We use the Canopy Pool to fund top-impact startups from our Venture Program.

The first swiss canopy pool for forests & biodiversity

Building on the Brainforest Venture Platform, our fund fills a crucial gap by financing early-stage impact startups in the forest and biodiversity space.

5

Ventures

Incorporated & Seed Funded

12

Million

Raised in Impact Investments

6

Million

USD Raised in Grants

How It Works: Two Pillars of Impact

Brainforest uses philanthropic capital to support startups in their early phases with hands-on support and with innovative financial instruments.

Venture Program

We mentor and accelerate startups, providing hands-on guidance from concept to growth. Our unique venture-building model ensures measurable success.

Canopy Pool

Our Canopy Pool offers innovative financial instruments such as impact-linked loans, revenue financing, and equity.

Closing the Funding Gap in Biodiversity Conservation

An annual funding gap of $103 to $178 billion threatens global biodiversity. The Canopy Pool mobilizes philanthropic capital to attract private investment, filling this gap and creating scalable, lasting impact.

Philanthropic
Spending

Funding Need

Innovative Financial Tools for Impact Startups

Recoverable Grants

Philanthropic capital with repayment potential, de-risking startups while enabling reinvestment for greater impact.

Impact-Linked Loans

Low-interest loans tied to ventures meeting social or environmental impact goals.

Revenue-Based Financing

Flexible funding where repayments scale with a startup’s revenue growth.

Our Impact Focus

The Canopy Pool helps bridge the SDG impact and financing gaps, with a focus on SDGs: 1. No poverty; 10. Reduced inequalities; 13. Climate action; and 15. Life on land.

With the catalytic effect of the available capital, we attract more diverse private funding into those impact themes.

Inputs

Activities

Outputs/Outcomes

Impact

Experts & Mentors

Startup knowhow

Innovative financial instruments

CANOPY Pool

(Recoverable) Grant Funding

Network

Venture Program

(Incubation, Acceleration & Due Diligence)

Investments of catalytic capital

Portfolio Management

Impact Tracking & Reporting

For-impact, for-profit ventures identified globally

Financial returns drawn from impact-positive equity investments

Attract private capital

Enhanced impact reporting and transparency

Our ventures restore, preserve and regenerate forests

Our ventures protect & rehabilitate biodiversity hotspots

We bridge the funding gap for high-impact ventures

We empower local forest communities

Early Returns as a Learning Tool for Foundation Financial Practices

The Brainforest Canopy Pool recognizes the significant learning curve for accountants, auditors, and oversight bodies of foundations in managing the new financial practices.

To facilitate this learning and adaptation, the Fund will begin returning money to the participating foundations within the first 24 months, even if these are initially small amounts.

This strategy will enable foundations to practice and refine the accounting of returned capital from their grant budgets.

For instance, the recoverable grant contributions made by a foundation should be recorded on the active side of its balance sheet as a pro-memoria item, ensuring accurate financial representation.