natcap

Natcap, also known as Natural Capital Research, provides a nature intelligence platform that helps businesses and financial institutions manage nature-related risks and opportunities. The company was founded in 2018 as an academic initiative by researchers from the University of Oxford, including Professor Baroness Kathy Willis and Professor Dieter Helm. They aimed to bridge the gap between scientific advancements in managing nature and the lack of tools for businesses to apply this knowledge. The CEO is Sebastian Leape, who previously worked at McKinsey helping businesses and governments with climate and nature strategies.

The company's core offering is a platform that delivers science-based data analytics to evaluate and manage nature-related dependencies and impacts. Natcap's services include nature impact and dependency analysis, risk and opportunity assessments, supply chain resilience, and reporting disclosures aligned with frameworks like the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The platform uses proprietary models to remotely baseline carbon storage, biodiversity, and hydrology at high resolutions, and conducts scenario modeling to quantify risks and opportunities, such as carbon credits. It serves clients in the agriculture, commercial, and financial sectors.

Natcap operates on a business-to-business model, providing its platform and advisory services to corporations and financial institutions. The company has gained significant traction, securing a £2.5 million seed round in early 2023 and a $10 million Series A funding round in July 2024. Key investors include Oxford Science Enterprises, Schroders, André Hoffmann, and Norinchukin Capital. Natcap has supported over 20 organizations, including collaborations with Tesco's Nature Programme and a partnership with MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings.

Keywords: nature intelligence, natural capital, biodiversity data, environmental risk management, geospatial analytics, corporate sustainability, TNFD reporting, CSRD, ecosystem services, climate adaptation, supply chain resilience, ESG, nature-positive, carbon credits, sustainable finance, agritech, risk assessment, data analytics, environmental reporting, biodiversity risk