Unreasonable Impact announces new roster of companies for the Americas programme

● Unreasonable Impact adds 14 companies tackling climate and social issues to Americas programme.
● The initiative, run by Barclays and Unreasonable Group since 2016, helps scale growth-stage businesses through mentoring and a network of support.
● The new 14 companies have raised over $380 million in capital.

New York, 17 October 2024: Unreasonable Impact, a strategic partnership between Unreasonable Group and Barclays, has announced the latest companies to join its Americas programme.

This year’s companies offer solutions ranging from solar financing platforms, to robotic 3D printers that lessen the environmental impact of the construction industry. They have been carefully selected to join the prestigious programme. The 14 companies include:

● Aigen: Providing farmers with alternatives to herbicides, Aigen develops solar-powered robots for crop protection.  Kenny Lee, co-founder and CEO, leverages over 20 years of experience in consulting and information technology to lead the company's mission of fostering sustainable agriculture worldwide.

● Attane Health: Personalising nutrition-specific care for Medicaid populations, Attane Health provides a digital platform to tailor nutritious groceries and educational resources for those living with chronic health conditions. Emily Brown, co-founder and CEO, an advocate for health equity and a co-author of peer-reviewed research on food systems and health disparities, leads the company’s mission to transform health outcomes through the power of food.

● Circ: Transforming textile recycling, Circ converts polycotton blended textiles into high-quality recycled fibers through hydrothermal processing, reducing environmental impacts. Peter Majeranowski, co-founder and CEO, leverages his expertise in sustainable innovation to lead the company's mission to reshape the fashion industry with circular solutions.

Half of 2024’s Americas cohort are female or from a diverse background. Collectively they have raised more than $380 million to date and have revenues of $50m anticipated for 2024.

During the programme, the fellows will work with specialists to break down barriers they have experienced. This includes a week in residence with industry deep dives, masterclasses, investor guidance, and mentorship. Post-programme, companies will continue to receive access to specialist advice from over 1,500 mentors, many of whom are Barclays colleagues, and connections to over 2,000 investors, through the Unreasonable community.

Scaling for change with world-class support

Barclays and Unreasonable share the belief that high-growth entrepreneurs – leveraging profit and advanced technologies – are well-placed to offer solutions to sustainability challenges while creating the jobs of tomorrow. That’s why they’ve collaboratively established Unreasonable Impact. Since it started in 2016, the programme has supported over 330 companies, some of which are used in Barclays’ own operations today and/or have also been supported through Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital mandate.

The Unreasonable Impact companies, having raised over US$14 billion since inception, now employ more than 31,000 people. Over 60% of alumni report job growth within one year. Furthermore, these companies have collectively reported preventing the release of 111 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions due to their products and services.

Daniel Epstein, CEO of Unreasonable Group, commented:
"This year's cohort is made up of entrepreneurs developing solutions that address some of the most critical issues of our time, from energy efficiency to cutting-edge technologies that reduce emissions. By working alongside Barclays, we are focused on helping these companies grow in a way that delivers measurable impact. Through tailored support, access to global networks, and strategic resources, we are committed to ensuring they can scale their solutions to meet the challenges we face globally."

Travis Barnes, Global Co-Head of Capital Markets, Barclays, commented:
"Barclays is providing expertise to nurture climate tech and other sustainability-focused companies at each stage of their journey as they scale from idea to IPO. Through our partnership with Unreasonable Group, we are giving entrepreneurs access to our ecosystem, mentors, and investors to help tackle key social and environmental challenges. I am excited to see this new cohort flourish under the power of this partnership.”

Emily Brown, co-founder & CEO of Attane Health, commented:
"Our platform supports the one in three Americans living with a chronic condition where food is part of the standard of care. I look forward to working closely with industry mentors and building community with fellow entrepreneurs."

The 14 companies joining the 2024 Unreasonable Impact Americas programme include:

● 1Doc3 – 1Doc3 transforms access to the physical, mental and nutritional health of employees with AI driven health and wellness tracking tools.
● Aigen – Aigen delivers high-resolution crop insights over greater temporal and spatial scales to improve farm management by deploying AI and robotics.
● Apis Cor – Apis Cor rents 3D printers and special concrete blends to automate construction processes. The proprietary 3D printing technology, capable of printing full-scale buildings, is revolutionising construction.
● Attane Health – Attane Health offers nutrient-dense food prescriptions, telehealth nutrition coaching, and actionable data insights to help improve health outcomes for Medicaid populations.
● Circ – Circ recycles the most abundant waste streams from the textile industry - polyester, cotton, and polycotton blends - into high-quality materials that can be reused by the textile supply chain.
● Dispatch Goods – Dispatch Goods creates returnable packaging programmes for businesses delivering perishable goods, allowing consumers to return packaging for reuse.
● erthos® – erthos® leverages AI and biomaterials to design sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics.
● Fit:Match – Fit:Match uses patented 3D technology to match consumers with clothing based on body shape in retail, and offers precise post-surgical garment fitting in healthcare, enhancing both shopping and medical outcomes.
● Guidewheel – Guidewheel uses non-intrusive sensors to monitor equipment's electrical activity, helping factories reduce downtime, optimise productivity, and enhance energy efficiency.
● Hyfé – Hyfé uses nutrients washed away in food manufacturing wastewater to power the creation of sustainable chemicals, materials, fuels and foods.
● Odyssey Energy Solutions – Odyssey Energy Solutions connects solar companies and financiers through its end-to-end technology platform, enabling more projects to be delivered in shorter timespans.
● Prolific Machines – Prolific Machines uses light and AI to control cellular behaviour to produce food, pharmaceuticals, and other innovations, unlocking new possibilities for bioproduct manufacturing.
● Wild Earth – Wild Earth produces plant-based pet food, creating cruelty-free, clean protein foods with less environmental impact of traditional meat-based pet foods.
● Zordi – Zordi combines traditional greenhouse architecture with AI-powered robotics to create an automated, scalable, and sustainable agricultural solution that increases crop yield and decreases labour costs.

ENDS

Notes to editors

● Unreasonable Impact runs three regional programmes annually across the UK and Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, bringing together a select group of fast-growth businesses and handpicked investors. The Unreasonable Impact World Forum, which convenes entrepreneurs, Barclays’ clients and investors from around the world, will take place in November.

● Other notable Unreasonable Impact alumni include Re:Dish whose reusable dishware service at Barclays’ US offices has avoided over 500,000 single use containers and cups over the last year, and Upside Foods, the first cultivated meat company to receive approvals from the Food and Drug Administration and US Department of Agriculture to produce and cell cultivate chicken products in the US.

● Unreasonable Impact ventures cumulatively report to have removed over 111 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions due to companies’ products and services and avoided or diverted 2 billion kgs of waste from landfills.

Find out more in the latest Impact Report.

Further information about the programme and its impact can be found in the latest impact report.

Media Inquiries
Jolaade Taiwo, Unreasonable Group
jolaade@unreasonablegroup.com
+44 (0) 7423215437

About Unreasonable Group
Building a global community between entrepreneurs, investors, creatives, and business leaders, Unreasonable acts as a catalytic platform for entrepreneurs tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Part global community and part investment firm, Unreasonable operates at the intersection of profit, advanced technologies, and impact. Via its international Fellowship, Unreasonable is uniquely positioned to support a select portfolio of growth-stage entrepreneurs to scale up by deploying knowledge, networks, and capital. Unreasonable believes in the power of business to drive lasting and scalable change.

Find out information about Unreasonable here:
www.unreasonablegroup.com

About Barclays
Our vision is to be the UK-centred leader in global finance. We are a diversified bank with comprehensive UK consumer, corporate and wealth and private banking franchises, a leading investment bank and a strong, specialist US consumer bank. Through these five divisions, we are working together for a better financial future for our customers, clients and communities.

For further information about Barclays, please visit our website home.barclays

Find out more about Barclays’ approach to climate change here:
https://home.barclays/climate-change
https://home.barclays/insights/sustainability-insights/