Boston-based Northwind Climate, which provides a data platform and SaaS tool to help organizations optimize climate investments, has raised $1.05 million in pre-seed funding round.
Climate investor and hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Alexander Hoffmann of New York-based Susty Ventures were among investors.
Founded by communications and business consultant Doug Rubin, Northwind builds predictive models by streamlining market research for climate strategies and public opinion data. He has served as senior strategist to major companies and congressional, senatorial and presidential campaigns. Rubin is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
“For companies in many industries, the investments they’ve made in sustainability and climate are untapped corporate assets that, if used effectively, can deliver new customers, new market opportunities and new revenue,” said Rubin, who once served as Gov. Patrick’s chief of staff. “To help companies maximize these investments, Northwind Climate provides users with data and tools to target untapped markets, boost brand loyalty and bolster their bottom line.”
“As costs drop and technology improves, the last frontier in the climate crisis remains successful communications and targeting strategies that help scale and earn long-term value,” said Steyer, co-executive chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions. “Northwind Climate is an exciting platform that can provide businesses with the tools they need to leverage their work across consumer demographics, expand markets and ultimately accelerate the climate solutions we so critically need.”
According to TechCrunch, the startup has amassed a database consisting of 20,000 survey respondents across eight surveys. The database is growing by 2,500 respondents per month, Rubin said. Every three months, Northwind also runs an industry-specific survey to capture deeper insights for different customers. Its service is sold to subscribing organizations at about $10,000 per quarter. The company is also using AI to build “virtual focus groups” that can analyze a company’s marketing materials like TV spots or social media ads and provide feedback.
Commercial Real Estate
MacKenzie Companies
Advertising / Media / Communications / Public Relations
Nevins & Associates
Financial Services / Investment Firms
Chesapeake Corporate Advisors
Commercial Real Estate
Monday Properties
Venture Capital
Blue Delta Capital Partners
Internet / Technology
Foxtrot Media
The cornerstone of Northwind’s offerings is data backed by its research, which identifies varied groups such as “climate doers” and “climate distressed” — those who are slightly less concerned about climate change — and uses it to help companies tweak their marketing strategies for each target group. Such demographics could be used, for example, to tailor marketing programs for electric cars.
“In both existing and new markets, businesses need solid commercial intelligence and deeper consumer insights to operate effectively in the area of sustainability,” said Patrick, the former Massachusetts governor who is on Northwind’s advisory board. “Northwind Climate serves that need.”
With Northwind, Rubin is leveraging his deep background in political campaigns and commercial marketing. His team includes former climate officials from the Obama White House and others who have spent decades using data analytics to create communication strategies for companies such as Coca-Cola, Uber and Disney, and for presidential and gubernatorial campaigns.
