Why we invested in Nala Earth: Pioneering a nature-positive future for industry

The imperative for businesses to understand and manage their relationship with the natural world has reached unprecedented urgency. The loss of biodiversity has escalated from a peripheral concern to a critical crisis, with profound implications for operational efficiency, supply chains, and long-term financial stability. Industries that rely heavily on natural resources and ecosystem services are increasingly susceptible to resource scarcity, ecosystem degradation, and the cascading effects of disrupted supply chains. It is essential to recognize that nature is a vital stakeholder; businesses that neglect to account for their impacts and dependencies do so at their own risk.

We find ourselves at a pivotal moment, coinciding with the evolution of regulatory frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). These initiatives establish increasingly rigorous standards for companies to disclose their impacts, dependencies and resulting financial risks on nature, pushing nature-related considerations to the forefront of corporate agendas. As investor and consumer expectations for environmental accountability continue to rise, businesses face immense pressure to take proactive measures.

In this dynamic context, Nala Earth has emerged as a remarkable player in the industry. Their nature intelligence platform empowers businesses to measure, manage, and report their impacts and dependencies on biodiversity and the environment. Nala’s innovative platform directly addresses the intertwined challenges confronting large industrial corporations, including limited visibility into nature-related business risks, the complexities of meeting new regulatory compliance requirements, and operational vulnerabilities stemming from insufficient monitoring tools.

What particularly impressed us about Nala was their comprehensive approach, which aligns seamlessly with major frameworks like TNFD, SBTN, and CSRD. The platform’s capacity to quantify nature across land, water, and biodiversity, utilizing scientifically vetted global, local, and proprietary data sources, offers a robust foundation for informed decision-making. Additionally, Nala Earth allows customers to contribute their own localized data, enhancing the granularity and accuracy of insights generated.

Nala Earth’s target customer profile—large enterprises significantly dependent on and impacting natural ecosystems—aligns perfectly with the segments currently facing the most immediate regulatory and investor pressures. The initial traction Nala has achieved with esteemed companies such as Volkswagen, BASF,     MVV Energy, and Continental within a short timeframe since their launch speaks volumes about their value proposition and market relevance.

We are acutely aware that the nature tech landscape is evolving, presenting competition from established players and emerging startups. Nevertheless, we are confident that Nala Earth possesses unique differentiators. Their focus on data quality and collection facilitates the integration of diverse data sources and strengthens the insights generated, enhancing customer retention. Moreover, their strategic emphasis on quantifying financial risk—moving beyond mere measurement to connect nature-related impacts with tangible financial outcomes—resonates powerfully with the needs of C-level executives and finance teams.

Furthermore, Nala’s API-first approach is a cornerstone of their strategy, permitting seamless integration with existing reporting tools and paving the way for future partnerships. This interoperability will be increasingly vital as businesses pursue comprehensive sustainability solutions.

In conclusion, our investment in Nala Earth perfectly aligns with our core mission to support the transition to a more sustainable and resilient industry. We firmly believe that Nala Earth’s innovative platform, exceptional team, early traction, and strategic focus on financial risk management position them as a leader in the burgeoning nature tech sector. By empowering businesses to comprehend, value, and act upon their relationship with

nature, Nala Earth addresses a critical global challenge while unlocking significant opportunities for value creation. We are excited to partner with Nick, Nicolas, Anna, and the Nala Earth team on this essential journey toward a nature-positive future.