Sumthing’s transparent approach to Nature Restoration

By combining satellite data, drone footage and on-the-ground updates, Sumthing allows both individuals and businesses to follow the real-life impact of their contributions to nature projects around the world. It's a fresh, purpose-driven approach that is gaining traction in a space historically marked by opacity and scepticism.

To support Sumthing’s growth and mission, Triodos Regenerative Money Centre has invested €500,000 in the company. This investment reflects Triodos Regenerative Money Centre’s broader ambition to make capital a catalyst for ecological restoration. And to strengthen transparency in the nature restoration value chain.

Making impact visible

Sumthing was founded in 2022 and is tackling a core issue in environmental finance: transparency. Many donors and companies hesitate to contribute to restoration projects, because they can’t see where their money goes or what it achieves. Sumthing changes that. Through their platform, users can donate to curated projects and track their impact in near-real-time. From kelp forest restoration to plastic clean-ups. AI-verified images, drone videos, satellite views and personal stories provide compelling, credible updates about the difference being made.

This transparency isn't just about storytelling. It builds accountability and encourages more, and more consistent, contributions to a sector in dire need of funding. Sumthing also offers technology to help nature organisations communicate about their impact through their own channels, such as a website or social media. This gives them the tools to communicate restoration results directly to stakeholders.

Driven by a regenerative mission

Sumthing’s mission is simple yet profound: to create a comeback for nature by mobilizing a societal tipping point where supporting nature becomes the norm, not the exception. The company is guided by seven global restoration goals that reflect the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. These include restoring forest cover, improving soil health, cleaning up rivers and oceans, and protecting biodiversity. Every project on Sumthing’s platform contributes towards one or more of these shared objectives.

Examples in the Netherlands include growing food forests and cultivating biodiversity strips. But Sumthing's impact spans also (far) beyond our borders. From restoring forests in the UK to restoring seagrass meadows in the Atlantic. All initiatives are carefully vetted by an impact board made up of ecologists and restoration experts.

Steward ownership: mission first

Sumthing is a steward-owned company. This structure ensures that control remains with mission-aligned stewards, not profit-driven shareholders. And that profits are used to advance the company’s ecological goals. Over time, investors’ shares are bought back, and returns are capped. In practice this means voting rights stay with stewards who are committed to Sumthing’s mission, while profits are limited and always secondary to Sumthing's purpose. Any surplus is reinvested in nature restoration, not paid out to external shareholders. An independent foundation safeguards this structure, ensuring Sumthing's mission always comes first.

This is Triodos Regenerative Money Centre’s first investment in a steward-owned company, marking a milestone in its efforts to explore and support alternative models that keep mission central and ensure long-term impact integrity. Triodos Regenerative Money Centre sees a key role for itself in catalysing investment into steward-owned businesses. By leading through example, Triodos aims to show traditional venture capital investors that this is a business model that works. Not only in terms of mission alignment, but also from a financial perspective. In doing so, Triodos Regenerative Money Centre hopes to inspire broader adoption of investment approaches that put purpose and long-term impact at the forefront.

Looking ahead

Sumthing has secured funding from Triodos Regenerative Money Centre, co-investor Oost NL (who invested an equal amount), and a group of private investors. This will enable Sumthing to scale its team, expand its platform, and connect with more business partners and nature organizations. Additionally, a research collaboration with Cambridge University is underway, further validating Sumthing’s impact-tracking approach.

By backing Sumthing, Triodos Regenerative Money Centre signals its confidence not only in the potential of the company, but in a new kind of regenerative economy: one rooted in transparency, collaboration and mission-first entrepreneurship. Learn more at www.sumthing.org.

Want to see how it works?

Check out Sumthing’s video below and discover how visibility and stewardship are creating positive change for our planet.