Buildings are major drivers of climate change. Every component of the so-called built environment, from off-site production and construction materials to electricity and maintenance, has a high environmental cost. The industry is responsible for almost 40% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental group.
In the coming decades, the carbon footprint of the built environment will be ready to grow with the industry itself, making it both a critical and lucrative target for climate-focused startups. This is the backdrop for planted which raised a $10 million Series A to replace the panels that are nearly ubiquitous in single-family and multi-family homes.
planted aims to supply materials such as fiberboard or OSB, which is a panel designed with wood strips and adhesives. He may not know you by name, but chances are he has seen before — on floors, ceilings, furniture, etc. The industry calls OSB a sustainable plywood alternative, because the wood strips do not need to come from mature forests. Even so, planted he thinks he can do better with his own panels, which are made from a "proprietary blend of exceptionally fast-growing perennial grasses."
planted he refused to reveal the names of the origins of his materials. But judging by a picture on the startup's website, they look like bamboo.
“Unlike trees used for engineered wood products that are harvested after growing for 10 to 12 years, our biomass regrows and is harvested every year on the same acreage,” said co-founder and CEO Josh Dorfman. . “This allows planted sequester much more atmospheric carbon faster than trees and do it using less land.”
Insurance-focused investor American Family Ventures led Series A of planted, while IDEA Fund Ventures also contributed to the round. Early investors in the startup include Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Palmetto Solar CEO Chris Kemper, he said. planted.
The start-up raised in its Serie A $10 million with a subsequent valuation of $65 million.
planted It said its panels are stronger than traditional panels and will offer significant environmental advantages, but the startup has yet to prove its claims at scale (hence the Series A). Dorfman commented that planted it is currently producing prototypes and "not on the market yet."
