UBS Optimus Foundation and Swiss Re Foundation Invest More than 2 Million US Dollars to Start New Partnership with Terratai

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - Today, Terratai, a leading Asian venture builder dedicated to driving investment into nature-based startups that can scale their impact, announced a new partnership with the UBS Optimus Foundation and the Swiss Re Foundation. The partnership is supported by seed funding of more than US$2 million to launch the program in Indonesia, with the potential to expand to Southeast Asia in the coming years.

Support from the UBS Optimus Foundation and Swiss Re Foundation will be directed at developing and scaling the first cohort of start-up businesses that Terratai supports, which can demonstrate a measurable impact on nature protection and biodiversity.

It is hoped that this impact can be proven through various rigorous measurements. These include: carbon mitigation and emissions avoidance, biodiversity protection and species management, habitat protection and restoration, and enhancement of ecosystem services.

"The partnership between Terratai, UBS Optimus Foundation and Swiss Re Foundation is a testament to our collective commitment to reviewing how capital can be channeled towards nature-based solutions and is an important step in the process of bridging the 800 billion global financing gap Dollars per year to protect and improve our natural world," said Matt Leggett, CEO and Founder of Terratai.

"This collaboration continues the initial support from the RS Group, which from the start recognized that if we want to protect and improve nature systemically and support communities that depend directly on nature for their livelihoods, we must radically evaluate how we value nature in the context of our economy. Support from The UBS Optimus and Swiss Re Foundation will enable us to accelerate efforts to identify different business models that can protect Indonesia's most vulnerable land and seascapes, as well as provide the appropriate support and facilitation of start-up investment that these companies need to thrive. , and opens the way to economic activities that take into account the preservation of nature."

Maya Ziswiler, CEO of UBS Optimus Foundation, added, Indonesia is at the forefront of the global fight against climate change. More than half of Indonesia's land surface is covered by forests, and it is vital that we protect this 'natural capital' with the help of nature-based solutions.

"We believe in the power of partnerships to deliver solutions that are innovative and scalable in impact. Our new partnership with Terratai to protect biodiversity and decent livelihoods for communities in Indonesia, and over time in Southeast Asia, is a perfect example "how the UBS Optimus Foundation incubates businesses that have a positive impact, making them better prepared to accept investment and scale their business, while ensuring that they can still achieve positive results in the fight against climate change, protecting biodiversity and the well-being of local communities," he explained.

Stefan Huber Fux, Director at Swiss Re Foundation, said that Terratai's mission is in line with our commitment to building a more resilient world.

"We are very excited to be able to encourage nature-based solutions, which is a key focus in our strategic commitment to build together a dynamic ecosystem with investment opportunities for solutions that have a positive impact not only on the environment but also open up economic opportunities for local communities, " said Setefan.

Recent research shows that our global food system -- the way we grow, harvest, process and trade what we eat -- relies heavily on nature. However, the global food system is also the single largest driver of natural destruction and reduced biodiversity, and is responsible for more than 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

ASEAN estimates that the population in Asia will grow to 770 million by 2040, thereby increasing the burden on water and land ecosystems for the population's future food production. With current projections, Southeast Asia could lose another 70 percent of its natural habitat and 40 percent of its existing species, unless we take decisive action.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) offer a sustainable and effective approach to addressing these interrelated environmental challenges by harnessing the power of nature to benefit society and the planet.

The partnership between Terratai, UBS Optimus Foundation and Swiss Re Foundation is an important step in encouraging investment into NBS in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia. This investment will help to develop and increase the business scale and positive impact of innovative nature-based companies that can protect and restore nature, increase climate resilience, and create jobs and economic opportunities for local communities.