The GTLC, set up in 2021 by Bloomberg and Imperial College London (ICL) provides pro bono legal support to for-profit climate-positive or more broadly environment/sustainability-focused start-ups that are connected to ICL.
Over the past year, lawyers across our PEFS, CME, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Real Estate, Operational Risk, Tax and TCT departments have supported nine exciting early-stage start-ups, each tackling climate and sustainability challenges in their own creative way:
- A&B Smart Materials: Synthetic Super Absorbent Polymers (SAPs) are found in everyday products such as nappies and moisture creams but come at a significant environmental cost: they are petroleum-based, non-biodegradable, and contribute to long-term environmental pollution. A&B Smart Materials are working to change that, pioneering the next generation of bio-based and biodegradable SAPs that could transform one of the most widely used materials in our daily lives. We are delighted that Travers Smith will act as Team Lead for A&B Smart Materials this year.
- Ponda is developing a revolutionary new textile fibre for use in puffer jackets, farmed on wetlands that Ponda is actively regenerating.
- BlueNose designs retrofit structures for the front decks of containerships to reduce air drag, cutting fuel consumption by 3–5%.
- Treeva produces wind turbines powered by airflow generated by passing traffic. Their unique blade design delivers twice the energy efficiency of competing products.
- Evotrack develops advanced software to predict Electric Vehicle (EV) charging usage, helping to lower the carbon, energy and financial footprint of EV charging infrastructure.
- Cresco Biotech uses cultured bacteria to bind industrial waste and fibrous materials, creating cementitious composites through a process far more carbon-friendly than traditional cement production.
- Team Repair teaches children how to fix broken electronics, building STEM skills and championing the circular economy.
- Vox Aeris is transforming air filtration technology by harnessing advanced acoustics and aerodynamics to create filtration systems that are more efficient and more sustainable.
- Pyri has developed a low-cost early wildfire detection system using bio-based materials to detect nascent wildfires and alert nearby communities.
