Max SemenchukNeed: engage more entrepreneurs, economists, financial specialists to participate in the regen network and economy
Solution: A Venture Studio that incubates or accelerates cohorts of various types of organizations focused on key opportunities for regeneration in the bioregion and key needs to build resilience according to the Bioregional Regeneration Strategy [source: BFF].
- What is Regen Venture Studio
- Impact Measurement
- Plan: Funding projects with high potential
- Q3 2024: Assembly
- Market trend research
- Access to investors & industry experts
- Guidance and mentorship to projects
- Key Deliverable:
- Q4 2024: Program
- Conducting due diligence on potential investments
- Identifying new investment opportunities
- Supporting the projects with scaling / fundraising
- Key Deliverable:
What is Regen Venture Studio
A non-profit, public benefit corporation, co-operative, steward-owned entity, or DAO that supports the development of a cohort of synergistic regenerative organizations to drive systems change. These organization provides dealflow for the Investment Companies (Cerulean…).
It can provide exposure to innovation from the edges of the system and from the resurgence of Indigenous knowledge systems – both of which will be critical in building resilience in the years to come.
The purpose of a Venture Studio is to take an ecosystemic view of a bioregion:
- understanding the resources (i.e. what is abundant, what can grow, what can be harvested, and what can be manufactured);
- the skills, capacity, and expertise (of the residents, organizations, and initiatives); and
- the broader world conditions (what is in demand, how technology is changing, and how the climate is changing),
in order to identify critical projects, initiatives, and companies that are required to achieve the Bioregional Regeneration Strategy.
A Venture Studio can simultaneously or sequentially incubate cohorts of entrepreneurs, creating synergistic organizations that, together, push key levers for systems change in a bioregion. Through identifying key opportunities for a cohort to drive bioregional regeneration and resilience and facilitating their co-learning and development, the Venture Studio enables organizations to create change greater than the sum of their parts.
This will involve supporting the discovery of various approaches to catalyzing the economic transition and aligned market development. The Venture Studio can support a range of different regenerative organizations with diverse legal structures, such as Indigenous economic entities, perpetual purpose trusts, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), Natural Asset Companies (NACs), commons management organizations, co-operatives, self-sovereign ownership, and multi-species governance.
Capital Raising:
- Philanthropic grants (Regen Foundation, Biome Trust…)
- Public sector grants (could be subnational, national, or multilateral)
- Supply chain finance
- Concessional capital
Capital Allocation: Invests in and incubates cohorts of early-stage organizations that work together to change a specific system and generate cascading benefits
References:
- Hawai‘i Investment Ready Initiative – an accelerator program for social enterprises in Hawai‘i, supporting thematic, systems-based cohorts of enterprises with access to investment capital, mentorship, and resources.
- ProjectTogether – an open social innovation accelerator catalyzing thematic cohorts of innovators and connecting them to other changemakers (public & private) in Germany.
- Fresh Ventures – a Dutch venture studio focused on accelerating a circular and regenerative food system in the country. It incubates cohorts of entrepreneurs to develop organizations that work together to shift this system.
- The Nature-based Climate Solutions Accelerator – a US-based accelerator program that brings cohorts of municipal& community allies through a series of modules designed to grow community capacity to implement “equity-centered, nature-based climate solutions to some of the most pressing climate change challenges facing communities.”
- INH
Program Overview & FAQ (09/2024)
Home - ValleyDAO – ValleyDAO is an open, global community offering funding and translational support for synthetic biology research.
[source: BFF]
Impact Measurement
Strategic: Ministry for the Future
Behavioral:
- Project Dev – attract resources
- Investors / Fund mgrs – invest
- Nations (UN) – adopt practices
Experiental:
- 1:1s / mentorship
- Circles calls
- Reports / newsletter
Transactional:
- #of participants
- $ of funds raised
- Project outcomes
Plan: Funding projects with high potential
Q3 2024: Assembly
- Objective: Announce, team engagement
- Activities:
- Create an announcement
- Promote in social networks
- Invite experts
Market trend research
(CCG, Carbon Copy? Sam?): What are the drivers and blockers for the regen business models?
- Project Database: A comprehensive database of projects with high potential, categorized by georgraphy and type of credit. This would help investors easily identify investment opportunities and conduct due diligence.
- Screening Process: A rigorous screening process to identify only the most promising startups for investment.
Access to investors & industry experts
(Will: Regen Foundation, Cerulean, Origins): What are examples of multi-local BFF models?
- Networking Events: Regular events that bring together investors, startups, and industry experts to network and share ideas.
- Attractor?
- BFF
- UN/COP Biodiversity
- Climate Week NYC (Sep)
- Katapult
- Impact Investors Communities (Cerulean)
- Capital Institute
- Regen Investment Academy: An educational program focused on teaching investors about the web3 space, including blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and decentralized finance. This would help investors overcome the lack of knowledge and experience that is a pain point in the industry.
- Who would be running it? Cerulean?
- Investor capability engaged?
- Buckminster Fuller
- Student hubs
Guidance and mentorship to projects
(Max, TS): How to better support Regen leaders?
- Mentorship Program: A program that pairs experienced investors with startup founders to provide guidance and mentorship.
- Project based learning, 360 – T shape
- Bioregion chapters / Fractal nature of coop branches
- Financial needs of coops and financial apprenticeship / independent financial advisor per project
- Regen Economics 101
- Lean finance workshops
- Bankable Projects Presentation
- Regen Ecocredit labs
Key Deliverable:
Knowledge base: Reading materials, toolkits, and access to mentors.
Q4 2024: Program
Conducting due diligence on potential investments
- Due Diligence Services: Professional due diligence services to help investors evaluate potential investment opportunities.
- Regulatory Compliance Services: Services to help investors navigate the complex regulatory landscape of the web3 industry.
Identifying new investment opportunities
- Web3 Investment Network: A platform that connects investors with startups in the web3 space, as well as other investors and industry experts. This would provide investors with opportunities for networking and collaboration, while also giving startups access to a broad network of potential investors and mentors.
- Market Research Reports: Regular reports on market trends and emerging opportunities in the web3 space.
Supporting the projects with scaling / fundraising
- Risk Management Strategies: Tools and strategies to help investors manage the risks associated with investing and volatile market.
- Web3 Investment Fund: An investment fund focused on the web3 space, managed by experienced investors with a track record of success in the industry. This would provide investors with access to a diverse range of investment opportunities, while minimizing the risks associated with investing in a new and volatile market.
- Investment Portfolio Management: Tools and services to help investors manage their web3 investment portfolios and track their performance.
Key Deliverable:
Pilots: 5-7 pilots ready for preseed (up to $50k), success rate to the next stage 33%