Dear Pachama Community,
As we finish 2021, I wanted to send a message to our team and our community at large to share some of our progress this year, reflections on the journey and our aspirations for the next year.
The Progress in 2021
2021 was a breakout year for Pachama. We grew the team from 12 to 39, adding incredibly talented people distributed in 20 different cities worldwide who were called by our mission of restoring nature to solve climate change. We raised our Series A round of funding from an incredible group of investors who believed in our long-term vision. We grew our revenues more than 5X (more than doubling our forecast for the year), adding leading global companies to our roster of clients and driving several millions of dollars to amazing projects around the world that are conserving and restoring nature in over 2 million hectares of land. We helped fund the avoidance or removal of more than 1 million tonnes of CO2 through our platform. We analyzed more than 100 projects in 16 different countries using the most advanced remote sensing data and technologies. We started our first origination pilot reforesting hundreds of hectares in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, establishing the foundations to scale brand new projects. We made tremendous progress on our technology research and development, enhancing our abilities to predict carbon and deforestation risks globally using artificial intelligence applied to satellite data. We received 76 pieces of media coverage, were recognized as the most innovative AI company of the year by Fast Company and one of the technology pioneers of the year by the WEF, raising awareness about the importance of technology at the service of nature-based climate solutions.
All in all, we established a solid foundation for our vision for a global nature conservation and restoration movement powered by technology and markets that will sequester gigatonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, while protecting biodiversity and generating a fair income for vulnerable communities globally. I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who contributed to this amazing progress. In the midst of a challenging year for everyone, we all showed up with active hope, giving the best version of ourselves to this mission.
The Power of Vision and Values
As I witness how the seed of a dream grows into an organization with a meaningful impact on the world, I can’t help but reflect on the power that visions and values have to change the world. At this critical moment in human history, when we face unprecedented global challenges that put civilization as we know it at risk, we need them more than ever to bring to life solutions and the building blocks of a new, more advanced and sustainable civilization for the generations to come.
Our vision and mission attracted amazing capital and talent and we all aligned around a strong set of values: purpose, integrity, excellence and tenacity. With our leadership team, we have aimed to enable a transparent environment where people are trusted to create and make decisions, empowered to contribute with their unique gifts and inner wisdom, growing as much as possible while taking care of themselves and their families. What has emerged is even more beautiful than what I could have imagined. Our team has self-multiplied with incredibly talented and humble people who collaborate harmoniously despite the fact that we don’t share a physical space, who express gratitude to each other on a daily basis (my favorite slack channel!), who enact our values with courage and who, frankly, get a whole lot done. Of course, we are not perfect, but we speak with vulnerability, share our mistakes and work to improve and get closer to our ideals constantly.
I’m sharing this not only because it fills me with pride, but also because I hope that we represent just one more example of a new kind of organization for the 21st century.
I believe that the most impactful organizations will be ones that are driven by a higher purpose, whose missions are contributing to a more regenerative planet, and whose members are distributed around the world, empowered to create and make decisions, growing to their fullest potential while living wholesome lives.
Frederick Laloux explores this evolution in his book “Reinventing Organizations,” where he points to several examples of wildly successful companies following similar models. I believe one day this will be the norm and not the exception. My invitation to my fellow leaders, entrepreneurs and activists is to aim high in your aspirations for your teams and your organizations and to start bringing those dreams into reality today with courage, determination and a long-term view.
Our Aspirations for 2022
In 2022 at Pachama, we aspire to continue making meaningful progress on the mission of restoring nature to solve climate change. We aspire to become one of the most scalable enablers of impactful restoration and conservation projects; to successfully introduce technology-based protocols for the accounting and monitoring of nature-based carbon credits and to become the most trusted source of data-driven, high-quality nature carbon credits worldwide. We aspire to continue growing our team with highly talented people from around the world who seek to make a meaningful contribution to the climate cause. We aspire to continue imagining the best possible future for humanity and the planet, and to build it with optimism and determination.
I wish each and every one of you a peaceful holiday with your loved ones and a regenerative future for all.
Diego Saez Gil
Co-founder & CEO
Pachama
Boulder Creek, California, December 2021
