Nattergal was established to pioneer the commercialisation of nature restoration to help deliver the ‘30% by 2030’ global biodiversity framework goal. They buy, lease, or manage large areas of ecologically degraded land and seascapes across the UK & Europe to recover biodiversity and bring about functioning natural processes. This restoration of degraded ecosystems creates natural capital including carbon capture, biodiversity, and nutrients.
Private finance will play an increasing role in restoring Nature, which in turn helps to mitigate climate change, bolster food security, combat water scarcity, and improve mental and physical health. The £40m funding is the largest seed equity raises in the nature restoration sector, marking a significant milestone in Nattergal’s operations.
The seed funding round has enabled Nattergal to acquire three sites, including the newest, Harold’s Park Wildland, in Essex, in June 2024. These sites are enabling Nattergal to evidence its restoration competence and the blended finance models that underpin its commercial proposition. Nature restoration work has already begun at Harold’s Park Wildland, which will be funded in part by the sale of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units to the property sector as well as delivering a range of benefits for the local community, including employment opportunities and enhanced access to Nature.
As one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, the UK could see a 12% drop in GDP unless urgent action is taken to address nature-related financial risks. There is significant opportunity to demonstrate leadership on a corporate and global scale, in line with initiatives such as the 30% by 2030 UK Nature protection commitments and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
Aviva has joined Nattergal as a key institutional investor, via its corporate venture capital fund (Aviva Ventures) which is focused on delivering returns through investments linked to innovative solutions. Aviva’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Claudine Blamey has also joined the Nattergal Board, as a Board Advisor.
“Investing in Nattergal supports an important element of Aviva’s sustainability ambition, to protect and restore biodiversity through Nature-based solutions. I’m delighted to be appointed to the Nattergal Board and I’m looking forward to contributing to their gold-standard approach to delivering Nature restoration at scale,” said Blamey.
Archie Struthers, CEO of Nattergal, adds: “Our ambition to deliver Nature restoration at scale is only possible with the support of leading institutional investors such as Aviva. This strong support we have received in our equity raise is testament to our business model, and a clear signal that Nattergal is playing a leading role in making Nature an investable asset class. We’re excited to work alongside Aviva and all our shareholders in our next phase of growth.”
Alongside Lansdowne Partners and Aviva, Nattergal has attracted a number of institutional, venture and angel investors as shareholders, who are all actively backing Nattergal’s commercial vision for tackling the biodiversity crisis.