The GuidePost: February 2023

Eion Carbon closes Series A Funding Round, Mad Capital closes Trailhead Capital-led Seed Round, Trailhead Capital joins Impact Capital Managers Network, and more!

Happy 2023 from Trailhead Capital! The beginning of the new year has been filled with growth, especially for our portfolio companies.

Eion Carbon closed its Series A funding round, which exceeded $12 million. Eion’s focus on removing carbon from agricultural soil through its patented CarbonLock™ is just one part of the company’s multi-layered plan to take on climate change and support the agriculture industry. Congratulations to Founder and CEO Adam Wolf and the entire Eion Carbon team!

Additionally, Mad Capital closed its Trailhead Capital-led $4 million Seed Round, making its goal to “…finance 10 million acres of farmland by 2032” one step closer. This will allow Mad Capital to continue being a powerful resource to farmers across the nation through its financing of regenerative agriculture. Major congratulations to Co-founders Phil Taylor and Brandon Welch, and the entire Mad Capital team!

We also are excited to share that Trailhead Capital has joined Impact Capital Managers (ICM) network. ICM provides its members with the tools necessary to grow through advocacy, investment opportunities, and a cultivated network of impact-oriented members. We are thrilled to be a part of ICM’s network!

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What exactly is carbon sequestration and how does it relate to climate change? Mark Lewis, Managing Partner of Trailhead Capital, dives into what makes removing carbon from the atmosphere a fundamental part of fighting climate change, as well as how our portfolio companies, Funga and Eion Carbon, are working directly on the issue.

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New Fundings

Eion Carbon

• Leading Agricultural Carbon Removal Company Eion Closes $12 Million Series A to Scale Production of CarbonLock™ Technology

Funga

• Funga secures funding to lead first carbon removal project powered by fungal microbiome restoration 

Mad Capital

• Mad Capital Closes $4M Seed Round to Finance the Regenerative Agriculture Revolution

General Updates

EarthSense

Building ultracompact, autonomous, teachable robots for crop breeders, scientists, and growers.

• Robots roam at UI's $3.9 million 'Farm of the Future'

• The rise of the green software developer

Eion Carbon

Removing atmospheric carbon permanently and verifiably, with enhanced rock weathering on soil.

• Eion Explainer: Why we know that rock weathering works

• Transforming a Standard Farming Practice into a Form of Climate Action

Funga

Harnessing forest fungal networks to address the climate crisis.

• How to Harness the Ancient Partnership between Forests and Fungi | Colin Averill [VIDEO]

• This Ecologist is on a Mission to Save Earth’s Microbiome — and he’s Closer Than Ever

• Is this the year climate technology bears fruit?

• Funga wants to accelerate carbon capture using belowground fungal biodiversity 

HowGood

The world’s largest product sustainability database.

• Quinn Snacks Achieves ‘HowGood Climate Friendly’ Label

Omeat

Developing a scalable and sustainable approach to producing cultured meat.

• Layoffs and declining investments in foodtech aren't spooking these new VCs. Here's where they're looking to make bets in 2023.

Tillable

Farm Real Estate Platform for Farmers and Landowners.

• Tillable Announces Nationwide Online Loan Application

Trace Genomics

Whole genome sequencing of the soil microbiome.

• Agri-FoodTech Can Have Critical Impact. Here’s How.

• Trace Genomics Named to Prestigious 2023 Global Cleantech 100 List

Vence

Virtual fencing and autonomous animal control.

• Fence of the future

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The work we do at Trailhead Capital wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our hardworking team. We are so excited to introduce our three new Venture Partners:

Eleonore “Ella” Lund-Simon

Beth Richtman

Alexander Weisberg, PhD

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World Agritech Innovation Summit - March 14-15, 2023 - SF, Calif.

• A staple within the Agri-Food community that provides an opportunity for investors, founders, corporations, and industry experts to brainstorm the future of climate, water, energy and food.

2023 Food Waste Solutions Summit - May 16-18, 2023 - St. Louis, MO

• Presented by ReFED, the Food Waste Solutions Summit aims to tackle the growing crisis of food waste by, “…bringing together food businesses, funders, solution providers, innovators, policymakers, nonprofits, and more to drive the adoption of food waste solutions.” Trailhead Capital is proud to be an official ambassador to ReFED’s Food Waste Funders Circle!

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• Boston Consulting Group: The Case for Regenerative Agriculture in Germany—and Beyond

• Florida International University: Scientists believe weapon against citrus greening already exists in nature

• Forbes: The Rise Of Tech-Enabled Consumer Wellness

• Green Biz: What does regenerative agriculture on a reservation look like?

• The Guardian: Revealed: more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest certifier are worthless, analysis shows

• The Washington Post: The link between our food, gut microbiome and depression

• Wisconsin Public Radio: Study recommends converting some of Wisconsin's corn-based ethanol land into solar farms

• Yahoo News: U.S. Universities Aren't Getting Enough Funding to Tackle Agriculture's Climate Impact

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Discover opportunities across our network of transformational companies, including Omeat, Trace Genomics, Earthshot and more.