Energy Finance
ConNEX Workshop: Securing Working Capital & Advanced Financial Planning
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Speakers at the ConNEX Workshop: Securing Working Capital & Advanced Financial Planning

On July 25, 2024, we hosted a virtual workshop on Advanced Financial Planning, attended by entrepreneurs from all over California and as far as Ethiopia. The event provided insights into the unique financial landscape for clean energy startups and featured the following speakers:

 

Key Takeaways
Chante Harris: Navigating Risks and Finding Value

Harris delved into the shifting landscape of clean energy funding. She highlighted the necessity for startups to communicate their intrinsic value beyond their technology and look for additional revenue and collateral options. Harris discussed blending public and private capital to transition projects from the research phase to viable businesses.

Harris also highlighted the importance of doing product market fit work before the product is ready. She encouraged entrepreneurs to ask:

“Who’s started to think about earmarking money for the specific problem you’re solving, and if they haven’t done that yet, how do you get them to?”

Scott Pitts: Creative Funding and Cash Flow Management

Scott Pitts shared insights on creative funding solutions, emphasizing the importance of finding financing partners who are open to innovative approaches. He provided the example of how his financing partner bought equipment and resold it to the startup, using collateral to secure more funding. Pitts discussed the need for high-fidelity cash flow forecasts and building strong relationships within the industry – before needing to ask for money.

“If you only manage your business based on the money you have in the bank, you have a capacity issue,” explained Pitts. He encouraged leveraging incubators and local venture/angel groups to find supporters passionate about clean energy.

“Find lovers with money.”

He urged entrepreneurs to find people who are excited about their technology and have the resources to invest.

Erin Davis: Simplifying Equity Raises and Financial Maturity

Davis encouraged founders to use SAFE notes (Simply Agreement for Future Equity) using the Y-combinator template. She stressed the importance of securing non-dilutive capital quickly and bridging funding gaps with loans. Davis highlighted the significance of maintaining well-organized financial records and building a robust pro forma. She encouraged companies seeking early-stage financing to visit Enduring Planet’s website and apply.

Strategic Advice for Startups

The session concluded with strategic advice for startups. Pitts emphasized the importance of having a backup plan and advised being prepared for potential capital crunches. Harris encouraged treating regulatory requirements as drivers of innovation and leveraging networks to increase funding access.


Resources & Tools

Funders & Accelerators

Grant Writing

Recruiting

Financial Management

Special thanks to our partner, Momentum, and funder, The California Energy Commission.

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Energy Finance
Meet the startups in our latest Climate Fintech Accelerator
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Startups joining the 2024 Climate Fintech Accelerator, a New Energy Nexus China program.

New Energy Nexus China and Yangtze River Delta Hi-Tech Park (Zhaoxiang) offered this year’s Climate Fintech Accelerator—an opportunity for startups to get invaluable mentorship, network, and training that will give them strategic advantages in this competitive space.

These startups from China, Thailand, and Singapore have stepped up to the plate, intent on jumpstarting their growth and driving sustainability at a global scale.

Arkreen

Arkreen is a Web3-powered data network for globally distributed renewable energy resources. They are building a digital infrastructure by utilizing the blockchain and incentivizing climate actors through regenerative financing.

akreen

Akreen

CarbonEase

CarbonEase intends to lead the way in end-to-end and inclusive carbon management solutions—focusing on guiding enterprises, particularly in manufacturing, towards carbon neutrality. CarbonEase provides a one-stop low-carbon service package consisting of three modules and eight components. Through the CarbonEasy software as a service (SaaS) platform and a smart manufacturing carbon reduction ecosystem, CarbonEase enables customers to optimize efficiency and energy consumption, effectively reducing costs and carbon emissions.

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CarbonEase

CarbonPass

CarbonPass is a digital technology company that empowers international brands to achieve low-carbon international expansion and meet green compliance standards. Utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, AI, and blockchain, it offers comprehensive carbon neutrality and digital transformation solutions for global brands. With a focus on the sustainable compliance requirements of the ClimeCo Product Certification Program, part of the Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) program, CarbonPass has built a digital service system that consists of 52 carbon compliance auditing and certification solutions.

Cero Global Limited

CERO is a personal carbon wallet that tracks carbon footprints with every transaction, converts green efforts into carbon credits seamlessly with the cross-border payment feature embedded, and monitors environmental impact.

DIGICARBON

DIGICARBON is a carbon finance and technology company that specializes in carbon pricing and finance. It provides a range of products integrating hundreds of database indicators and numerous standardized Application Programming Interfaces (API). These tools enable carbon price analysis, asset forecasting, trading, pricing, and more. With an interpretable machine learning analysis framework, DIGICARBON caters to various application scenarios including carbon quotas, sinks, green certificates, and beyond.

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DIGICARBON

SusallWave

SusallWave is a fintech firm focused on quantitatively evaluating sustainable development value — which measures if activities contribute to socioeconomic development without exhausting natural resources and incapacitating future generations. Using a green finance data platform based on attributes from various enterprises, it applies assessment models and algorithms in standard construction, quantitative assessment, data application, and technological empowerment. SusallWave offers products and services combining comprehensive data with product innovation; supporting green credit, bonds, supply chain finance, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) funds, and beyond.

SusallWave

SusallWave

Skyco2 

Skyco2 helps businesses calculate carbon emissions and manage carbon assets. It provides products such as carbon measurement edge all-in-one machines, digital carbon management and accounting systems, enterprise carbon assets management systems, and greenhouse gas emission accounting standard databases. Serving industries such as industrial, construction, and transportation, Skyco2 also provides MRV services and SaaS solutions. Since 2008, they’ve served clients across 15+ provinces, 100+ cities, and 20,000+ industrial sites.

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Skyco2

Tao Tan Lang

Tao Tan Lang, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Treasure Carbon, provides comprehensive digital solutions including these key products: a SaaS carbon management platform, a warrant management system, and a carbon credit rating system. These tools empower enterprises to achieve their environmental objectives and transition towards more sustainable practices.

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Tao Tan Lang

WeavAir

WeavAir offers a digital platform for direct measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emissions for more effective ESG investment and energy transition implementation, financing, and insurance. It partners with financial institutions, providing high-quality data for SFDR Article 9 compliance and transparent risk models fueled by satellite data, enhancing analysis resolution by over 70%. Utilizing big data and AI, WeavAir enables real-time ESG risk monitoring of target companies and claims to reduce decision-making time and costs by at least 10-fold. WeavAir analytics helps broaden the investment universe, allows for the design and testing of portfolios, and supports shorter time to market for new funds.

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WeavAir


The 2024 Climate Fintech Accelerator is a rolling program and we’re looking forward to receiving applications from all over the world. Apply now and check out more information on our website.

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News
China
Energy Finance
New Energy Nexus launches its 2024 Climate Fintech Accelerator 

Shanghai, 29 January 2024 – The New Energy Nexus (NEX) 2024 Climate Fintech Accelerator is now open for applications. The accelerator aims to foster innovation in the climate finance sector, providing startups with resources for business growth, product buildup, and extensive networking opportunities.

Last year marked the launch of the first NEX Climate Fintech Accelerator, which hosted 14 startups over an eight-month program, supporting 51 entrepreneurs, and more than 15 industry-specific events.

This year, we’re embarking on another journey. The 2024 NEX Climate Fintech Accelerator will focus on two key application areas: Web3 in Sustainability and Cross-Border Carbon Management. The program will cover eight domains, including Payments, Banking, Lending, Investing, Trading, Risk Analysis, Insurance Technology (Insurtech), and Regulatory Technology (Regtech).

The year-long program is for startups around the globe and designed to support the most innovative and impactful climate fintech entrepreneurs. In addition to mentorship and industry networking, the accelerator will focus on customer acquisition and capacity building.

We welcome all entrepreneurs who have passion in decarbonization and climate innovations and confidence in their technology and products. Apply for the 2024 Climate Fintech Accelerator: English and Chinese.

There will be a rolling recruitment, with the deadline for priority applications on March 24, 2024.

Program contacts:

Contact for more information: Luna Zhang, Climate Fintech Associate, New Energy Nexus, su.zhang@newenergynexus.com

Media contacts:

Tristan Tremschnig
Global Communications Director, New Energy Nexus (based in California)
tristan.tremschnig@newenergynexus.com

Jasper Shen
Communications Manager, New Energy Nexus China (based in Shanghai)
jasper.shen@newenergynexus.com

About New Energy Nexus

New Energy Nexus (NEX) is an international organization that strives towards a 100% clean energy economy for 100% of the population. It does this with a laser focus on diverse entrepreneurs, supporting them with accelerators, funds, skills, and networks they need to thrive.

NEX has accelerated over 1,200 startups, supported nearly 9,000 entrepreneurs, and mobilized over US$3.7 billion in investment. Celebrating 20 years since its founding in California in 2004, NEX now operates programs or advisory services in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, the UAE, Uganda, the USA (California and New York), and Vietnam. More at www.newenergynexus.com

Follow NEX on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube