VANCOUVER – The Telus Pollinator Fund for Good announced last week it is making equity investments in three clean technology startups.
The fund is participating in a US$20-million funding round being held by Climate Robotics, a Houston-based startup leveraging advanced robotics and artificial intelligence to help sequester carbon emissions while improving the health of agricultural soils, according to a Telus press release.
The second new startup the fund is investing in is Mississauga, Ont.-based erthos, which “is leading the charge to address the global plastic pollution crisis with a plant-based resin alternative to traditional plastic,” the release explains.
The Telus Pollinator Fund participated in erthos’ oversubscribed Series A funding round of US$6.5 million, which was led by Horizons Ventures and was completed in September, according to an erthos press release.
Finally, the fund is participating in a US$4-million funding round held by Plentify, a smart energy company located in South Africa and the United States that uses AI and IoT technologies to connect household appliances to cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy, according to Telus.
“As a global leader in sustainability, TELUS’ readiness and capability to swiftly deploy capital to help scale clean tech innovations will contribute to promote adoption of zero-emission solutions,” Blair Miller, Telus Pollinator Fund managing partner, said in the telecom’s press release. “That’s why the Pollinator Fund is investing in Climate Robotics, erthos and Plentify: to play an active role in sequestering CO2, solving the plastic crisis and addressing the global pressure on electricity grids, thereby contributing to climate resilience and the circular economy.”
