Like many people, I had heard about climate change from a young age. But it felt like an amorphous, overwhelming problem: not something I could or should do something about personally.
The urgency of the crisis became increasingly clear to me when I worked in international development in Ethiopia and India from 2014 to 2016. I saw the devastating effects of the climate crisis first-hand, especially for poor and vulnerable populations. The UN Special Report in 2018 laid out the stakes in the starkest of terms: we have just 10 years to reduce emissions by 50% and prevent the most catastrophic effects of the climate crisis.
Over 65 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions stem directly from household demand, yet there is little information or resources for consumers to manage their impact. This year, in the midst of a global pandemic, we have demonstrated that we are capable of transforming our lifestyles and priorities. It is within our power to change the trajectory of the climate crisis over the next decade. But it will require us all to be a part of the solution.
Joro was founded to help people take climate action that matters, together building a solution as big as the problem we face. Today, I am proud to announce that Joro has closed an oversubscribed $2.5 million seed round, with participation from a passionate, diverse set of investors who truly believe in our vision for democratizing climate action.
The round was led by Sequoia Capital, who have been amazing partners for us since we participated in their early-stage founder program last year. We could not be more thankful for the opportunity to learn from people who have scaled some of the largest and most successful businesses of our time. The team at Sequoia, especially our partner, Bryan Schreier, were early in identifying the importance of shifting toward a decarbonized society and the opportunity that it creates:
“Most people would love to live more sustainably but don’t know where to begin. We’re excited to partner with Joro because their app gives people an easy way to manage their carbon impact. Sanchali and her team are passionate about the space and ready to tackle this challenge wholeheartedly. With a stellar product and team, we are optimistic that Joro will play a role in changing consumer behavior in the US.” — Bryan Schreier, Partner, Sequoia Capital
We also welcome a range of other investors to our team, including Maisie Williams; Background Capital; James Park, Co-Founder & CEO of Fitbit; Rich Pierson, Co-Founder & CEO of Headspace; Sebastian Knutsson, Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder of King; Philian, the private investment company of Karl-Johan Persson, chairman of H&M; Tom Baruch; Neeraj Arora; Reshma Saujani; and Anjula Acharia, among others.
Amasia, whose climate investment thesis is built on driving behavior change:
“We’ve written about why “right now” is the time for behavior change to fight the climate crisis. Joro will help us get intentional about creating a safer planet. What we like most about Joro is the holistic view of how individuals can change their behavior — it is not this silver bullet or that magical action, but a combination, a set of “playbooks”, that will get us to a better world.” — Ramanan Raghavendran, Managing Partner, Amasia
Expa, Uber co-founder Garrett Camp’s startup studio:
“At Expa we are focused on backing remarkable founders that are passionate about the product they are building. We saw that in Sanchali — she had a big vision and conveyed it very strongly to us. We have conviction that Joro can build a great product and a great business. The world will be a better place because of what Joro will bring to market.” — Roberto Sanabria, Managing Partner, Expa
We could not be more grateful to partner with this group of incredible people who bring the range of skills, experiences, and networks to help accelerate our vision for climate action.
The Joro app lowers the barriers to climate action.
The way we spend money is the most direct expression of our environmental impact and our values. Which companies do you buy from? How do you choose to travel and power your home? Joro helps you find impactful ways to break your carbon habit so you can develop an intuition for the conscious choices that help you live lighter. We call it a climate action practice.
Joro is about finding balance — in your own lifestyle and with the world we live in. Connect your credit card through Joro to see your carbon footprint in real-time, and find your balance for changing what you can and offsetting what you can’t. Take a class or read articles to learn about where to focus to have an impact. Most importantly, engage with a growing community and get friends and family involved in the fight.
The climate crisis is a systemic problem. But systems are made of people, like you and me. Our daily practices have ripple effects as our decisions, lifestyles, and spending habits change. Companies and governments change when consumers and citizens demand it through their actions and their behaviors. Joro is a powerful platform for catalyzing, motivating, and connecting collective action. We’re here to help you stop doom-scrolling and to clarify what you can do today.
Joro is creating a future in which we can manage our climate impact as intentionally as we manage our money. In the months and years ahead, we seek to help people to connect to reduce our collective emissions; partner with companies and organizations to offer sustainability benefits and understand the demand driving sustainable products and services; and support nonprofits and governments to offer sustainability programs and incentives. Together, we will all live a little lighter.
Download the Joro app to start taking action today. We are just getting started: let us know more about the tools and engagement you need to build your climate practice. If you’re outside the US, request Joro in your country. And if you have ideas, please send them our way at info@joro.tech, or consider joining our team.
We’re hiring for bright, passionate people who want to create a just and prosperous future for all. Come join us!
