Nature tech - technologies designed to monitor, restore, and enhance ecosystems - is becoming a central force in climate innovation. Combining AI, satellite imaging, eDNA sequencing, and bioengineering, it bridges digital transformation and ecological restoration.
From billion-dollar venture flows to field-scale biodiversity tracking, these 30 key statistics reveal how the emerging nature tech movement is transforming environmental protection and investment across the globe.
Market Growth & Investment Trends
- The number of Nature Tech deals increased by 26% from 205 in 2023 to 258 in 2024. (Serena Capital, 2025).
- Venture capital (VC) investments in nature tech startups surpassed $2 billion in 2024, with the biodiversity credit and MRV markets attracting one-fourth of early-stage support, according to a recently released analysis. (Carbon Pulse, 2025)
- The global Nature Tech market is projected to reach $6 billion by 2030. (Electronic Specifier, 2022)
- Venture capital funding in Nature Tech startups surged by 16%, from $1,845m in 2023 to $2,136m in 2024. (Serena Capital, 2025)
- Since 2018, Nature Tech companies have raised $11.4bn of venture capital funding across 1,168 deals. (Serena Capital, 2025)
- A report from Nature4Climate highlights that the early-stage deals rose by 130 percent between 2020 and 2022 and average deal sizes for seed to series B funding increased by 70 percent, demonstrating the growing maturity of the nature tech industry. (Nature4Climate, 2023).
- The US market attracted 78% of total VC funding in nature tech between 2018 and 2022, totalling $5.80 billion. This originated from just 303 deals, some 43% of the total number of deals. (Nature4Climate, 2023)
- Analysis of nature tech start-ups, from PWC, estimates that investment in the sector has grown to around US$2 billion in 2022, an average rate of growth of 52% per year since 2018. (PWC, 2022)
- A new Nature Tech Directory tracks around 1,000 companies worldwide applying nature tech solutions as of February 2025. (Nature4Climate, 2024)
Technological Innovation & Breakthroughs
- Researchers have developed an artificial photosynthesis system that is 10 times more efficient than existing methods, potentially revolutionizing clean energy production. (University of Chicago News, 2022)
- A new method of using the machinery of photosynthesis to make methane is 10 times more efficient than previous attempts. (Live Science, 2022)
- Enhanced rock weathering techniques could potentially remove hundreds of millions to billions of tons of CO₂ annually, offering a natural method for greenhouse gas removal. (Climate Portal, 2023).
- Biochar systems can remove 1.9-3.3 Pg CO2 equivalent per year, storing carbon, reducing soil greenhouse gas emissions, and displacing fossil fuels. (Biochar Today, 2025)
- AI-driven precision agriculture can increase crop yields by up to 20- 30% while reducing water usage by 25% (ScienceDirect, 2024;Keymakr, 2024)
- Vertical farms can use up to 98% less water compared to traditional agriculture, significantly conserving water resources. (World Economic Forum, 2023)
- Biodegradable PHBV sensors decompose in soil within 30 days, reducing electronic waste and enhancing sustainable agriculture. (PubMed, 2020)
Biodiversity Monitoring & Nature Data
- In 2024, the Nature Tech Collective monitored over 43 million hectares - an area the size of California - and deployed more than 1,700 biodiversity monitoring devices. (Nature Tech Collective, 2024)
- NatureMetrics raised $30.7 million in 2024 to scale its biodiversity monitoring technology and eDNA-based solutions. (The MCJ Newsletter, 2025)
- Around 1,000 companies globally are applying nature tech solutions, as mapped by a new database launched in 2024. (Nature4Climate, 2024)
- In a WWF-backed project in the Peruvian Amazon, eDNA analysis identified 675 vertebrate species from water and soil samples-providing a baseline for conservation and restoration planning. (Greenhouse Agency, 2022)
- A NatureMetrics study using eDNA technology identified 54 fish species compared to just 26 detected by traditional trawling, as well as 4 large marine mammal species and over 60 invertebrate species, while reducing vessel time by ~40% and requiring only one third the personnel. (Nature4Climate, 2024)
- In the UK, Foresight Natural Capital deployed a biodiversity baseline across 2500 acres using smartphone-based monitoring and AI. (Foresight, 2025)
- The Delta Blue Carbon project aims to restore and protect 224,997 hectares of mangroves in the biologically rich Indus eco-region, expected to sequester 127 million tCO₂e of emissions. (Ecologi, 2024)
Applications in Food, Agriculture & Forestry
- The "Food and Agriculture" category accounted for 45% of total Nature Tech investments, amounting to $966 million in 2024. (Serena Capital, 2025)
- A swarm of five drones can reseed 25 - 50 acres each day, each operating for 8 to 18 minutes per flight before refuelling. (Wildfire Today, 2020)
- In South Africa and Peru, Agerpoint’s 3D scanning and AI platform enables rapid, accurate biomass assessment for afforestation and reforestation projects, replacing manual methods. (Nature Tech Collective, 2024)
- Over 150 professionals attended the UK's first dedicated Nature Tech event in 2024, exploring technologies such as eDNA and AI for nature recovery. (Ecosystems Knowledge Network, 2024)
Policy, Climate Impact & Global Significance
- If unaddressed, nature loss could cost the global economy up to $5 trillion in the coming years, underscoring the urgency for scalable nature tech solutions. (Nature4Climate, 2025).
- Since 2023, climate policies targeting deforestation and harmful activities to nature have doubled, increasing regulatory pressure on businesses. (Nature4Climate, 2024)
- Natural climate solutions could mitigate over one-third of required emissions cuts by 2030 to keep global warming below 2°C. (PWC, 2022)
Nature tech is fast emerging as one of the most dynamic frontiers of climate innovation - merging ecology, data science, and engineering to protect the planet’s most critical natural systems. From AI-powered biodiversity monitoring to carbon removal through soil, photosynthesis, and mangrove restoration, the sector is scaling impact through measurable outcomes.
As global funding and regulatory support accelerate, nature tech is set to become a core pillar of both climate adaptation and economic resilience - turning technology into a true ally of nature.
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