Our Approach
The Science & Business Environment
There are many invasive species, many impacts, many tracks, however the market response has been dispersed and not particularly effective.
Universities and government laboratories, which are the organizations historically focused on addressing invasive pests, exists in isolated silos of interest, have inconsistent funding and have a poor track record of taking products to market.
Industry innovations and suppliers are typically focused on mature markets and maximizing profits over socially desirable outcomes. The often-indirect costs and benefits of invasive species fall outside their financially acceptable areas of focus.
At the same time, traditional investors are focused on attractive returns from well-defined markets, are risk adverse, and historically have assign a low value to the indirect benefits of socially desirable products and services.
A New Approach = A Two Step Solution
We aim to better align skill sets with challenges and funding with risk both with the goal of improving the successful deployment of sustainable solutions throughout the world.
Step 1→ Research
Invasive Species Foundation (ISF)
Mission
Discover, screen, and conduct proof-of-concept for innovations to solve targeted invasive species problems and then license IP to commercial entities for deployment into the environment.
Overview
Pre proof-of-concept research is more appropriate from a risk/return point of view for non-profit organizations with 501(c)3 tax exempt funding. Foundations can investigate where the science takes them without having to produce a short term ROI. However, exactly because of this attribute, these entities have not been good at commercializing a discovery and making a solution self-supporting and long- term economically viable.
Focus
The ISF, as a not-for-profit entity, will focus on achieving a well-defined public good and discovery of pre-competitive innovations in its expenditures and early-stage R&D.
Step 2→ Market Development
Invasive Species Control Corp. (ISCC)
Mission
Further develop, manufacture and market efficacious solutions discovered by the Foundation, research institutions and others third parties.
Overview
We believe a for-profit rigor and discipline is necessary to successfully develop and commercialize solutions discovered by the Foundation and other research-oriented organizations to a point where the solution is self-funding and deployment can accelerate. A public benefit corporation funded by investors and staffed by employees who value the corporation’s social impact as well as its profits is better aligned with the unique challenges facing invasive species solutions and their market development.
Focus
As a public benefit corporation, ISCC will focus on achieving a well-defined public good, but will emphasize in its expenditures commercial development, scaling the solutions’ sales, marketing and manufacturing. We have found “convening the marketplace” or aligning various interested parties who may share direct or indirect benefits is a very difficult task common to invasive species problems. A task we hope to get very good at because of our singular focus and dedication.