ESG and Sustainability
The rise of ESG factors in investment decision making will have a dramatic impact on returns and opportunities in the 21st century. A recent survey by LGT Capital Partners and Mercer showed that 57% of respondents believe that incorporating ESG standards into investment decisions will raise returns. Just 9% argued they reduce returns on investment.
Top Story
Nigerian startup Infibranches Technologies has received funding of $2 million from All On, an impact investing organization backed by Shell (NYSE: RDS.A). Infibranches will use the funds for customer acquisition, improvement of its product lineup and for introduction of new products and services to address energy distribution issues.
Get Daily Updates
Subscribe to DailyAlts Today to get Alternative Investment news, insight, and commentary delivered straight to your inbox every day.
More Stories on ESG and Sustainability
Venture Capital: Solar Provider Nexamp Raises $680M In Equity And Debt
Nexamp, which offers solar and energy storage solutions for a decarbonized future, has raised a $240 million equity investment led by Generate Capital. In March, closed on a $440 million senior secured credit facility for a 380-megawatt portfolio of solar and energy storage assets, the largest debt financing of its kind. The $680 million fundraising will enhance Nexamp’s ability to offer a range of decarbonization options.
Alternative Investments/ESG: UBS Launches Low Carbon Equity ETFs
UBS has launched four new ETFs that combine equity exposure with a focus on low carbon investing. The four UCITS funds track MSCI equity indices relating to the US, European, eurozone, and Japanese equity markets, and are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and Xetra.
Venture Capital: Apeel Sciences Raises $250M For Its Longer Lasting Produce
Apeel Sciences, which applies an edible, plant-based coating to fresh produce to extend its life, announced today its Series E raise of $250 million led by returning investor Temasek. “Since 2019, Apeel has prevented 42 million pieces of fruit from going to waste at retail, which has helped avoid 10,000 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions and conserve nearly 4.7 billion liters of water,” the company claimed in a statement.
Alternative Investments/ESG: RBC iShares Launches Sustainable Fixed Income ETFs
RBC iShares expanded its range of ETFs with the launch of four new fixed income ETFs of which two have a sustainability focus. These are the iShares ESG Advanced 1-5 Year Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF (XSHG) and iShares ESG Advanced Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF (XCBG), both of which extend sustainable coverage to bonds.
FinTech: Divvy, Which Democratizes Home Ownership, Lands $200M
Property technology startup Divvy Homes, which helps people who don’t qualify for a mortgage to own homes, raised $200 million in a round co-led by existing investors Tiger Global Management and Caffeinated Capital. Andreessen Horowitz, Singapore’s GIC, GGV Capital, and Moore Specialty Credit also participated in the round.
Venture Capital: Venture Capitalist Chris Sacca Raises $800M For Climate Funds
Chris Sacca’s Lowercarbon Capital announced Thursday (August 12, 2021) that it raised $800 million “in fiat, to keep unf**king the planet.” “There has never been a better time to start a company focused on emissions reduction or actively removing carbon already in the atmosphere,” Sacca wrote in Cash Cools Everything Around Me, a blog announcing the raise. “The total addressable markets are literally the biggest in history and we have no doubt that multitrillion-dollar market caps are just up ahead.”
Venture Capital: Aussie Alternative Meat Startup Fable Food Scores $6.5M Funding
Fable Food Co offers meat substitute foods made from Shiitake mushrooms having dense, fleshy fibers and umami flavors that are naturally meat-like. The Sydney, Australia-based startup has raised $6.5 million in a round led by Blackbird Ventures with participation from AgFunder, Aera VC and Better Bite Ventures, Ban Choon Marketing Pte Ltd, and Warren Hogarth.
Artificial Intelligence: AI-Powered Home Surveillance Imposed On Call Center Employees Working For US Corporations
An NBC News investigation has revealed that Colombia-based call center employees of Teleperformance (EPA: TEP), which has companies such as Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Uber (NYSE: UBER) on its client roster, are being asked to sign contracts allowing for the installation of AI-powered cameras at home. NBC News reviewed such a contract, first issued by Teleperformance in March.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Hartford Funds Launches US Equities ESG ETF
Hartford Funds announced the launch of the Hartford Schroders ESG US Equity ETF (CBOE: HEET), which seeks seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of US equities that are expected to meet environmental, social, and/or governance (ESG) criteria. In addition, it will weigh factors such as value, profitability, momentum, and low volatility.
Artificial Intelligence: AI Helps Researchers Understand Extreme Weather In The Midwest
Extreme precipitation days in the Midwest account for over half of all major US flood disasters. Researchers at Stanford University have developed a machine learning tool that helps them analyze the causes of long-term changes in weather and the mystery of why extreme precipitation days in the Midwest are becoming more frequent.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Global X Files For New Solar And Wind ETFs
New York-based fund management company Global X proposes to issue two new ETFs focused on renewable energy. It has filed with the SEC for the launch of the Global X Solar ETF (RAYS) and the Global X Wind Energy ETF (WNDY), the two ETFs adding to its existing range of 84 ETFs.
FinTech: Millennials Driving Demand For Shariah (Islamic) Banking – Mambu
A survey by SaaS cloud banking platform Mambu found that over half (53%) of young Muslims said they would choose Islamic banking – if barriers to entry were removed, and it became more accessible.
Venture Capital: Boeing Hives Off Venture Arm Into JV With Private Equity Firm
Boeing (NYSE: BA) will spin off its HorizonX venture capital arm into a strategic partnership with private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, the aerospace major announced last week. Founded in 2017, HorizonX has invested in 40 tech companies and startups, and will function as AE’s ventures platform titled AEI HorizonX. AE will manage the fund, which will receive capital from Boeing, AE and others.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Invesco Launches Solar Energy Ucits ETF
Invesco’s new Solar Energy UCITS ETF invests in the solar industry including solar power equipment producers, solar energy storage companies, raw materials suppliers and solar power system installers. These companies are global leaders in their functional areas of solar energy technology.
Artificial Intelligence: HEGG, A New Vegan Egg Product From Singapore
Hoow Foods, a Singapore-based startup, has incorporated Hegg Foods, a plant-based subsidiary that will develop innovative and sustainable products using RE-GENESYS, Hoow Foods’ proprietary food & ingredient Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform.
Venture Capital: Refurbed, A Platform For Refurbished Electronics, Nabs $54M
Refurbed, a Vienna-based startup that sells refurbished electronics on its platform, has raised $54 million a Series B round led by Evli Growth Partners and Almaz Capital. Existing investors including Speedinvest, Bonsai Partners, and All Iron Ventures, all participated. New investors Hermes GPE, C4 Ventures, SevenVentures, Alpha Associates, Monkfish Equity, Kreos, Isomer Capital, and Creas Impact Fund also came on board.
Artificial Intelligence: Beewise Offers The Earth’s First Robotic Beehive
Agtech startup Beewise warns of an immediate and serious threat to the global food supply from the 35% global annual decline in bee colonies. Keeping bee colonies safe, well and preventing them from collapsing would allow for more pollination, as well as increased production of honey. Beewise has reinvented the traditional beehive, dating from 150 years back, and its Beehomes are solar-powered, AI-enabled, and armed with robotics to keep the bees safe, healthy, and productive.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Deff & Phelps Launch Active Clean Energy ETF
Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. and Virtus ETF Solutions launched Wednesday the Virtus Duff & Phelps Clean Energy ETF (NYSE: VCLN). The actively-managed ETF seeks returns by investing globally in a portfolio of clean, renewable, and sustainable companies and technologies that will power the energy needs of the future.
Alternative Investments/ESG: BlackRock Launches Two New Paris Aligned UCITS ETFs
BlackRock has launched the iShares MSCI EMU Paris-Aligned Climate UCITS ETF (EMPA) and the iShares MSCI Europe Paris Aligned UCITS ETF (EUPB) both of which are Paris-aligned climate ETFs. These ETFs are listed on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange effective July 29.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Direxion Launches 2X Leveraged Clean Energy ETF
Direxion announced Thursday (July 29, 2021) its launch of the Direxion Daily Global Clean Energy Bull 2x Shares (KLNE), a leveraged ETF that seeks to return 200% of its benchmark index, the S&P Global Clean Energy Index, in a single day.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Timothy Plan Launches Two ETFs For Biblical Investing
Faith-based investment company Timothy Plans announced Thursday the launch of two new ETFs, namely, the Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF (TPHE) and the Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Cap Core Enhanced ETF (TPLE). In line with the principles of Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI), these ETFs would not invest in companies involved with alcohol, tobacco, gambling, or gambling equipment, or abortion, pornography, anti-family entertainment, or non-biblical lifestyles.
Digital Assets: Greenidge Gen. To Use Crypto Profits For New Solar Farm
Greenidge Generation Holdings, which runs a bitcoin mining operation alongside its power supply unit in Upstate New York, announced Thursday (July 29, 2021) that it will shutter a 40-year old coal ash landfill in the Finger Lakes region, and thereafter set up a 5MW solar farm at the 143-acre site.
Alternative Investments/ESG: A Shariah Compliant ETF Tracking China ‘A’ Shares Debuts In Malaysia
Value Partners Group Ltd listed today the VP-DJ Shariah China A-Shares 100 ETF, the world’s first Shariah-compliant A-share exchange traded fund (ETF), on Bursa Malaysia. The ETF provides investors exposure to Shariah-compliant stocks within the China A-Shares equity universe. The ETF tracks the performance of the Dow Jones Islamic Market China A-Shares 100 Index.
Artificial Intelligence: Metaspectral Gets Grant From British Columbia For AI-Enabled Plastic Sorting
The CleanBC Plastics Action Fund, which is funded by the BC Government and administered by Alacrity Cleantech, has awarded a grant of $300,000 to Metaspectral, a Canadian company that derive real-time insights from AI using ultra-high-resolution, visible-to-infrared (hyperspectral) images.