Molly Breiner

🌍💡 Embracing Interoperability: The Evolution of Carbon Markets 💡🌍 The landscape of carbon markets is rapidly evolving, with a significant shift towards fungibility and interoperability. What does this mean? We (at the SoHo Global Climate Fund) spoke with leading climate fund manager, Charles Bedford of Carbon Growth Partners, to shed light on this important trend in the carbon markets. It's about creating seamless connections between compliance and voluntary markets, allowing for the exchange and recognition of carbon credits across borders and sectors. This trend marks a pivotal moment in our collective efforts towards combating climate change. By enabling carbon credits to be fungible and interoperable, we're fostering a more efficient and scalable approach to carbon pricing and emissions reduction strategies. Companies and organizations now have greater flexibility to participate in markets that align with their goals. #CarbonMarkets #ClimateAction #Fungibility #Interoperability #Sustainability #Innovation #GlobalImpact

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Had a great conversation with SustainCERT during Climate Week NY 2023. Excited to announce that we will be back in NYC in September to launch and workshop our "Brand & Retailer Sustainable Finance Playbook." The playbook will bring together brands, retailers, suppliers, banks, development banks, and philanthropies to defragment and align various ways to invest in decarbonization, creating demand for suppliers to take on critical factory efficiencies, upgrades & improvements. Join us in creating a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Check out this interview from last year's Climate week NYC with SustainCERT #ClimateWeekNYC #SustainableFinance #FashionIndustry #Decarbonization

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NY Climate Tech Founders! 1) YES PLEASE save the date to join us at #techweek (6/3!), and 2) YES PLEASE share your top NY resources to complete our NY INSIDER GUIDE, in collab with NYCEDC!

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🌱🚀 Exciting News! Xefco, one of our portfolio companies, just secured A$10.5 million in funding to revolutionize the textile industry and reduce emissions! 🌎💡 With their innovative water-free textile finishing and dyeing solution, Ausora, Xefco is poised to make a significant impact. Their technology not only preserves precious resources but also cuts energy consumption and costs. Plus, it's already gaining traction with leading apparel brands like Zara and The North Face. At Investible, we're committed to backing visionary companies like Xefco that are driving positive change. This investment reaffirms our belief in their potential to transform industries and tackle pressing environmental challenges. #ClimateTech #SustainableInvesting #ImpactInvesting #MandiriInvestibleGlobalClimateTechFund 🌿📈

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What Laurel Mintz and Fabric VC are doing to change the current and long-standing suboptimal standards of venture capital is truly inspiring. The VC industry has historically been dominated by a narrow demographic, often overlooking the incredible potential that diverse founders bring to the table. Laurel's work is a breath of fresh air, showing that by supporting a wider range of voices and perspectives, we can achieve more innovative and successful outcomes. Her dedication to fostering an inclusive environment where all entrepreneurs have the opportunity to thrive is not just admirable, but necessary for the future of business. As a woman entrepreneur myself, I understand the challenges that come with navigating a landscape that hasn't always been welcoming or equitable. That's why I am so grateful for leaders like Laurel, who are not just talking about change but actively making it happen! #DEI #Entrepreneurship

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“Repel as much as they attract.” At our Innate Capital Partners portfolio gathering last quarter, the presentation by Maureen Farmer, CEO Advisor and Stephen Pitt-Walker, JD, FGIA included a provocative insight: “Powerful brands repel as much as they attract.” I was reminded of this insight in a store when my eight-year-old son immediately gravitated towards a candy called Toxic Waste. The product is further labeled Hazardously Sour Candy. A strong brand both (1) says what it is and (2) signals what is isn’t. This applies to brands for consumer products, business services, and - very much so - to private equity investors. To build a powerful brand, don’t try to appeal to everyone. Toxic Waste is not for the faint-hearted. It’s not for people looking for established confectioneries or safe brands. The brand does, however, resonate with a segment of customers. My son eagerly bought Toxic Waste and he enjoyed the treat. Candy Dynamics Richard Deer Laura King Matthew Quint Center on Global Brand Leadership Columbia Business School Columbia Business School Private Equity Program Laura Sosa, EdD, MBA, CMA Elizabeth Rzasa, M.A. #branding #marketing

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Are we ready to confront the reality that our changing climate is fueling more frequent and severe natural disasters? From droughts to wildfires, the impacts are undeniable, and Australia (and the RoW) is feeling the effects firsthand with an increase in extreme weather events. As we face these challenges, it's crucial that we come together to protect our communities and the planet. I wrote this article for B The Change Media last year highlighting the urgent need for action. Join me in resharing this important message and let's work together to ensure a thriving future for all. #ClimateAction #PricingClimateRisk #NoPlanetB

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In Impact investing there must be an expectation of financial return alongside social and/or environmental impact, or at least a return on capital, The intended change, typically social or environmental, must be deliberate and There must be an effort to measure the achieved impact. There are always going to be great products created because humans continue to consume 'things'. Creating product and Service solutions that make impact, this is what Entrepreneurs should create businesses for.

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Silverado Chairman and Co-Founder, Maureen H. spoke at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s inaugural Climate and Trade Summit on July 10th. Maureen provided her insights on the “Border Carbon Design: Where Policy and Politics Meet” panel alongside Jane Fiegal of Stripe Climate and Frontier and George David Banks of Bipartisan Policy Center moderated by John Jacobs of Bipartisan Policy Center. Maureen laid out Silverado’s best practices for border carbon measure (BCM) design:  🚛They should be technically practicable for businesses to implement without increasing their compliance costs.  💲 They should avoid manufacturing taxes on US businesses before leveling the playing field, meaning overseas competitors are also paying.  🌎 Additionally, there should be incentives for international partnerships like a carbon club in order to make a BCM more internationally viable. Check out the full Summit recording and Maureen’s panel here: https://lnkd.in/em3VDXRi Read more about Silverado's views on Border Carbon Measures in our Compendium of Technical Notes: https://lnkd.in/eY8eK9sw

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#ObsessivelyEnthusiasticInvestor #UnreasonablyEnthusiasticInvestor #IrrationallyEnthusiasticInvestor at REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund in Benchmark Labs Inc. We look for the people we believe are doing the best work in Industrial Transformation & Supply Chain Technology; Attempting the impossible. Then we go all-in on them. With obsessive and unreasonable enthusiasm. Join us. #IndustrialTransformation #SupplyChain #Innovation #Technology #Startups #VentureCapital #DemandTheImpossible #UnreasonableEnthusiasm #ObsessiveEnthusiasm #IrrationalEnthusiasm

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That feeling when you watch the macro forces that undergird your Industrial Transformation & Supply Chain Technology investment thesis at ⁦‪REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund unfolding every single day: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions; The Climate Crisis & Severe Weather; Consumer Behavior & Demographics. At most venture capital firms, Industrial Transformation & Supply Chain Technology is a tiny, emerging “area of interest” . . . At REFASHIOND Ventures, it’s our entire world. Join us. #IndustrialTransformation #SupplyChain #Innovation #Technology #Startups #VentureCapital

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Climate Capital Guidebook: The Biden-Harris Administration is releasing a new Climate Capital Guidebook to provide a simple, comprehensive map of capital programs across the federal government that are available to climate-related start-ups, small- and medium-sized businesses, and their investors. While larger, institutionally-backed climate companies may have the resources to identify and access federal funding opportunities, smaller enterprises may face greater challenges in navigating these federal programs. https://lnkd.in/eJ3QV4Fw #climatechange #climatetech

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NY friends! Please come see me at Tech Day on my panel discussing the future of the NY tech ecosystem and what I hope to bring to it!

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🇺🇸 The U.S. Federal departments and offices have just released the "Voluntary Carbon Markets Joint Policy Statement and Principles”. We at International Carbon Registry celebrate more clarity on the direction of this important market and its role in the climate crisis. Notable developments include: • The emergence of multi-stakeholder initiatives that have set out standards and principles for high-integrity credit development and responsible credit use; • Improvements to key crediting methodologies, their guiding standards, and tracking systems; • New and improved analytical products and services that aim to strengthen credit transparency and quality comparability, such as carbon credit rating services; • Technologies to support robust measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV); • Multilateral rules, guidance, and procedures developed under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the international aviation sector's global carbon market-based measure, which shape certified emissions reductions and removals that often find their home in VCMs'; and • Advances in the development of market infrastructure to improve transparency and liquidity, as well as the integrity of market transactions.

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Corporate investments in climate-tech have consistently increased since 2005, even when other sources of investment declined. The startups they invest in are more likely to achieve a successful exit. Public grants are not significantly associated with exits on their own but are likely to act as catalysts for high-risk startups. Publicly funded startups exit at a higher rate with the addition of corporate investment (155% increase) compared with other private investment (78% increase). #climatetech #corporateVC #venturecapital

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While reducing carbon emissions is crucial — it’s not a silver bullet. And the myopic emphasis on decarbonization is leading to carbon tunnel vision, as we risk overlooking other critical sustainability measures, such as biodiversity, water conservation, and resource scarcity. In my latest Third Nature Investments blog, I discuss the need to widen the aperture in assessing the myriad ways we can work to protect the planet, and offer a few examples of what businesses can do to meaningfully reduce their ecological footprint. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eMNDr5-U #systemicinvesting #impactinvesting #earthsystemsinvesting #climatechange #decarbonization

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Health x Climate: I have spent a lot of time thinking about the intersection of climate and health, so I appreciated the City Futures: HealthTech and ClimateTech Intersections panel discussion during NY Tech Week, with Ben Furnas, Sara Holoubek, and Joel Cesare as panelists. They highlighted the work happening in NYC; even though subway use helps our GHG emissions, there is still opportunity to prepare the city and electrify our buildings for the changes to come. Some key takeaways 🔄 Health + Climate: The effects of climate change impact our health and our health decisions impact climate change. We often think about climate and health in silos but they are very connected.  🔥 Heat waves: Hotter temperatures are the biggest risk to health from climate change, so we must prepare now. I learned about NYC's AC giveaway to support vulnerable communities.  🤓 New ideas: There is much opportunity to engage in mental cross training and leverage learnings from analogous spaces and industries at this intersection. What do you think about the intersection of health and climate? A big thanks to Climate Health Innovation & Learning Lab, Women in Healthtech and Fenwick for hosting this event and showcasing how government, innovators, and investors can work together to address these challenges. Thanks Oriana Fuentes and Chethan Sarabu, MD, FAMIA, FAAP for your thoughtful curation too! #climate #healthtech #innovation #NYtechweek

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Wall Street no longer covers the "tobacco market." Goldman-Sachs, Barclays and others now call it the "consumer nicotine market." Imagine a market where 60% of consumers are profoundly misinformed about product risks. FDA just launched a campaign to correct public misperceptions about relative risks of consumer nicotine products. The FDA says most physicians are misinformed, and most of the public is misinformed. They also note that solid research shows misinformed people who smoke are less likely to quit. In its Press Release, the FDA does not take the next step in that chain of logic: Cigarettes kill people. Therefore, misinforming the public (especially people who smoke) about the relative risks will, literally, kill people. This raises a key question that few people in the field of tobacco control want to ask or consider: Who misinformed them?

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What questions are we asking when we look at new pre-seed climate investments? This was the answer from the LLM trained on our last 26 weeks of partner meetings. Some bits are unsurprising, like team questions or moats. But we spend A LOT of time trying to understand if there are real customers, which routinely leads us to unpack potential unit economics. Here's the complete response - Ability to generate both compelling financial returns and climate impact + If successful, can this company deliver a large enough exit to return the fund? + Does the environmental impact story go beyond just marketing greenwashing? + How do the actual carbon and pollution reduction numbers pencil out? Market size and growth potential + Is the total addressable market large enough to support a venture-scale outcome? + How quickly is the market growing and evolving? Strength of the founding team + Do the founders have relevant industry experience and strong entrepreneurial qualities? + Can they attract top talent, communicate their vision, and execute well? + Are they coachable and do they take feedback well? Competitive differentiation and defensibility + How is this company different from incumbents and other startups in the space? + Do they have a unique technology, business model, or go-to-market strategy? + Is their competitive advantage sustainable or could it be easily replicated? Technical and execution risk + How complex is the underlying technology and how much development risk remains? + Can the team actually build what they are pitching and scale it commercially? + What external dependencies or bottlenecks could impede their progress? Pathway to profitability and attractive unit economics + How will the company make money and are the unit economics attractive at scale? + How much capital is required to get to profitability and a successful exit? + Is this just a service business masquerading as a tech company? Customer validation and ability to sell the product + Who exactly is the target customer and what evidence is there of product-market fit? + Can they actually close enterprise sales deals or get consumers to adopt the product? + How long are customer sales cycles and how lumpy is the revenue? Overinflated valuation and round dynamics + Is the valuation reasonable given the company's stage, traction, and market? + How competitive is the round? + Is there a risk of a down round if they raise too high of a valuation too soon?

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