Causeartist Weekly #307: A $2.85M Ton Carbon Deal and the Fashion Built to Last

Hey friends,

This week’s edition reflects a steady shift we continue to see across the impact landscape. Climate solutions are becoming more measurable, capital is moving deeper into infrastructure and hard tech, and brands with long-standing values are being reexamined as models for durability rather than trends.

From carbon removal deals at unprecedented scale to fashion brands that embedded ethics before it was fashionable, the common thread is longevity.

These are not quick wins.

They are systems being built to last.

We are also seeing accelerators and funds increasingly focus on real-world deployment, measurable outcomes, and founders who can operate across markets and disciplines. That shift matters, especially as impact moves further into the mainstream of capital markets.

Let’s get into it.

— Grant

🎧 Featured Podcast

Building Markets: The Acumen Journey to Poverty Alleviation

In this episode of the Disruptors for GOOD Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder & CEO of Acumen, about her journey and impacting over 650 million lives through social entrepreneurship.

Listen to the Podcast on Causeartist

📝 Case Study

Eileen Fisher: Impact Business Case Study

How does a fashion brand achieve $450M+ in annual revenue while remaining one of the world's most prominent B Corps?

This case study explores Eileen Fisher’s circularity model, specifically the Fisher Found program, which has taken back over 1.5 million garments since 2009.

We break down how they integrated environmental impact into their supply chain long before it was a corporate buzzword, proving that longevity is the ultimate sustainable trend.

Read the Full Case Study on Causeartist

Featured Spotlight Q&A

Meet KENT, Building Super Natural Basics Without Plastic

Most underwear is made of synthetic, plastic-based fibers that take decades to decompose. Meet Stacy Grace, the founder of KENT, a brand creating the world’s first 100% compostable, plant-based underwear.

KENT is proving that "super-natural" materials can perform just as well as synthetics, providing a blueprint for a truly circular fashion industry where our basics can return to the earth in just 90 days.

Read the Full Interview on Causeartist

🗞️ News and Headlines

B2U Storage Solutions Launches Second-Life Battery Fund: Los Angeles-based B2U has launched a first-of-its-kind structured finance fund to manage 150MWh of grid storage in California and Texas. The projects utilize patented technology to repurpose "second-life" EV batteries without remanufacturing costs, achieving a superior Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) and proving that circularity in the energy sector can deliver above-average infrastructure returns. Learn more about B2U
Indigo Ag to Sell 2.85 Million Tonnes of Carbon Removal to Microsoft: In one of the largest soil carbon deals to date, Indigo Ag has signed a 12-year agreement with Microsoft. The deal will support thousands of American farmers in adopting regenerative practices, helping Microsoft reach its "carbon negative" goal by 2030 while providing farmers with a massive new revenue stream. Read More on Indigo Ag
The World's First Biodiversity-Focused VC Fund Launches: Lead by Patrick Brown, a new venture fund(securing $25.9M to back the next generation of NatureTech founders) is launching with a strict mandate to invest in technologies that protect and restore global biodiversity. The fund aims to prove that nature-positive investments can deliver top-tier financial returns. Learn more about Superorganism

🌎 Events, Fellowships, Grants, Accelerator, and Opportunities

Harvard Business School Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship: This fellowship is designed to bridge the pay gap for social-impact founders, providing up to $65,000 in salary support (effectively topping up a founder's salary to $130,000 for one year) to allow them to focus entirely on building their venture. Deadline: April 1, 2026, at 12:00 noon ET. Learn More about the HBS Fellowship
Yale Planetary Solutions Grant + Impact Accelerator: Yale has announced $2M in funding for projects tackling planetary challenges. Grants range from $25,000 to $250,000 for scalable climate and ecosystem technologies. Deadline: January 30, 2026. Apply via Yale Ventures
Gratitude Network 2026 Fellowship: Seeking nonprofit leaders serving children and youth worldwide. This high-touch accelerator helps organizations scale their operations and impact. Apply to Gratitude Network
African Impact Challenge (Cohort 6): Providing up to $25,000 CAD in non-dilutive funding for African startups solving healthcare and climate challenges. Learn More

💰 Funding and Capital Watch

Cloover (Berlin) secures a massive €1.04 billion (equity and debt) to build the "Shopify for energy," helping renewable energy providers scale solar and storage installations globally.
Ananda Impact Ventures (Munich) announces a €73 million first close of its fifth fund, focusing on "Impact 3.0" and European frontier-tech startups.
Fleetzero raises $43 million (Series A) to decarbonize the shipping industry through hybrid and fully electric commercial vessel powerplants.
Whizzo secures $15 million (Series A) to advance materials science innovations for sustainable manufacturing, led by Fundamentum.
NET Recovery closes an $8.2M Seed round to scale its FDA-cleared neurotech device, which uses electrical stimulation to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms by 61%.
NPHarvest (Finland) raises €1.2 million to commercialize technology that converts wastewater into high-value agricultural fertilizer.
Anzen Industries raises $2.2M (Pre-Seed) to create sustainable chemicals and materials using synthetic biology.
DevvStream raises $100 million to monetize environmental assets and drive large-scale decarbonization projects.