Cologne-based GreenTech startup Planted has secured €5 million ($5.2 million) in seed funding to further develop its AI-powered ESG management software. The platform provides businesses with a comprehensive suite of ESG tools, including materiality analysis, carbon footprint assessment, CSRD reporting, and biodiversity protection.
The investment comes from TechVision Fonds, WENVEST Capital, neoteq ventures, AWS Gründungsfonds, and Smart Infrastructure Ventures, alongside business angels Nina Kani, Felix Schürholz (Co-Founder & MD SoSafe), Frank Piotraschke (CRO SoSafe), Arno Nonnen, and Julius Göllner (ARRtist).
Planted, founded in 2021 by Wilhelm Hammes, Cindy Schüller, Heinrich Rauh, and Jan Borchert, aims to automate complex ESG reporting processes, reducing the time companies spend on compliance and allowing them to focus on decarbonisation efforts.
“We are turning the CSRD obligation into an opportunity,” said Wilhelm Hammes, CEO and Co-founder of Planted. “Instead of spending months on CO₂ measurement and reporting, we automate these processes, enabling companies to direct resources towards effective sustainability measures.”
The startup integrates AI technologies to streamline regulatory compliance. Its software can extract data from documents, identify emission reduction strategies, and conduct double materiality analyses, reportedly reducing the time required for ESG reporting by up to 75%.
Planted’s approach extends beyond regulatory compliance, offering companies the opportunity to engage in active environmental initiatives, such as protecting local forests or creating corporate woodlands. The company claims that its platform enables businesses to reduce emissions by more than 50% while aligning with sustainability regulations.
More than 350 companies, including Caritasverband Bruchsal, Senacor Technologies AG, and Insta GmbH, currently use Planted’s platform to manage their sustainability strategies.
With this latest funding round, Julian Grunewald joins Planted as CFO, bringing expertise in finance and strategy.
The ESG software market is becoming increasingly competitive, but Planted differentiates itself by combining compliance with sustainability transformation. Christophe Aumaître, Partner at WENVEST Capital, said: “Planted offers companies an intelligent solution to not only document sustainable transformation but to actively shape it. The team combines in-depth ESG expertise with state-of-the-art technology, going beyond many existing solutions on the market.”
