A company that intends to measure how much carbon the Mississippi Delta wetlands absorb won $50,000 in seed funding Monday at the 2012 Water Challenge.
New Orleans-based Tierra Resources won the money after finishing first in the startup pitch competition dubbed The Water Challenge, which focused on innovative solutions to flood protection and water management systems.
The judges for this year’s Water Challenge included Bob Miller, deputy director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans; Bob Brown, managing director of the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region; and Dale Morris, senior economist at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C..
Tierra Resources provides scientific, financial, regulatory, and eco-asset development advisory services for landowners, corporations, nonprofits, and government entities that seek to mitigate the effects of climate change through blue carbon. They provide technical analysis on carbon impacts of wetland restoration, sustainable infrastructure, climate change adaptation, and opportunities for climate mitigation. Tierr’s big plan is to supoprt and promote carbon off sets, which would allow big corporations that produce lots of pollution to buy carbon credits for wetland projects in Louisiana.
The other startups participating in this year’s Water Challenge were AMPS and Bayou Native
Aquaponic Modular Production Systems (AMPS) designs, builds, and operates aquaponic and hydroponic farms. These farms consistently grow the freshest and healthiest fruits and vegetables for sale to local consumers.
Bayou Native is a native plant nursery that grows and sells native plant material for rain garden installations, new park developments, recreational corridors, wetlands plantings, and coastal forest restoration projects.
The Water Challenge is in its second year (click here for last year’s coverage) part of the Idea Village’s New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, which runs through this week. Check out the Big Idea this Friday, where YOU can help allocate up to $100,000 to more entrepreneurs.