Gunderson Dettmer Celebrates Earth Day 2023
Gunderson Dettmer commemorates Earth Month and Earth Day 2023 with a discussion on the 2023 theme, Invest in Our Planet. The firm engaged leading climate and environmental-focused company clients to share important messages on how they think people can invest in our planet.
The theme for Earth Day 2023 aims to convince businesses, governments, and individuals worldwide to invest in our planet for the betterment of our environment and the safety of future generations. This investment could involve simple practices like recycling or more ambitious plans like shifting to a clean energy-focused economy. To promote the significance of such investments, organizations and teams are joining hands to spread awareness and encourage action.
Read the statements and watch submissions from our clients.
Amogy
A pioneer of emission-free, energy-dense ammonia power solutions. Brooklyn, New York
Why should people invest in our planet?
There are many environmental issues that we are facing, such as water scarcity, plastic pollution, biodiversity and etc. We certainly cannot solve all the problems, but I feel lucky to be a part of the Amogy team and address one of the major issues which is climate change. I'm hoping that the work that we're doing can contribute positively to making our planet a better place in the near future, and many more to come. With that said, Happy Earth Day everyone.
Commonwealth Fusion
An operator of an energy research company accelerating the path to commercial fusion energy. Cambridge, Massachusetts
As people are thinking about Earth Day 2023, what is the one thing you want them to know about?
I'd want them to feel optimism and hope for the future. The size and scope of the climate problem cannot be understated, and the world needs to rally behind a comprehensive approach that includes deploying all the clean technologies that we have today, but also prepare new technologies to be deployed for a truly decarbonized future. As a part of the team at Commonwealth Fusion Systems, we are currently building a commercially relevant fusion energy device that will demonstrate that a clean, limitless, baseload source of power is available with fusion and will be ready in the next decade. This means that an ideal energy source - one that is clean like wind and solar, but is dispatchable to society's demand like gas and coal, will be available and ready to scale at the size of the climate problem. This will fundamentally change society's relationship with energy, where access to energy and protecting the environment will no longer be two fundamental rights that are at odds with one another.
Funga
A nature-based carbon removal technology company. Austin, Texas
As people are thinking about Earth Day 2023, what is the one thing you want them to know about?
At Funga, we reintroduce fungal biodiversity into force to help them grow faster. When trees grow faster we're accelerating nature-based solutions to climate change. This Earth Day, I want you to think about how your investments not only served the people who support your portfolio but also the planet. For a long time, we've treated the earth pretty poorly. It's time we start investing in protecting and rebuilding it.
Glacier
An AI recycling robotics company. San Francisco, CA
Can you share recommended strategies to start making a change for our planet?
My co-founder and I both left our tech jobs four years ago to found Glacier with the mission of revolutionizing an area of sustainability that's often overlooked. Waste. We throw away a lot of stuff, much of which ends up polluting our oceans and our countryside, it is a daunting problem to fix. But by building new technology in the space, we are funneling capital, resources, and brilliant minds into a space that needs to be advanced. As people around the world turn their attention towards sustainability today, we ask that everybody pay attention to what they throw away and make the easy choices, reusable water bottles, tote bags at the grocery store, bringing your own mug to your local coffee shop to reduce their impact on our landfills and our oceans.
Our Next Energy (ONE)
An energy storage technology company. Novi, Michigan
As people are thinking about Earth Day 2023, what is the one thing you want them to know about?
Powering society with clean energy is one of this century’s greatest challenges. Batteries are a critical piece of this global puzzle -- making energy available when and where it is needed most. Our Next Energy (ONE) is building energy storage technologies that are durable, use safer, more abundant materials and leverage a sustainable supply chain. This momentum grows with the recent announcement of ONE Circle, our 20 GWh battery cell factory in Michigan that will create more than 2,000 new jobs. In celebration of Earth Day, join us to imagine a world with cleaner vehicles and more resilient power grids. This future will arrive faster if we build it together.
A nature-based carbon credit platform. San Francisco, CA
What's one of the most proven, cost-effective solutions to climate change?
Nature! Our forests and oceans can address up to 30% of what's needed to meet goals set out in the Paris Agreement. Yet, many are hesitant to support efforts like reforestation and forest conservation, questioning whether their investments will lead to real, meaningful climate action. In recent years, innovators have made tremendous progress by harnessing satellite data and artificial intelligence to better map the carbon stored in forests over time. Today, anyone can use these tools to find excellent projects that not only reduce carbon but also preserve biodiversity and create well-paying jobs for local communities.
A biotech startup focused on nutrition. Singapore
Why should people invest in our planet?
We're a biotech company, and we're able to make milk and milk ingredients without the animal. I'm here in Shanghai today, and I'd like to share why it's important to invest in our planet. If we're looking at what we have today, it’s full of culture is full of history, and we need to be able to preserve that. Here at TurtleTree, we believe in preserving the planet through sustainability, providing solutions that are better for the planet and animals as well as better for human health.