Unseen Upside: Investments Beyond Their Returns

The fashion industry accounts for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide output and roughly 2.6 million tons of clothing returns end up in US­­­ landfills each year instead of being resold. Meanwhile, the shipping for these returns account for around 16 million tons of CO2 emissions—and fast fashion is making things worse. But what if deep tech could help to cut down on returns? Amid the rise of consc...

More than two-thirds of our electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, a major climate change contributor. As such, use of renewable energy is expected to double in the next 15 years. But there’s a catch: the power they generate depends on variable factors like wind and sun, making them too unreliable to power our grid. However, recent battery innovations could be the solution. One company...

Humans have fantasized about flying cars for decades, but they’ve yet to leave the pages of our sci-fi books...or have they? Join us as we visit Joby Aviation out in Marina, California to witness their eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft take flight. With plans to operate like ubers in the sky, eVTOLs are the closest thing we have to flying cars—and they could be a commercial r...

According to scientists, 30,000 species per year are being driven towards extinction and 50% of all species could be extinct by 2050 due to climate change. But what if there was something we could do, in addition to conservation, to change this trajectory? That’s what the scientists and engineers at Colossal Biosciences are working towards: reversing extinction. Using CRISPR and advanced gene edit...

Harnessing fusion power has been an elusive goal of physicists and researchers for decades. However, recent scientific advances are helping to make that goal a reality. Described as a star in a bottle, fusion is what powers our sun and stars, offering us the prospect of limitless clean energy. But here on earth, it has presented unresolved engineering challenges—until now. Commonwealth Fusion Syst...

Season three of Unseen Upside: Investments Beyond Their Returns by Cambridge Associates explores the innovations turning science fiction to fact and the people investing in them. Powered by the global network of Cambridge Associates, discover the investments being made that will redefine our future. Join us to uncover the Unseen Upside.

We’ve all dreamt of traveling to outer space and recently, that dream has been more tangible than ever. But for those of us without a seat on the next rocket, how will space innovation improve our lives here on Earth? It turns out that the microgravity environment of orbit provides manufacturing capabilities that aren’t possible on earth. It allows us to create things—think artificial organs, life...

Oceans make up 72% of the earth’s surface and have absorbed around 40% of carbon emissions since 1840. As such, investors are increasingly putting capital to work in ocean-based businesses to both mitigate climate change and enhance the Blue Economy—but how? In this episode, we visit Running Tide in Portland, ME to see this concept in action. They use advanced aquatic growing systems and data scie...

Fire is often a marker associated with the worst effects of climate change. But what if fire could actually be harnessed to help reverse it? In this episode, we meet Diamond Foundry, a company revolutionizing the diamond industry with their affordable, lab-created diamonds—free from the myriad of problems associated with the mining process. We’ll learn about the social and environmental impacts of...

For most of human history, we’ve been cutting down trees. However, the acceleration of carbon credit markets and the societal demand for climate solutions are pushing us to re-think our relationship with them. So how can investors earn a compelling return from planting trees while helping to sequester carbon and increase biodiversity? We’ll travel to Broadclyst, England to experience the innovatio...

Livestock take up nearly 80% of global agricultural land yet produce only 20% of the world’s supply of calories—so how can we make feeding people more efficient? In this season two premiere of Unseen Upside , we visit an alternative protein company in Boulder, Colorado called Meati. There, we explore how a nutrient-rich fungi called mycelium is changing the game when it comes to protein consumptio...

Season two of the Unseen Upside podcast by Cambridge Associates explores elements of our natural world—and beyond—with the innovators and investors aiming to enhance and protect our future. Powered by the global network of Cambridge Associates, host Luke Charest will explore the investments being made that will improve our lives in unexpected ways. Join us to uncover the Unseen Upside.

Consumers are demanding more from brands than ever before, but how are brands rising to the occasion? In this episode of Unseen Upside , Cambridge Associates’ Global Head of Private Investments, Andrea Auerbach , looks at how technology, coupled with evolving consumer preferences, are impacting how both startups and incumbent brands market themselves. We also speak with Jenny Gyllander , Founder o...

In this episode of Unseen Upside , we look at how technology is transforming healthcare for both the provider and the patient—and making it more equitable. Sami Inkinen , CEO and Co-Founder of Virta Health will discuss how his company is treating and reversing diabetes through an app on your phone. We also speak with J asmine Richards , Cambridge Associates' Head of Diverse Manager Research; Tuoyo...

In this episode of Unseen Upside , we’ll explore how non-fungible tokens (NFTs)—and the blockchain technology that supports them—are enabling a revolution in how artists and creators earn a living. You’ll hear from Cambridge Associates’ Joe Marenda and Kenneth Tom ; Dawn Harflinger , President & CEO of Queen Lili`uokalani Trust in Hawaii; Maria Shen , Partner at Electric Capital; and Cooper Ra...

Now more than ever, we rely on high-speed internet to power our work and personal lives—but where does it come from? In this episode of Unseen Upside , we visit Cambridge Associates’ Minesh Mashru in Amsterdam to discuss digital infrastructure and the investments being made in fiber optic cables. We’ll also meet Simon Soder , a Partner at Antin Infrastructure Partners in Paris, Aaron Werley , Vice...

In this season one premiere of Unseen Upside, we take you to the Foster Brothers Dairy Farm in Middlebury, Vermont to explore impact investing through the lens of precision agriculture and sustainable farming—and specifically, how technology is changing food systems for the better. In this episode, we talk with farmers George and Jeremy Foster , Sam Kass , a Partner at Acre Venture Partners and th...

Cambridge Associates’ inaugural podcast season explores the tech changing our daily lives and the people who invest in it. How we invest today drives tomorrow’s innovations. Through conversations with investors and early adopters, explore how investment decisions have the potential to improve our daily lives in unexpected ways. Powered by the network of Cambridge Associates, host Luke Charest will...