Meet Optera, the startup building a climate tech platform dedicated to corporate decarbonization. The platform empowers corporations to take action, aligning with the global goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
As the largest contributors to worldwide carbon emissions, corporations bear a responsibility in preventing the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.
Optera’s team is on a mission to provide businesses with the necessary tools and data-driven solutions for navigating the path toward a low-carbon economy.
Their platform simplifies the complexities of decarbonization across all emissions scopes and categories, ensuring companies can meet their environmental goals and comply with evolving regulations.
In this spotlight, we take a closer look at Optera’s journey and mission with Tim Weiss, Co-founder and CEO.
Q: What was the origin story Optera?
Tim: Optera spawned from a boutique corporate sustainability consulting firm called Point380, founded in 2006. I met Ty and Jason, from Point380, in 2015, when the Paris Agreement was being drafted.
They had been supporting leading companies and NGOs in advancing corporate climate action for many years and saw an emerging need for more scalable solutions to manage corproate emissions and climate goals.
I was working at AES Distributed Energy at the time, but was interested in working with them to bring this vision to life.
We conducted market research, interviewing sustainability leaders from a dozen Fortune 500 companies and found that they were lacking the necessary data and systems needed to follow through on their climate goals.
We saw a massive opportunity to help the corporate sector achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement through scalable software tools.
In 2016, I joined Point380 and we began building what is now Optera.
Our company aims to scale carbon management and empower corporations to transition to the low-carbon economy.
We leveraged insights from those early consulting engagements to launch Optera’s software in 2018, which has been embraced by industry leaders like Dell, Cisco, HPE, Bloomin’ Brands, NVIDIA, TJX and Williams-Sonoma.
Our journey is rooted in the belief that practical tools are essential to combat climate change effectively.
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Q: What is the mission and vision of Optera?
Tim: Our mission at Optera is clear and resolute: we empower corporations to decarbonize their businesses and combat climate change. As largest contributors of global carbon emissions, corporations hold the power to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
Our team is dedicated to crafting and delivering sustainability management solutions that guide companies in reducing emissions of their operations, supply chains and products.
Our vision aligns with the urgent global need to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The corporate sector’s role in greenhouse gas emissions is undeniable, making their transition to a low-carbon economy pivotal.
Optera equips businesses with the essential tools and data-driven solutions to navigate this transition effectively. We firmly believe that by aiding business leaders in eliminating their emissions, we are safeguarding our planet’s future.
How does Optera impact lives and/or the environment in a positive way?
Tim: Optera is helping the largest organizations in the world decarbonize their entire value chain. The ripple effects of this work cascade through the global economy and will driving force for positive corporate change.
Our platform spurs transformation on a global scale by empowering major corporations to measure and manage their largest emission sources. In doing so, we actively contribute to the shift towards a low-carbon future.
Through our platform, we enable companies to translate ambitious climate goals into tangible action. As evidence of our impact, our platform presently oversees emissions linked to over $180 billion in supply chain expenditures.
Last year alone, Optera increased its customers by 4X and tracked more than 225 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent across 84,000 locations in its platform.
By connecting our customers to their value chains, we facilitate meaningful change while providing personalized support. Optera is committed to shaping a sustainable, resilient future where businesses’ actions resonate positively across the globe.
Q: How have you funded the company thus far?
Tim: We have raised $18M in venture capital to date. We recently closed our Series A which was lead by Next Frontier Capital.
Q: What tools do you use to run Optera?
Tim: Optera uses a variety of tools to help our team collaborate and work effectively. Some notable tools include Asana and JIRA for project management, Hubspot for CRM and marketing, and Figma / Figjam for design and virtual collaboration.
