Optimism in Complexity for 2024
Entering into the new year brings with it the continuance of upheaval and unknowns, but like the beginning of every year, it’s also a time of great promise. We are grounded in recognizing the struggles of the year past as well as the accomplishments. And we look to the year ahead with the knowledge that while all will not be solved in this time period, we can bring energy and enthusiasm to our efforts while holding space for suffering and solidarity.
We step into 2024 with optimism in the face of complexity, an enduring focus on solutions, and commitment to strive for a better future.
Key Themes and Highlights of 2023
New Investments
Q1 & Q2 brought the opportunity to participate in Spring Activator Angels for Climate in the process of selecting five exciting climate solutions, completing due diligence on the five, then selecting a single investee. The cohort invested $190k as a SAFE SPV into Asset Market which supports electrification in urban centers beginning in Vancouver BC and beyond. This experience brought insights into the climate-tech entrepreneurship in North America, great conversations with climate motivated investors, and the chance to dig into investment nuts and bolts like SPV/fund structuring and crafting investment memos.
With a lens on continued involvement in Asia and Southeast Asia. I participated on the investment selection committee for the AVPN Sustainability Seed Fund. Through a process of evaluating materials, scoring, and debating, the committee selected the recipients for $3m in funding. Recipients include Solar Chapter, which provides sustainable basic needs solutions to underserved communities in Indonesia and Mahila Housing Trust that supports women in poor communities in India to upgrade their housing, living and working environments.
This was my second year as an MIT Solve Global Challenge Leader, judging the competition for entrepreneurs with solutions in this year’s climate theme: low carbon housing and climate resilience. In Boston in the spring we collaborated to advance the goals of last year’s housing cohort and enjoyed a fantastic screening of the documentary The Big Idea (click for trailer) highlighting the stories of a few of our solvers. To kick off Climate week in New York in the fall, we celebrated the work of analyzing and selecting applicants from an exciting global pool of solutions, announcing winners and awards of more than $2m across themes. Housing Solvers included: Build up Nepal, a low carbon brick solution with a franchise business model and Le Firme, a technology-based solution enabling access to architecture and engineering for low-income families in Latin America.
MIT Solve, Boston, May 2023 (Above: Table Brain Trust session) (Below: Lisa Hanson and Jennifer Oomen, Habitat for Humanity International)
Follow on Success
Join us in celebrating the success of two of Ian’s mentees and cohort members of the Southeast Asia Sheltertech Accelerator program that we led in 2021 with Villgro Philippines, that closed significant seed round investments this year!
Billion Bricks closed on $2.45m led by Thakur. Click for more.
Tap Effect closed a $3m deal with Clarion NewLife Capital, its 3rd equity partner following the program. Click for more.
Underrepresented Founders
This year I supported WE Rise women’s entrepreneurship accelerator program run by Villgro Philippines through providing a Women Raising Capital Investment Readiness training. I had developed this training in 22 and on International Women’s Day this year, I consolidated some of the key points into an article to share with women entrepreneurs more broadly. Check it out and share with any women you know that are raising capital in 24!
Finally, this year I was delighted to be selected for the Backstage Capital Venture Catalyst Cohort which is led by the brilliant, Arlan Hamilton. She was an early leader and champion on the VC stage for underrepresented founders and now has almost $30m in assets under management and has invested in more than 200 founders. After spending Q3 & Q4 with Arlan, her team, and the incredible guests she brought in for us to meet with online, I’m looking forward to joining for her first large format event in 2024 @ LA LIVE featuring guests like Suneera Madhani, founder of unicorn fintech, Stax, creative genius Issa Rae, and closing with a show by the legendary TLC!
Looks like we’ll be talking FUN and FUNDS in 2024!
These efforts in 2023 and over the past five years contribute to the culmination of our next exciting phase, launching now behind the scenes. Due to regulatory rules, public communications are restricted in this phase so we are launching a new Frontline Crew newsletter where we’ll share the latest updates directly to your email.
Join us on our mission to decarbonize at the frontline.
Happy New Year!
Lisa Hanson & Ian Fishburn, Co-Founders
Global Urban Village | Built Clean Ventures
By Lisa Hanson