Vienna, August 23, 2024 – Tree.ly, the company based in Dornbirn and Berlin specializing in regional forest climate protection projects, has secured a seed investment of €5 million from PortfoLion, aws Gründungsfonds, SymbiaVC, and the Tyrolean Business Angel Network. This investment will be used to accelerate Tree.ly's growth, acquire new customers in its existing five European markets, and further develop the platform.
In Business to Protect European Forests
"We are facing another record-breaking year of heat and relentless carbon emissions. The urgency to find effective climate solutions has never been greater. We must ask ourselves whether the same market-driven forces that promote economic prosperity can also be employed to safeguard our planet," emphasizes PortfoLion, the lead investor.
Carbon Offsets: A Private Market Solution
Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) offer a promising private sector tool to combat carbon emissions. These markets generate credits through activities such as tree planting and preventing deforestation. Companies purchase these credits to achieve their climate goals and offset emissions they cannot eliminate directly.
Local, Transparent Solutions: Impact and Vision
In just one year, Tree.ly has secured contracts covering 105,299 hectares across Europe, storing over 2.8 million tons of CO₂. This impressive achievement underscores Tree.ly's commitment to protecting local forests and making a significant contribution to climate protection.
Support from Renowned Investors
Jodok Batlogg, co-founder and CEO of Tree.ly, explains: "The market for voluntary emission certificates is expected to grow to €15 billion globally and €3 billion in Europe within five years, with a strong trend towards regional and high-quality projects. Tree.ly’s certified projects are the perfect response to this development. As one of the fastest-growing technology companies in this field, this investment will significantly accelerate growth in our European markets, strengthen Tree.ly’s technological leadership, and drive the development of new forest-based climate protection offerings."
Aurel Pasztor, Partner at PortfoLion Capital Partners, who led the funding round, adds: "Voluntary carbon markets have demonstrated their potential to directly fund climate protection projects. Beyond multinational corporations, SMEs worldwide are now interested in financing nature-based climate projects in their local areas. However, concerns about poor project management and related controversies hold them back. We believe that well-monitored local projects represent a significant business opportunity. With its deep roots in forest science and digital technology, the Tree.ly team is ideally positioned to take a leading role in this field in Europe."
Markus Jandrinitsch, Managing Director of aws Gründungsfonds, comments: "We are excited to be part of an innovative Austrian startup with our investment in Tree.ly. Our decision to invest in Tree.ly is based on their unique ability to create both ecological and economic value. By supporting regional forests across Europe, we are contributing to combating climate change and promoting biodiversity. In addition to the exciting and sustainable business idea, we were particularly impressed by the founders and the team."
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About Tree.ly
The Tree.ly Group develops forest climate protection projects in Austria, Germany, and the rest of Europe with the goal of mitigating climate change by unlocking the full potential of local forests. Founded in 2021 by serial entrepreneurs Jodok Batlogg and Christian Lutz, the company connects businesses with forest owners, enabling companies to contribute to climate-resilient forestry through high-quality, TÜV-certified CO₂ credits with co-benefits (in terms of biodiversity and the SDGs). Tree.ly pursues an innovative, local, and transparent project approach by establishing direct relationships between forest owners and companies, offering publicly accessible action plans, and organizing educational forest visits for employee engagement. Forest owners use the urgently needed investments purposefully to maintain and improve the climate resilience of their forests through additional activities enabled by these investments.
About aws Gründungsfonds
The aws Gründungsfonds is an Austrian venture capital fund with a fund volume of approximately MEUR 70. As an investor, the aws Gründungsfonds accompanies startups from their first growth phase through subsequent funding rounds (Series A/B) up to exit. The aws Gründungsfonds positions itself as a long-term, stable partner with a hands-on approach, actively supporting founder teams as sparring partners. Since 2013, in collaboration with the predecessor fund and national and international co-investors, more than MEUR 500 has been invested in over 45 investments, with numerous successful exits realized.
About SymbiaVC
SymbiaVC is a dynamic, family-owned venture capital unit and sparring partner for innovative startups and companies. SymbiaVC aims to be a partner on equal footing for ambitious minds and innovative teams while providing an ideal environment for creating a pioneering future. The target industries range from ClimaTech, DeepTech, and ConstructionTech to logistics, IndustrialTech, and automation along the wood value chain. SymbiaVC believes in supporting people who tirelessly work to change, improve, and initiate new thinking. SymbiaVC provides a supportive environment that enables the long-term redefinition of the industry. With a mix of financial and industrial expertise, SymbiaVC strives to create collective, sustainable growth and a bright future for coming generations.
About Tyrolean Business Angel
Tyrolean Business Angel is a network of over 30 South and North Tyrolean entrepreneurs, founded in May 2018. Their goal is to finance innovative ideas, contribute to the international scaling of early-stage startups, and thus create a foundation for future generations of entrepreneurs.
About PortfoLion
PortfoLion Capital Partners is a multi-stage investor whose early-stage funds primarily invest in young companies in the digital technology sector in the CEE region that are seeking product-market fit and aim to raise between TEUR 200 and MEUR 3 to validate their business model or develop the product. PortfoLion aims to support the growth of companies in digital technology projects with significant growth potential. Investment areas include artificial intelligence, e-commerce, big data, IT infrastructure, financial software, education, and solutions for the future of work.