Nala Earth

Nala Earth develops a comprehensive nature and biodiversity management platform, enabling businesses to measure, improve, and report their environmental impacts while proactively mitigating associated risks. The platform employs a holistic approach and leverages AI-driven insights to facilitate compliance with evolving regulations like CSRD and frameworks such as TNFD, seamlessly integrating nature management across enterprise operations.

The company was co-founded by Anna Alex, Nick Zumbühl, and Nicolas Somogyi. Alex, a serial entrepreneur with previous ventures including Planetly and Outfittery, joined with Zumbühl, a data scientist from BCG Gamma, and Somogyi, an economist from Credit Suisse and the Swiss National Bank. Their collective insight highlighted the growing necessity for robust data and specialized tools to address the increasing complexities of environmental regulations and risks, leading them to build a dedicated nature intelligence solution.

Nala Earth serves a broad spectrum of corporate clients, empowering them to identify biodiversity hotspots, manage natural resources throughout their value chains, and meet stringent reporting standards. The company’s long-term vision positions nature management as an indispensable element of business strategy, fostering organizational resilience against ecological challenges and transforming nature accountability into a significant competitive advantage for businesses worldwide.

High-Level Overview

Nala Earth is a nature intelligence platform that helps large enterprises measure, manage, and report their impacts and dependencies on biodiversity, water, and ecosystems.[1][2][3] Founded in 2023, it targets companies facing nature-related risks like water scarcity and regulatory pressures, enabling compliance with frameworks such as TNFD, SBTN, CSRD, and GRI while supporting nature-positive strategies.[1][2][3] The platform serves industrial giants including Volkswagen, BASF, MVV Energy, and Continental, addressing a market where over 50% of global GDP ($44 trillion) relies on healthy ecosystems now threatened by degradation.[1][2]

In September 2024, Nala Earth raised €3.8M in seed funding led by IRIS, with KOMPAS VC, Pale Blue Dot, and Founderful participating, fueling its API-first approach for seamless integration into enterprise tools.[1][2]

Origin Story

Nala Earth was founded in 2023 in Zurich by Nick Zumbühl (CEO, data scientist ex-BCG Gamma), Nicolas Somogyi (CPO, economist ex-Credit Suisse and Swiss National Bank), and Anna Alex (serial entrepreneur from Berlin, founder of Planetly and Outfittery).[1][4] The idea emerged from recognizing businesses' limited visibility into nature risks amid growing regulations and environmental threats, with the founders combining data science, economics, and sustainability expertise to make nature "measurable and manageable" for boardrooms.[1][2][4]

Early traction came quickly post-launch, securing pilots with major firms like Volkswagen and BASF, validating demand in a sector pressured by investor and regulatory demands.[2] This momentum led to the €3.8M seed round, positioning Nala as a leader in nature tech.[1][2]

Core Differentiators

• Comprehensive Nature Quantification: Measures impacts across land, water, and biodiversity using global, local, proprietary, and customer-provided data, aligned with TNFD, SBTN, and CSRD for regulatory reporting and strategy-building.[2][3]
• API-First Interoperability: Enables easy integration with existing sustainability tools, supporting partnerships and scalable deployment for large enterprises.[2]
• Holistic Platform Features: Includes risk mitigation, opportunity identification, employee education, and nature-positive target setting in an easy-to-use interface.[3]
• Proven Early Traction: Rapid adoption by high-profile clients like Volkswagen, BASF, Continental, and MVV Energy demonstrates market fit for industrials dependent on ecosystems.[2]
• Expert Team: Blends scientists, engineers, and sustainability pros for scientifically robust insights.[4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Nala Earth rides the nature-positive transition trend, where businesses must address $44 trillion in GDP at risk from ecosystem loss, amplified by EU regulations like CSRD and global frameworks like TNFD.[1][2] Timing is critical as investor pressures and water/biodiversity crises hit industrials hardest, creating demand for tools beyond carbon-focused ESG.[2]

Market forces favor Nala: regulatory mandates force compliance, while nature tech lags behind climate tech, offering first-mover advantage.[2] It influences the ecosystem by enabling data-driven decisions that reduce vulnerabilities (e.g., water for manufacturing, pollination for agriculture), fostering resilient supply chains and partnerships in sustainability stacks.[1][2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Nala Earth's seed funding and blue-chip traction signal strong growth in the nascent nature tech market, with API expansions likely driving enterprise-scale adoption.[1][2] Upcoming trends like stricter TNFD/CSRD enforcement and investor demands for biodiversity metrics will accelerate demand, potentially positioning Nala as the go-to platform for nature risk integration.[2][3]

Expect product evolution toward AI-enhanced predictions and global data partnerships, evolving its influence from compliance tool to strategic asset for nature-positive business models—unlocking value in a $44 trillion dependency while mitigating planetary risks.[1][2]