Where nature meets innovation: Brainforest’s focus areas for the future of biodiversity

Where nature meets innovation: Brainforest’s focus areas for the future of biodiversity

The world is facing an urgent biodiversity crisis. Deforestation, soil degradation, and ecosystem collapse are accelerating at an alarming rate, threatening food systems, economies, and planetary stability. To meet this moment, we need bold, scalable, and data-driven solutions that can restore nature and embed it into our decision-making systems.

At Brainforest, our mission is to accelerate nature-based innovation by supporting early-stage ventures through our spring & winter Venture Program. But to do this effectively, we first need to deeply understand the shifting landscape of biodiversity investment and innovation.

That’s why we’re especially proud to share our Multistakeholder Report, an internal initiative led by our team in collaboration with the broader ecosystem we’ve been building for years. The report synthesizes insights from 12 leading experts across venture capital, foundations, academia, NGOs, and industry to help identify the most critical areas where innovation can unlock impact.

From this process, we’ve defined the key focus areas for our upcoming spring Venture Program. Below, we highlight the four refined themes that emerged. Each of the themes backed by expert input, field research, and growing momentum in the nature-tech space.

Focus Area 1: AI & Data for Nature Intelligence
Focus Area 2: Deep-Tech for Ecosystem Restoration

Monitoring Reporting and Verification (in short MRV) systems and biodiversity credits are changing the game in ecosystem protection. These tools make it easier to collect and analyze data helping to better manage and fund conservation efforts.

Serena’s latest VC Funding report shows growing interest in this space with nature tech funding reaching 878 million dollars in the first half of 2024 a 51 percent jump from late 2023. MRV and biodiversity credits alone attracted 224 million dollars nearly matching all of 2023 (!).

Yannick Ritschel, director at Fondation Valery, who collaborated on our multistakeholder report confirmed that:

Enhanced measurement and auditing will be instrumental in embedding nature into our economies. - Yannick

However, experts agree that the biggest challenge right now is fragmentation. Investors want integrated platforms instead of a plethora of specialized tools. As MRV technology improves we expect platforms to come together making them more effective and easier to use.

Focus Area 3: Monetizing Biodiversity

Monetizing biodiversity means giving nature an economic value, making sure it's considered in financial decisions. This helps motivate people and businesses to protect ecosystems by showing how valuable these natural resources are.

A recent study from Binghamton University, conducted by Sevgi Soylemezgil, found that companies facing biodiversity risks often have to pay more when borrowing money, especially for long-term projects. For example, businesses in farming or forestry can lose money if biodiversity loss affects their resources or leads to new regulations. The study suggests that companies can avoid these financial risks by making biodiversity a key part of their strategic planning.

This aligns with the insights from our recent multistakeholder report, where Kristjan Jespersen, Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School, emphasized the importance of creating new financial models that help businesses move from short-term pilot projects to more impactful, long-term solutions:

Biodiversity investment is stuck in endless pilot projects, where solutions are tested but never scaled. The future must focus on structured, long-term financing mechanisms. - Kristjan

Both sources underline the importance of clear financial frameworks and market-driven solutions to scale biodiversity investments effectively.

Focus Area 4: Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Health

In our recently conducted Multistakeholder Report, Antony Yousefian, Partner at TFT Ventures, LLC, underscored the urgency of scaling regenerative agriculture, stating 🎙️:

Nature’s decline will put the most pressure on food systems. That’s why we’re deploying capital there. - Antony

Industrial agriculture is a leading driver of climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. As highlighted in a recent Roland Berger report, conventional farming practices (such as excessive tilling, chemical inputs, and deforestation) deplete soil fertility, erode ecosystems, and accelerate greenhouse gas emissions.

Water resource depletion and habitat destruction further compound these issues, making the transition to regenerative agriculture an urgent necessity. Regenerative agriculture presents a viable, scalable alternative by focusing on soil health, biodiversity recovery, and sustainable land management. Practices such as minimal soil disturbance, diverse crop rotation, and livestock integration restore ecosystems and enhance farm productivity and resilience.

Closing & what’s next?

These focus areas are strategic commitments shaping how we scout, select, and support the next generation of nature innovators. Together, they reflect Brainforest’s belief that restoring nature requires both innovation and collaboration across disciplines.

However, experts agree that the biggest challenge right now is fragmentation. Investors want integrated platforms instead of a plethora of specialized tools. As MRV technology improves, we expect platforms to come together, making them more effective and easier to use.

To address this, Brainforest is supporting the initiative Biodiversity 360°, a pioneering nature tech project that combines six Swiss-made technologies to help businesses measure, monitor, and act on their biodiversity impact.

Brainforest’s Venture Program is open twice a year. If you're building a startup aligned with these areas, we’d love to hear from you. You can apply through our website, or if closed, join the waiting list.