UK-based Unwasted has developed “Neverwaste”, a process that refines & modifies the fibers inside waste cardboard (made from virgin & recycled timber), to produce a panel board that can be used across construction, flooring & furniture. The process does not use any glues, resins or other harmful chemicals, but instead a “continuous pressing & dying cycle”. One thing's for sure, Unwasted taps into a cheap & abundant feedstock (for the foreseeable future): the average UK household discards 13,000 different pieces of carboard annually; cardboard (as well as paper) accounts for 41% of the world’s solid waste (a trend amplified by the rise of e-commerce) - with a large portion burned or dumped in landfills....

Norway-based, Otovo is an online marketplace for solar installations, founded in 2016 by Andreas Thorsheim (CEO), Simen Fure Jorgensen (CPO), Lars Syse Christiansen (ex CFO) & Andreas Bentzen (ex CTO). The startup uses an automated bidding process to analyze a home & find the best price & (ideally a local, & certainly qualified/ high-quality) installer for the job. The company is active in 13 markets & to date has sold & completed over 11,000 solar energy projects across Europe. Otovo Q4 2022 revenue grew 2x to €18m, with 82% more solar installations yoy. According to the firm’s press release, the new round (€100m debt + €20m equity) is “the largest financing to date for a...