Damage to natural ecosystems is not only an environmental risk, but is also rapidly becoming a business risk. Companies that rely on land, raw materials or complex supply chains are under pressure to demonstrate progress in restoring nature.
However, despite billions of dollars being spent around the world to protect biodiversity, much of that funding is held up at the reporting stage. Measuring biodiversity is complex, data is fragmented, and teams struggle to put plans into action.
London-based NatureTech startup Verna was founded to fill that gap. A UK company has raised $4 million to help organizations move beyond nature reporting and start delivering measurable, long-term recovery projects.
The funding round was led by Berlin-based NAP and Zurich-based Übermorgen, with participation from UK investors including Vanneck, Love Ventures, Concrete Ventures and Climate VC.
Turn complexity into delivery
Verna, co-led by Raffi Cohen, develops software that helps companies plan, implement, and monitor decades of natural restoration. Rather than generating new biodiversity data, the platform integrates existing datasets, supports decision-making, and tracks delivery in a way that teams can actually use.
“As threats to the natural world become more urgent, organizations that rely on land, whether directly or through their supply chains, need to invest in nature restoration to make their businesses more resilient,” said Raffi Cohen, Co-CEO of Verna.
“Every week, Verna receives requests for help from businesses and public organizations in the UK, Europe, the US and further afield. This new investment will enable us to deploy the latest technology, including AI, to meet that demand,” Cohen added.
The company has initially focused on projects carried out using Biodiversity Net Gains, a natural data method pioneered in the UK and now popular worldwide.
Within a year of launch, Verna's annual recurring revenue exceeded $1 million. More than 3,000 users from 100 organizations currently use the platform to manage their natural recovery programs.
What about diversity?
When asked about diversity, the founder said: TFN“Although we do not have official statistics, we can share that our team includes people of different genders, ages, nationalities and ethnicities. It may be of interest that our leadership team includes Helen Nüll, a leading ecologist.”
What's next?
The new funding will be used to further develop the platform, including AI tools designed to optimize nature recovery plans and easily track progress.
Tom Butterworth, Director of Nature at Arup and author of the Construction Industry Net Biodiversity Gains Good Practice Guide, said: “Companies around the world are recognizing that nature is not just about regulatory compliance and reporting. Restoring nature is a core driver of business resilience and growth.”
“Measuring and improving biodiversity is even more complex than carbon. Without technology tailored to this challenge, companies will not be able to meet their nature goals,” adds Butterworth.
