Katapult Group’s single largest investment of 50 million NOK was made this year in 18 impact tech startups beginning the 2021 Accelerator Program this October. One of those 18 is a Finnish 3d printing startup.
Norwegian impact-focused investment fund Katapult has selected 18 companies to invest in from 15 different countries and spanning 5 continents after screening over 2700 companies.
These startups represent the top 1% of all candidates to the accelerator program and each of the 18 companies are committed to addressing one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The chosen startups are the latest Katapult portfolio companies mobilized through either the Katapult Ocean or the Katapult Climate fund.
Katapult Climate is a new thematic vertical by Katapult Accelerator as of 2021. The new fund is built upon Katapult’s existing experience making solid climate investments, as around half the companies in the current portfolio already have a climate dimension. Based on the 58 investments made over the past 4 years, the development of the climate tech industry, and the extreme urgency, Katapult is reorienting towards solving the world’s most pressing issue of our time: the climate crisis.
Nina Heir, CEO of Katapult Climate says about the direction of the new portfolio for 2021, “For the first Katapult cohort focusing solely on climate tech, we have evaluated more than 1000 impressive companies from across the globe. It’s no surprise that energy efficiency and renewable energy is the clearly largest category in our pipeline. We are adding several companies within energy, smart cities/industry and enabling technologies to our portfolio this year.”
The chosen startups will join one one of our two accelerator programs this autumn: The Ocean Accelerator Program or The Climate Accelerator Program, powered by Lundin Foundation.
Out of the 8 climate tech startups chosen in the first Katapult Climate Fund, one of them was Finnish.Hyperion Robotics is a startup building 3D printing technology that can produce large-scale reinforced concrete elements with recycled materials.
Jørn Haanæs, Investment Director at Katapult Climate comments:
« We are interested in this sector as it is impossible to see a future where we do not build things! It does not help to tackle only the simple issues within the construction industry, we need to take on the toughest challenges! And that is what we love about Hyperion Robotics. Through their production of low emission, 3D print reinforced concrete, they are set to revolutionise the very core of the construction industry.»
“At Hyperion, we believe that we need to transform current building technologies but also the way we produce and use concrete, which accounts for more than 8% of global CO2 emissions, in order to have a significant impact in the construction industry and most importantly in the environment. We are making this possible, with the help of great partners like Katapult, by combining large-scale 3D printing and sustainable concrete made of recycled materials from different waste streams.” said Fernando De los Rios CEO at Hyperion Robotics.
