Terranova

Berkeley startup Levitree is lifting cities out of flood danger. Founded by University of California, Berkeley alum Laurence Allen, Trip Allen, and Cole J., Levitree uses robotics to inject carbon-rich wood slurry underground. This process physically raises flood-prone land while also sequestering carbon. Their solution is helping coastal cities like San Rafael reduce flood risk and carbon emissions at the same time. Levitree is part of the Community Access Bakar Labs (CABL) program, which supports startups that don’t need lab space but benefit from access to #Berkeley’s innovation community. Read more from Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials: https://lnkd.in/gVYYN2YR 

Our tenant company Levitree is tackling flood risk and carbon emissions—at the same time! Founded by Laurence Allen (#UCBerkeley Mechanical Engineering ’24), Trip Allen, and Cole Johnson, Levitree is using robots to inject wood slurry underground, physically raising flood-prone land while sequestering carbon. Their mission helps coastal cities like San Rafael lift themselves out of serious flood danger. Levitree is part of the Community Access Bakar Labs (CABL) program, which helps startups that don’t need lab space but benefit from connections to a strong community of innovators. We’re proud to support their journey from pilot testing to real-world impact. Read their full tenant spotlight written by Ruhani Chhabra to explore their vision and technology: https://lnkd.in/gVYYN2YR

Biomass-based solutions have immense potential for climate impact. The challenge? #Biomass still needs to become a standardized and widely available commodity. This is where the California Innovation Fund, a shared-carry fund supporting UC Berkeley entrepreneurs, plays a key role—providing the venture capital needed to develop sustainable biomass supply chains and help startups like Levitree bring scalable climate solutions to market. At the #BERCSummit2025 last Thursday, held at Berkeley Haas, this challenge and the broader conversation around climate innovation and business models took center stage. Shilpi Kumar, our director of partnerships, led an insightful discussion between Laurence Allen, co-founder of Levitree, alongside Stacey King, an adviser to the California Innovation Fund, and Andy Miller, CEO of @Loamist. Laurence, a recent Mech Eng grad from Cal, shared how Levitree is pioneering a cost-effective, scalable solution for #floodprevention and #carbonsequestration, reshaping how we approach climate innovation: 🌊 Flood prevention meets carbon sequestration – A subterranean wood injection process stabilizes land while locking away carbon, delivering a dual benefit to communities and the environment. 📈 Licensing for rapid scale – Rather than relying on high-capital infrastructure builds, a licensing model enables rapid expansion through partnerships with established industry players. 🤖 AI-powered modeling for climate adaptation – Machine learning algorithms automate flood risk assessment, optimize biomass injection sites, and improve sequestration efficiency. 🔄 Dual-use business model – By prioritizing land subsidence prevention, adoption becomes easier, with carbon sequestration serving as a valuable added benefit. Thank you to everyone who spoke and contributed to this important discussion! University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC)

Last week, I spoke on a panel at the #BERCSummit2025. I had an engaging discussion about biomass and climate business models with Laurence Allen (Levitree) and Andy Miller (Loamist). Our panel moderator Shilpi Kumar asked me an interesting question about climate and business models. The right business model is as important as the technology, especially when building a venture-backed company. I mentioned two models, which were well represented by my fellow panel participants: 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 Develop breakthrough tech, then license to established players with existing infrastructure, connections, and relationships. Founders can focus on innovation while partners handle scaling—dramatically reducing capital needs while accelerating market adoption. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 Climate solutions often struggle with fragmentation. Marketplace models connect providers with customers, creating powerful network effects without the massive capital requirements common in climate. As the platform grows, so does its value proposition. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆? Climate solutions can deliver both environmental impact AND attractive returns when structured for capital efficiency and rapid scaling. I'm always looking to invest in the next wave of climate innovators and continue the discussion!  If you're building in this space or have your own experiences with capital efficient business models, let's connect. Drop a comment or DM me to start the conversation. Thanks to Jas Schuldt, Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC), and Shilpi for the opportunity and to Benny Johnson for the picture! #ClimateInnovation #VentureCapital #SustainableBusiness #CleanTech