Hell is 'round the corner
Welcome to "nouveau monde", sort of a "nouveau genre" newsletter to better understand how to make the world better through the lens of retail. This is #30!
Welcome to nouveau monde -- a newsletter from Phil Jeudy and Anthony Puech about sustainability and retail. You can read what this is all about here. If you like what you read, please consider forwarding it to a friend or two. You can also click the button below to subscribe.
This week (don’t say we are late, we are just free people - and busy somehow) the program is about a kind of double-dealing from Walmart and some startups you should put some money in…maybe.
Things move fast nowadays, we’re really happy to help you get the right tips on those two matters and be inspired…
Read, like, share, subscribe :-)
Today's newsletter is 997 words, a 3,3-minute read.
Glasnost
By Anthony
We've recently talked about Walmart's sustainability pledge and said that they had a pretty bold commitment to reduce their emissions and leave a better world behind them.
Well, we shouldn't speak too fast when have a look at the behind the scenes...
A piece in three acts
First act, the commitments made by Walmart that we talked about in nouveau monde
Second act, on September 28th, Kathleen McLaughlin, Chief Sustainability Officer at Walmart makes a vibrant piece about how it is important to act now to defeat climate change.
"We also supported the United States engagement in the Paris Agreement; and this year we endorsed the United States goal to cut emissions by at least 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. To encourage and catalyze action beyond our own operations, we are co-leading the Retail Race to Zero campaign, along with H&M, IKEA and British retailer Kingfisher, with a specific call to action to other retailers to join in with 2030 and 2050 goals."
Great !
"But even the most ambitious voluntary individual and collective actions are not sufficient to achieve national and international goals of achieving net-zero by 2050. Bold domestic climate policy action is needed now if we are to meet the demands of this generational moment. In the U.S., Walmart is encouraged by the many climate-related policy proposals being debated by Congress, including proposals made through budget reconciliation and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as well as additional ideas being surfaced in policy circles. We urge our national leaders to find ways to enact much-needed legislation to enable the U.S. to move forward on climate action now to avoid the worst effects of climate change in the future."
Even better ! Walmart is fully behind all the legislation that is being voted at congress !
Third act, The Business Roundtable, a group of US CEOs is leading a campaign against these famously and urgent bills being voted at the US Congress. Who has a chair in this group ? Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart and Kathleen McLaughlin's boss...
End of the story ? It's not written yet and and the next few days will tell us if the bills pass but it shows us that transitioning from a world to another isn't a play and that we need to be consistent...
PS : I talked about Walmart because it's retail and we've talked about it earlier but of course other companies are involved in this wicked game : Apple's Tim Cook also has a chair in the Business Roundtable.
Let’s invest in sustainable startups
By Phil
Do you invest in startups? Go for it. That’s the best way to change the world the way you want, with people you chose. We told you already.
Beyond Animal organization organized last week a “Pitch Event” at Plant Based World Expo Europe, that occurred in London.
The Beyond Animal Pitch Event brought together 20 innovative companies and leading investors in plant-based products and alternative proteins. Over four sessions, entrepreneurs from groundbreaking start-ups and fast-growing scale-ups made their case for investment capital. Investors participating in the Beyond Animal Pitch Event have together raised over $2.5 billion to invest in food system transformation.
I suggested to introduce you to a few of them. Do you mind? Switch to your investor suit.
Coffee made in cold, to enjoy in cold. Ethics because we believe there is a better way to make coffee. With a French in Spain.
Arthur Vignaud, french founder with 2 exits. Mechanical engineer by formation, agroalimentary engineer by passion, he has been evolving in the food and beverage industry for the last 8 years. Driven by product innovation and offering consumers healthier and more functional alternatives to their daily habits, the company developed the first Spanish cold brew in 2016 in Arthur’s restaurants in Barcelona. The first learning was that consumers were directly switching to cold brew once they tried, Arthur knew it was the next coffee category breakthrough.
Fundraising: €650K
Already raised: €310K
NXT LVL Pizza is the UK’s first “Domino’s style” vegan pizza concept.
Fabio Matticoli is a 3rd time founder who is driven by the idea of creating positive change through business. H’es privately and professionally all-in on alternative proteins. Don’t ask him if he’s Italian. Check a bit more the Swiss history.
Currently fundraising: €750k
Raw Bake Station is a vegan sweet treats company, specializing in clean-label ingredient snacks free from gluten, dairy, peanuts and refined sugar. We are a small brand on a big mission: to reinvent the snacking game; making snacks more wholesome and nutritious without compromising on flavor.
Evie Waxman is the Founder of Raw Bake Station. Journalist and marketing enthusiast, Evie founded Raw Bake Station in 2016 whilst traveling in Australia. She has grown the company organically since and moved from producing the products herself with her partner to outsourcing the production. She’s a self-motivated individual with big ambition.
Currently raising: 500K
Already raised: 40K
Umiami has developed a proprietary process, called “umisation”, that allows mimicking the texture of chicken breast at an industrial scale, using only plants.
Thibault Levi Martin is the co-founder and CMO at Umiami. He has both a technical and business background and has been a vegetarian for the past two years. He has worked at Amazon, Google, Procter & Gamble as a business developer.
Raised so far: EUR 3M
Now exploring funding opportunities to accelerate Umiami’s industrialization.
The startup revisits dips, cooked salads and ready meals classics, with a plant-based approach
Anthony Maselli, Director of Research & Development, is one of the Co-Founder. Bachelor in sales and communication, a restaurateur for 10 years, and expert chef in Vegan cuisine. Master class trainer in Vegan Cooking. Specialized in food development & supply chain.
Currently raising: EUR 700K
Already raised: EUR 180K
Place your bets!
Bonus Track by Anthony
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