The Cooling Crisis
The Problem
- Inadequate Cold Chain & Lack of Cooling Access: the 1+ Billion people with inadequate or no access to cooling
- Food access depends on agricultural cold chain, cold storage and distribution — food spoilage estimated at over 35% globally
- Health care equipment & medicines depends on cooling technology for temperature control
- Communications, education and internet access depend on cooling
- AC use for space cooling is rising throughout Asia but remains at 10% of households in India
- Current technology solutions are inefficient and too expensive for much of the world’s population
- Many current cooling solutions are energy intensive
- Energy intensive cooling solutions increase peak power demand
- There is no dedicated venture fund along lines of Sustana for cooling technology and cold chain business innovators
- There is minimal dedicated funding for cooling technology and cold chain innovators
- New business models for cooling are emerging but growth equity capital are needed to accelerate the scaling process
- Prizes and electric utility incentive programs in multiple countries have yet to have significant impact on cooling solutions
Sustana
Our Goals
Sustana was formed to generate exceptional returns and make an impact by investing into this massive but almost invisible opportunity set.
Sustana has built a global pipeline of innovative thermal technology companies and cold chain service companies that have the potential to “move the needle.”
Sustana is building a team with diverse skill sets and experience to expertly channel investment from long term investors into “cool” private companies with meaningful exit potential.
Sustana’s team understands the importance of managing risk to institutional investors.
We believe that we can tap the blended finance toolkit to enable multiple types of investors, from strategic corporate investors to family offices, philanthropies and far-sighted energy investors seeking to help build a more resilient grid.
Sustana has been recognized as a unique impact manager by Abundance Capital because our investment proposition is well-aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as the following:

End Poverty
Adequate cooling enables households to overcome the economic and social challenges posed by 30C+ temperatures

End Hunger
Cooling enables greater food access and affordability. In Africa, over 30% of produce is lost due to food spoilage.

Ensure Equitable Education
Leaning and cognitive performance decline as temperatures increase.

Ensure Healthy Lives
Cooling & refrigerated transport will improve the quality of care in hospitals and ensure safe transport of vaccines.

Ensure Access to Affordable, Clean Energy
Efficient cooling is vital to the stability of electric grids. If HVAC growth estimates for India, for example, prove accurate, the power demand will collapse the electricity grid without more efficient cooling and refrigeration. The mutual dependence of access to affordable energy and more efficient cooling companies is a global phenomenon.
