Ecosapiens Secures $3.5 Million to Power Carbon-Backed NFT Community in Latest Seed Round
The round was led by Collab+Currency and included gmoney as an advisor
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ecosapiens, an eco-conscious collective that defends the climate through creative tech, today announced $3.5 million of funding in its latest seed round. The round was led by consumer web3 fund Collab+Currency with prominent investor, builder, and influencer gmoney joining as an advisor. Notable angel investors in the round include CFO of Celo Alex Witt and former COO of Moonbirds Ryan Carson. Boost VC and Brayton Williams, Co-Founder of Boost VC, are returning investors who led Ecosapiens’ pre-seed in May of 2022. Other returning investors include Slow Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and Alumni Ventures Blockchain Fund. This funding round brings Ecosapiens fundraising to an all-time total of around $5M.
“We’re on a mission to make carbon removal and sustainability seamless, fun and engaging,” said Ecosapiens co-founder Nihar Neelakanti. “Thanks to Collab+Currency and our other partners’ support, we’ll be able to scale our workforce, build out our community and our offerings, and empower people to show our planet some love by offsetting their entire annual carbon footprint.”
Ecosapiens was founded to build a widespread community of eco-conscious individuals and provide them with access to affect positive environmental impact. Ecosapiens will provide a range of digital infrastructure and resources – including NFTs, carbon infrastructure, chat groups, and even a comic series – that make it easy and engaging for people and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, use more sustainable products, and support the transition to a green economy through the community they create.
“NFTs have the ability to unlock an incredible, almost infinite potential, and Ecosapiens is proving that to be true by harnessing the tech for positive climate action,” said gmoney. “They’re making it easy for individuals from any background – art lovers, NFT collectors, environmentalists, you name it – to make environmental sustainability a byproduct of their daily lives and hobbies. I’m proud to support Ecosapiens in its mission, and excited to see its impact on the future of our planet and people.”
In February 2023, Ecosapiens announced its namesake alpha collection featuring the world’s first carbon-backed NFTs, and awarded 350 members of the Ecosapiens community with a free-to-mint Chrysalis that could be upgraded and evolved into an Ecosapien to offset up to 28 tons of carbon – about two years worth of the average American’s carbon footprint. So far, its alpha collection has sequestered over 1,700 tons of CO2 and counting – that’s the equivalent of planting around 68,000 trees.
Ecosapiens has already gained traction within the art, sustainability, and NFT communities, with over 17,000 community members on Discord, and through partnerships with reputable projects such as Pudgy Penguins. The collectibles have also been recognized by art industry experts for their innovative motion design and ‘breathing’ characters, winning first place in the NFT category of Motionographer’s Motion Awards, among other winners like CBS Sports, Vice News, and Olivia Rodrigo. To mint an Ecosapien, grab a chrysalis from the Genesis collection on OpenSea and evolve it in the Ecoverse. For more information, visit ecosapiens.xyz.
About Ecosapiens
Ecosapiens is an eco-conscious collective that defends the climate through creative tech, beginning with a perpetual carbon capture digital collectible series, through which carbon removal projects are funded. The platform’s namesake collection, Ecosapiens, represents a new iteration of the human species that is more connected to and thoughtful about its impact on the planet. Key Ecosapiens investors include Boost Ventures, Slow Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Alumni Ventures Blockchain Fund and Charles River Ventures. Follow Ecosapiens on Twitter and Instagram and join us on Discord.
Contacts
Ally Norton
