The initiative aims to support these ventures in scaling their impact while safeguarding against greenwashing, with a focus on delivering tangible benefits for both people and the planet.

Among the selected companies is Plastic-i, which describes itself as the ‘Bloomberg Terminal’ for ocean data; Deep Roots, which is developing a regenerative agriculture platform to help farmers design, manage, and fund agroforestry systems; and ROCarbon Labs, an online marketplace offering premium, data-backed, ESG-aligned carbon offsets.

These startups, spanning industries from agriculture to ocean conservation, share a common goal: using digital tools to build trust, ensure accountability, and promote best practices within carbon markets.

The year-long programme for digital startups, run by BSI’s Sustainability Innovation Lab in Cambridge, alongside CISL, officially launched at the start of the academic year with an event attended by the 10 startups. This year’s cohort includes the following:

• Capture – A platform that aims to simplify carbon removal asset management to enable organisations to purchase, manage, and offset carbon removal assets against their emissions
• CSX (Climate Solutions Exchange) – Established by entrepreneurial land managers and woodland creators, Andy Howard and Edward Milbank, the CSX platform enables long term monitoring and evaluation of carbon and biodiversity projects for land managers
• DeepRoots – The platform helps to support farmers with planning, financing and managing agroforestry on farms for a more sustainable future
• Downforce Technologies – A pioneering leader in science-led, data-driven land management solutions focused on optimising soil health, soil organic carbon levels and biodiversity
• Greenpeople.Earth – Providing ecological management and data solutions that helps track and account for ecological data for private institutions, the public sector, and their supply chains
• KlimateNet – A global community where experts, innovators and changemakers can assess, endorse and contribute to amplify credible carbon market projects. The network empowers organisations large and small to develop or support credible projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions
• Materra – Enables the design of scalable solutions to grow and source climate-resilient, transparent and equitable cotton
• OFFSETx – Platform that simplifies compliant carbon trading and enables companies to access carbon allowances efficiently
• Plastic-i - Harnessing advanced satellite technology and AI to offer comprehensive monitoring of the ocean, founded by a tech entrepreneur and a former particle physicist at CERN
• ROCarbon Labs – An online exchange for premium, data-backed, ESG aligned carbon offsets, which is powered by sustainable blockchain technology

Participants will gain access to training, expertise, mentoring, and networking opportunities designed to transform digital solutions into robust product offerings, putting them in the right position to create impact and trust in carbon markets. 

This year’s programme is focused specifically on carbon markets, which give businesses, non-profit organisations, governments, and individuals the opportunity to support global and climate environmental goals outside their own value chains. The vast majority of viable and credible to pathways to net zero require the deepest possible carbon emissions cuts. Carbon markets can play a role in global decarbonisation efforts, in addition to actions and innovations on carbon reduction, however lack of trust is a significant barrier for the growth and scaling of the market. The programme will showcase and accelerate the growth innovation digital solutions for carbon markets.

This is the programme’s second year, with several startups from the first cohort raising funding rounds during the programme and now working with BSI to co-develop digital solutions for trust in sustainability.

Jonathan Chocqueel-Mangan, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer at BSI, said “Bringing together this community of sustainable startups will provide the opportunity for attendees to harness the joint experience and expertise of BSI and CISL and support the growth of their innovative and sustainable businesses. Ultimately this programme is designed to build trust in carbon markets and in doing so, help accelerate progress towards a sustainable world. We wish all the startups every success for their business as they embark on this year-long journey.”

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