Ponderosa Ventures

Founded in 2021, Ponderosa Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New York. It focuses on investing $100-750k in pre-seed and seed-stage companies operating within the food, agriculture, and ocean sectors.

Chloë Payne

Principal

Evi Steyer

Co-Founder

Past deals in CleanTech

Terradot

Series A in 2024
Terradot is a company that specializes in developing a carbon removal platform aimed at reducing carbon footprints and transforming soil carbon management. The platform employs various methods to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and enhance high-integrity soil carbon removal. By doing so, Terradot enables both businesses and individuals to actively participate in environmental stewardship, contributing to efforts to mitigate climate change and improve ecological health. The company's innovative approach seeks to create significant positive impacts on the environment through effective carbon management solutions.

Everest Carbon

Venture Round in 2024
Everest Carbon develops sensing technology to measure alkalinity in agricultural fields to enable Enhanced Rock Weathering carbon removal. It provides an in situ, low-cost, large-scale sensor that accurately tracks carbonate alkalinity, reducing the need for manual sampling. The system delivers a liquid-phase signal of carbon removal over time, enabling traceability of carbon credits for reliable, scalable climate impact. By combining measurement data with scalable deployment, Everest Carbon aims to deliver high-quality, cost-effective carbon removals for enterprise buyers and carbon markets.

Crew Carbon

Seed Round in 2024
CREW Carbon is a company dedicated to removing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, from wastewater through innovative technology. Utilizing engineered enhanced weathering, the company's approach harnesses the natural power of minerals to treat both municipal and industrial wastewater while permanently storing CO2. Operating within the environmental services sector, CREW Carbon focuses on greenhouse gas management and carbon removal, aiming to support businesses and governments in achieving their climate objectives. Through its climate tech solutions, the company strives to make a positive environmental impact.

Circe

Seed Round in 2024
Circe produces food and chemical inputs through a proprietary fermentation process that uses CO2 as its primary feedstock. This method enables the company to create sustainable, climate-friendly products while maintaining economic viability.

Uncaged Innovations

Seed Round in 2024
Uncaged Innovations develops sustainable alternatives to animal skin products. They create bio-based leather using plant materials and proprietary processing techniques, serving industries such as luxury fashion and automotives.

Syntopa

Pre Seed Round in 2024
Syntopa is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of precision biologics for agriculture. It leverages proprietary methods and cutting-edge technologies from synthetic biology and ag tech to create innovative agricultural products. The company's core technology enables it to predict and optimize the performance of microorganisms in specific soil conditions, thereby enhancing crop productivity, profitability, and sustainability. This, in turn, contributes to the broader goal of reversing climate change.

Circe

Seed Round in 2024
Circe produces food and chemical inputs through a proprietary fermentation process that uses CO2 as its primary feedstock. This method enables the company to create sustainable, climate-friendly products while maintaining economic viability.

Nfinite Nanotech

Seed Round in 2024
Nfinite Nanotech specializes in advanced material science, utilizing open-air atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology to create functional nanomaterials. The company accelerates innovation in sustainable packaging, batteries, and photovoltaics by producing large-area, high-quality, ultrathin films at a significantly faster pace than conventional methods.

Umaro

Seed Round in 2024
Umaro Foods focuses on creating a sustainable plant-based protein derived from ocean-farmed seaweed. The company aims to provide an alternative to traditional animal products by offering nutritious and flavorful food options, including crispy and umami-rich bacon alternatives. By leveraging seaweed farming, Umaro seeks to promote a more humane treatment of animals while also supporting environmental sustainability. The innovative approach positions seaweed as a viable and scalable source of protein, which can surpass traditional soy production, contributing to a thriving planet.

Mondra

Seed Round in 2024
Mondra is a technology company dedicated to unlocking the environmental impact of global supply chains. It combines satellite data, deep tech, big data, AI, and machine learning with scientific research to provide accurate, real-time insights into food systems' carbon footprint. Mondra's platform enables producers to benchmark products against industry averages, identify reduction opportunities, and earn rewards for eco-friendly practices.

Everest Carbon

Seed Round in 2024
Everest Carbon develops sensing technology to measure alkalinity in agricultural fields to enable Enhanced Rock Weathering carbon removal. It provides an in situ, low-cost, large-scale sensor that accurately tracks carbonate alkalinity, reducing the need for manual sampling. The system delivers a liquid-phase signal of carbon removal over time, enabling traceability of carbon credits for reliable, scalable climate impact. By combining measurement data with scalable deployment, Everest Carbon aims to deliver high-quality, cost-effective carbon removals for enterprise buyers and carbon markets.

Terradot

Seed Round in 2024
Terradot is a company that specializes in developing a carbon removal platform aimed at reducing carbon footprints and transforming soil carbon management. The platform employs various methods to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and enhance high-integrity soil carbon removal. By doing so, Terradot enables both businesses and individuals to actively participate in environmental stewardship, contributing to efforts to mitigate climate change and improve ecological health. The company's innovative approach seeks to create significant positive impacts on the environment through effective carbon management solutions.

CarbonFarm Technology

Seed Round in 2023
CarbonFarm Technology facilitates regenerative agriculture for farmers, making it profitable while assisting corporations in meeting their net-zero emission targets. It uses satellite data and AI to provide transparent carbon credit monitoring.

Mondra

Seed Round in 2023
Mondra is a technology company dedicated to unlocking the environmental impact of global supply chains. It combines satellite data, deep tech, big data, AI, and machine learning with scientific research to provide accurate, real-time insights into food systems' carbon footprint. Mondra's platform enables producers to benchmark products against industry averages, identify reduction opportunities, and earn rewards for eco-friendly practices.

SnoFox

Venture Round in 2023
SnoFox Sciences specializes in data analytics aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and reducing energy consumption in the cold industrial sector. The company has developed a proprietary platform that leverages thermodynamic data to provide insights for cold chain monitoring and preventative maintenance. This innovative technology transforms complex data feeds into actionable analytics, which can be accessed through a customizable web-based interface. This tool enables decision-making at various levels—from individual units to entire facilities—facilitating targeted improvements that not only optimize energy usage but also mitigate the environmental impact of industrial cooling operations.

Rubi Laboratories

Seed Round in 2023
Rubi Laboratories is a California-based company that specializes in the development of technology to manufacture carbon-negative textiles. The firm utilizes innovative sustainable solutions to convert carbon emissions into natural fibers, resulting in biodegradable textiles. Its technology directly synthesizes threads, providing a natural resource for the production of viscose that is carbon-negative, as well as being water-chemical, land-neutral, traceable, and environmentally friendly. Rubi Laboratories aims to address the environmental impact of textile manufacturing by offering a more sustainable alternative in the industry.

Modern Synthesis

Seed Round in 2022
Modern Synthesis is a biotechnology company that develops biofabricated materials by converting bacterial nanocellulose, a by‑product of fermentation, into sustainable textiles and coatings. Its materials offer performance and aesthetics without plastics, petrochemicals, or animal inputs, enabling durable options for the fashion industry and beyond. The process leverages abundant raw materials and integrates with existing manufacturing infrastructure to scale production without starting from scratch, helping brands replace animal leather and plastic‑based textiles while reducing environmental impact and expanding design possibilities.

Umaro

Seed Round in 2022
Umaro Foods focuses on creating a sustainable plant-based protein derived from ocean-farmed seaweed. The company aims to provide an alternative to traditional animal products by offering nutritious and flavorful food options, including crispy and umami-rich bacon alternatives. By leveraging seaweed farming, Umaro seeks to promote a more humane treatment of animals while also supporting environmental sustainability. The innovative approach positions seaweed as a viable and scalable source of protein, which can surpass traditional soy production, contributing to a thriving planet.

SnoFox

Seed Round in 2022
SnoFox Sciences specializes in data analytics aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and reducing energy consumption in the cold industrial sector. The company has developed a proprietary platform that leverages thermodynamic data to provide insights for cold chain monitoring and preventative maintenance. This innovative technology transforms complex data feeds into actionable analytics, which can be accessed through a customizable web-based interface. This tool enables decision-making at various levels—from individual units to entire facilities—facilitating targeted improvements that not only optimize energy usage but also mitigate the environmental impact of industrial cooling operations.

Chi Botanic

Convertible Note in 2021
Chi Botanic specializes in developing plant stem cell cultures for industrial-scale production of plant-based ingredients. By focusing on specific plant components, they achieve faster growth and higher yields compared to traditional farming methods. Their process reduces the need for fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, water, energy, and shipping, resulting in safer and often enhanced natural products.

Circe

Seed Round in 2021
Circe produces food and chemical inputs through a proprietary fermentation process that uses CO2 as its primary feedstock. This method enables the company to create sustainable, climate-friendly products while maintaining economic viability.

Verdi

Verdi is a developer of advanced data science platforms focused on enhancing precision agriculture, particularly in irrigation management. The company creates scalable control systems that facilitate plant-level healthcare and automation, even in challenging farming environments. By leveraging geospatial analytics, Verdi's network of irrigation valves allows farmers and growers to make informed irrigation decisions. This innovative approach enables users to customize water and fertilizer application at the individual plant level, thereby optimizing cultivation processes. Verdi aims to empower agricultural professionals with the tools needed to effectively build, manage, and scale their farming operations.
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