Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund Backs Startups Tackling E-Waste, Low-Carbon Tech
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- Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund: Invested in three startups—Molg, Paebbl, and 14Trees—to accelerate solutions for e-waste, carbon storage, and low-carbon construction.
- Circular Manufacturing and Construction: Molg addresses e-waste through robotic microfactories, Paebbl transforms CO2 into building materials, and 14Trees uses 3D printing to create low-carbon buildings.
- Sustainability Integration: Amazon has already incorporated technologies from five Climate Pledge Fund companies into its operations, enhancing electric vehicle charging, recycling, and more.
Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund (CPF) is expanding its sustainability investments with three new companies focused on critical climate issues—e-waste, carbon storage, and low-carbon construction. These investments support Amazon’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Since its inception in 2020, the $2 billion fund has backed 31 companies that develop technology to help Amazon and others meet The Climate Pledge. The latest investments in Molg, Paebbl, and 14Trees reflect this mission.
Molg specializes in circular manufacturing through robotic microfactories that autonomously assemble and disassemble electronics, addressing the growing global e-waste problem. “Achieving true circularity requires a fundamental shift in the underlying systems that support demanufacturing,” said Rob Lawson-Shanks, CEO of Molg. The funding will allow Molg to scale its operations and improve the circularity of supply chains.
Paebbl transforms CO2 into carbon-storing building materials, aiming to make concrete—a widely used material—a permanent carbon sink. Amazon Web Services (AWS) will trial Paebbl’s low-carbon material in one of its European data centers. “Paebbl’s technology has the potential to transform the built environment into a permanent carbon sink,” Amazon stated in the release.
14Trees uses 3D printing technology to accelerate the delivery of lower-carbon buildings. With backing from Amazon and Holcim, 14Trees has already delivered 3D-printed homes and schools, including Africa’s first 3D-printed house. “We aim to work with leaders in innovation, technology, and sustainability… to deliver low-carbon and high-performance buildings,” said 14Trees Managing Director Francoise Perrot.
In addition to these new investments, Amazon is incorporating the technology of five CPF-funded companies into its own operations. This includes Forum Mobility for electric truck charging infrastructure, Glacier for AI-powered recycling, and Rivian for decarbonizing last-mile delivery with electric vehicles.
Sam LaPierre, an investor for Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, said the Molg investment is part of efforts to “improve the circularity of its supply chains.”
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