Arbor Day Foundation Invests in New Technology to Make Trees Grow Faster

Goal is to help boost forest health by restoring fungal biodiversity in soil

LINCOLN, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Arbor Day Foundation is investing in technology to help trees grow faster. This investment aims to draw millions of tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the next decade, while restoring microbial biodiversity to thousands of acres of forests.

The global tree planting nonprofit’s Impact Fund, created to drive innovation in nature-based solutions, is supporting Funga PBC. The startup utilizes DNA sequencing and advanced data analysis to identify growth-promoting, native fungal communities that used to be present and have been degraded over time by land management practices and other factors. Funga then inoculates seedlings with these fungal communities at the nursery, so that these fungi will be established on the tree’s roots at the time of planting. Early results have shown that Funga’s inoculants can increase survival rates and boost tree growth by an average of 30%. This process not only restores and protects belowground biodiversity, but it also enables forests to pull more carbon out of the atmosphere.

“As a global leader in forestry, we feel a responsibility to find the next innovation in nature that can be a game changer to help solve some of the Earth’s biggest problems. That’s why our team is energized to help power Funga’s innovative work,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Funga’s method has the potential to create planet-shaping impact and deepen the layered benefits of tree planting.”

Funga was founded in 2021 by Dr. Colin Averill and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The organization has already helped to restore fungal biodiversity across more than 6,500 acres of managed forests.

"I used to plant Arbor Day Foundation seedlings in grade school. Many people's first tree planting experience is tied to Arbor Day Foundation's work. This investment is personally meaningful, and signals a broader realization within the reforestation community that belowground fungi are an essential component of not just planting trees, but revitalizing entire forested ecosystems," said Dr. Colin Averill, Founder and CEO of Funga.

The Arbor Day Impact Fund makes strategic investments in leaders and startups whose solutions have the potential to accelerate the pace, scale and quality of work in alignment with the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission. Funga is the Impact Fund’s second portfolio company.

Parties interested in receiving funding from the Arbor Day Impact Fund can learn more and submit opportunities to arborday.org/impact-fund or email [e-mail].

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.