Investors pour capital into better, lower-carbon ships and boats

January 30, 2024

Hi, Agen. If you’re like most of us, you spend your days on dry land and devote little thought to boats, ships, and their associated propulsion systems and carbon footprints. But with cargo ships alone estimated to emit more CO₂ into the atmosphere each year than all the airlines in the world, venture investors have been pondering the question of shipping and its associated environmental harms quite a bit. Plus, one investor’s advice for doing more than surviving in this startup environment.

🚢 Investors pour capital into better, lower-carbon ships and boats

Crunchbase data shows funded startups dedicated to improving the performance and reducing the carbon footprint of ships and watercraft have collectively raised more than $1.1 billion to date. They’re using that to further research and commercialization in areas from electric motors to wind-powered cargo shipping.

Related Crunchbase Pro list: Funded Nautically-Focused Companies

💪 Survival mode is not your startup’s only option

Despite small glimmers of hope, the venture funding turnaround has not yet materialized, putting startup founders in a challenging position as they decide how to optimize resources. But you don’t have to go on a feverish cost-cutting streak to extend your runway, writes investor Marc Schröder of MGV. Here are options beyond survival mode.

🛑 Startup M&A plummets 31%

The strategic and private equity buyers who typically scoop up startups held tightly to their wallets last year, worsening already tough times in which funding is scarce and IPOs scarcer. Only 1,738 venture-backed startups were acquired globally — the lowest amount since 2015, when 1,687 startups were bought — per Crunchbase data. We talk with investors about what this year holds for startup M&A and whether we’ll see dealmaking perk up.

Related Crunchbase Pro lists:

• M&A Involving VC-Backed Startups In 2023

• M&A Involving U.S.-Based, VC-Backed Startups

🏅Top 10 funding deals: Energy, rewards and fintech score big

For a change, you had to go all the way to No. 4 on our list of 10 largest U.S. startup funding deals last week to find an AI company. Energy, loyalty rewards and fintech startups all scored bigger rounds, with the No. 1 deal coming in at a whopping $500 million.