SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aclima, Inc., the pioneer in hyperlocal air pollution and greenhouse gas measurement and analysis, today announced it has secured more than $40 million in Series B funding. Aclima will use the funding to grow into new markets and build out its product portfolio to support customers and communities in their efforts to reduce emissions and protect public health.
“The interconnected crises of climate change, public health and environmental justice urgently require lasting solutions,” said Davida Herzl, co-founder and CEO of Aclima. “Measurement will play a key role in shaping solutions and tracking progress. With this coalition of investors, we’re expanding our capacity to support new and existing customers and partners taking bold climate action.”
This new round of investment will enable Aclima to advance its capabilities to deliver block-by-block and city-scale air pollution and greenhouse gas measurement and analytics to governments, communities, and businesses around the world. The Aclima platform translates billions of scientific measurements from its sensor network into environmental intelligence. Aclima Pro™, its cloud based visualization and analytics software, helps customers target actions to reduce emissions and their impacts, benchmark outcomes, and establish best practices.
“We are proud to have led Aclima’s Series B round to fund their market expansion,” said Dan Ahn, founder and managing partner of Clearvision Ventures. “They are the clear category leader in an important and emerging field of data and standards at the intersection of climate, public health and the economy. Both governments and industry will need Aclima’s critical data and analytics to benchmark and accelerate progress to reduce emissions.”
Aclima is among the first climate technology companies to receive direct investment from the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, which is deploying $1 billion over the next four years in new technologies and innovative sustainability solutions. The Fund was launched when Microsoft announced its bold commitment to being carbon negative by 2030. As part of its portfolio engagement efforts, Microsoft will support Aclima in exploring pathways and technologies to broaden the company’s impact and reach.
“We established our Climate Innovation Fund earlier this year to accelerate the development of environmental sustainability solutions based on the best available science,” said Brandon Middaugh, Director, Climate Innovation Fund, Microsoft. “We’re encouraged by Aclima’s pioneering approach to mapping air pollution sources and exposures at a hyperlocal level and the implications this technology can have for making data-driven environmental decisions with consideration for climate equity.”
New Products, Places, and Partnerships
The Aclima platform is designed to meet the growing needs of governments, communities, and businesses for high resolution emissions and exposure data. These new resources and partnerships will enable Aclima to further extend its connected sensor networks and applications to cover millions more people in many more places.
"Air pollution can shift dramatically in the span of a few blocks," said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder and president of The Schmidt Family Foundation, an early investor in Aclima. "Exposure to emissions from fossil fuel related infrastructure and other activities can lead to significant health problems, particularly for low-income communities and communities of color. We are excited that Aclima's expansion will provide more communities with a critical tool to equip them with data in their advocacy for stronger public health policies."
One of the largest sensor manufacturers on the planet, with a legacy of scientific and quality engineering, Bosch is the first global industrial enterprise to become carbon neutral in 2020. Bosch’s investment in Aclima, through its venture capital arm Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC), reinforces the company’s commitment to advancing emissions reductions and clean air worldwide.
“Aclima has built an expansive mobile and stationary sensor network that generates billions of measurements about our most critical resources every week,” says Dr. Ingo Ramesohl, Managing Director of RBVC. “Bosch invents and delivers connected solutions for a smarter future across transportation, home, industrial, and many other fields. What Aclima has achieved in connected environmental sensing is an impressive feat. Together, we can accelerate Aclima’s ability to support customers in taking decisive and data-driven climate action.”
Aclima is currently mapping air quality in North America, from New York to California, including all nine counties in the Bay Area and California environmental justice communities served by Assembly Bill 617. With partners, Aclima is mapping international cities in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Aclima sensing technology has measured air pollution and greenhouse gases block by block in more than 150 cities in 14 countries.
“Plum Alley invested in Aclima's Series A round and made a large investment in this next round because the company continues to grow its customer base. The insights it brings forward are essential for both our health and prosperity,” said Deborah Jackson, Founder and CEO, Plum Alley. “Aclima is the only provider of accurate, hyperlocal and real-time data on multiple air pollutants. Combine that with a visionary founder in Davida and the network effects of environmental insights and we see a stellar investment opportunity.”
Since closing its Series A round in 2018, Aclima has achieved numerous business and technical milestones including:
- Adoption by leading regulators working to identify pollution hot spots and sources, strengthen and target actions to reduce emissions, enforce existing regulations, develop new air quality regulations, deploy incentives for cleaner energy sources, and protect public health.
- Launched Aclima Pro cloud-based data visualization and analytics software, substantially growing subscriber base and impact.
- Tripled headcount to more than 100, across multidisciplinary science, engineering, design and operations roles, including dozens of fleet operators that measure air quality in their communities, full-time and with benefits.
- Established and grew global partnerships to scale internationally.
- Partnered with environmental advocates to support community-led emissions reductions programs in California and Mexico.
- Launched a free, bilingual public app that makes air pollution insights accessible and searchable by address, being piloted by environmental justice communities.
“We invest in women-led companies because the data shows that diverse teams yield more innovative solutions and better returns for investors,” said Heidi Patel, managing partner, Rethink Impact. “Every year, uncontrolled emissions cost us millions of lives and trillions of dollars worldwide. It is hard to fathom more important problems than the converging crises of climate change, public health, and equity that Aclima customers and partners are working to solve.”
Aclima Now a Public Benefit Corporation
Climate tech pioneer Aclima also announced that it has become a Public Benefit Corporation, extending its fiduciary duties to serve the public good. Aclima’s certificate of incorporation now states a public-benefit purpose to deliver scientifically rigorous environmental information and tools that empower people to reduce emissions, protect public health and restore the health of the planet.
New investors also adding Aclima to their portfolios in this round include Splunk Inc., GingerBread Capital, KTB Network, ACVC Partners, and the Womens VC Fund II. Existing shareholders participating in the round include Social Capital, Rethink Impact, Kapor Capital, and the Schmidt Family Foundation.
About Aclima
Aclima has pioneered an entirely new way to measure and analyze air pollution and greenhouse gases, block by block and around the world. The Aclima hardware and software technology platform translates billions of scientific measurements from its network of stationary and roving sensors into environmental intelligence for governments, businesses, and communities. A Public Benefit Corporation, Aclima is dedicated to catalyzing bold action to protect public health, reduce climate-changing emissions and advance equity. The company holds a broad patent portfolio for networked, indoor, wearable, and mobile air quality sensing technologies. Aclima is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Portland and New York City. For more information please visit https://aclima.io.
