FootPrint Coalition Ventures Launches ESG-Focused Funds

New York – February 17, 2021 – Cooley advised FootPrint Coalition Ventures on its launch and string of investments to accelerate groundbreaking technologies that are addressing the world’s largest environmental challenges. Cooley partner Sacha Ross led the team advising FootPrint Coalition Ventures.

Founded by actor Robert Downey Jr., FootPrint Coalition Ventures is an environmental, social and governance-focused series of ambitious rolling venture capital funds with a concentration on sustainable technology. It will initially consist of two funds for early- and late-stage investments, respectively. Within the umbrella of sustainable technology, the team has identified six particular investment areas: sustainability-focused consumer products and services; food and agriculture technology; materials and industrial tech; energy and transportation; education and media; and advanced environmental solutions. Current investments include:

• Arcadia Earth, a next-generation exhibition and extended reality experience with a mission to positively impact the planet through environmental storytelling
• Cloud Paper, a tree-free paper products company on a mission to save a billion trees
• RWDC Industries, a biotech company developing innovative and cost-effective biovanescent materials
• Ÿnsect, the world leader in natural insect protein and fertilizer production
• Aspiration, a neobank offering 100% clean, socially conscious and sustainable cash management services and investment products

“Investment in sustainable technology is a critical pathway toward the discovery and scaling of better solutions for our planet. We need to mobilize more people and catalyze more capital. Thus – FootPrint Coalition Ventures, a group of investors, technologists and storytellers committed to scaling enviro-tech solutions,” Downey said in a statement.

FootPrint Coalition Ventures will be led by veteran tech investors and entrepreneurs Jonathan Schulhof and Steve Levin. Rachel Kropa, former head of the CAA Foundation, who joined Footprint Coalition to lead scientific and philanthropic efforts, will serve as the fund’s impact adviser and liaison to the scientific and research communities.

The fund will leverage Downey’s creative team and knack for storytelling, along with his significant social and traditional media visibility, to help portfolio companies reach a highly engaged audience through myriad ways – from gaining awareness to attracting talent and helping them connect with other dynamic minds in the FootPrint Coalition Ventures universe.

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