events.
Brand
We revamped our website, introducing a refreshed design and a blog section to better showcase our newsletters, events, and research papers. We prioritized consistent and strategic communication, making LinkedIn our central platform for thought leadership and updates. Through regular content, cross-promotions, and live event coverage, we fostered meaningful engagement and expanded our reach. Additionally, we explored AI powered tools for content creation and design, using them thoughtfully to enhance, rather than replace, our storytelling.
Closing
As we reflect on 2024, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us this year. From funders and partners to entrepreneurs and team members, your dedication and belief in Brainforest’s mission have been essential in driving meaningful progress.
Your support allows us to take bold steps toward regenerating forests, protecting biodiversity, and creating sustainable solutions for the future. Together, we are making a difference, and we look forward to continuing this important journey with you.
The Brainforest Team
