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Pre-Seed Angel Investment · Climate Tech · Construction Tech

Backing founders
who are rebuilding
the built world.

Terrae Capital is an angel investment vehicle focused on pre-seed startups developing foundational innovations in Climate Tech and Construction Tech. We bring more than capital — we bring operator experience from two decades inside the industry.

Connect With Us Our Focus

Investment Thesis

The built environment is the next
frontier of deep innovation.

The built environment is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions and one of the least digitized sectors in the global economy. That gap is where the most important entrepreneurial opportunities of the next decade will emerge. We back founders who are reimagining how the built environment is created, operated, and sustained.

01

Urgent Climate Pressure

Construction and infrastructure account for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions. Regulation, capital markets, and customer demand are converging to force rapid decarbonization across the value chain.

02

Significant Modernization Gap

Construction remains one of the least digitized industries globally. Process inefficiency, fragmented data, and manual operations create structural opportunities for technology-enabled disruption.

03

Operator Edge

Our edge comes from operator experience. We have led businesses in construction materials, digital transformation, and sustainability across 50+ countries. We understand the industry from the inside — its decision cycles, its constraints, and where technology can genuinely unlock value.

Focus Sectors

Where we invest.

◈

Climate Tech

Startups developing low-carbon materials, green cement alternatives, carbon capture and utilization, energy efficiency in construction, and circular economy solutions for the built environment.

Low-Carbon Materials Carbon Capture Circular Economy Green Building
◇

Construction Tech

Startups reimagining how construction projects are designed, built, and operated — through AI, automation, digital platforms, supply chain digitalization, and data-driven project management.

Industrial AI Supply Chain Digital Platforms Automation

Investment Criteria

What we look for
in a founder.

01

Early Traction

Functional prototypes or operational pilots. Exploratory agreements or letters of intent. Evidence that the idea has been tested against reality, not just designed on paper.

02

Domain-Deep Founders

Passion, experience, and transformative vision. Founders who understand the industry they are disrupting from the inside — not just the technology, but the customer, the market structure, and the decision cycle.

03

Strategic Clarity

A compelling narrative backed by technical and operational rigor. The ability to articulate what problem is being solved, for whom, and why this team is uniquely positioned to solve it.

04

Scalable Business Model

Business models with regional scalability and global vocation. We look for ventures where the unit economics improve with scale and where the path from pre-seed to Series A is legible.

Manuel Toro

The Founder

Manuel Toro

Founder & Managing Partner · Terrae Capital

Manuel Toro brings over 21 years of executive experience at a global leader in construction materials, where he led digital transformation, sustainability strategy, and commercial excellence across 50+ countries and 2,500+ people.

He led a sustainable product and solutions portfolio to $7.6B in revenue, with a Net Promoter Score of 74 against an industry average of 40, and a 15% reduction in Cost to Serve. He brings firsthand knowledge of where technology can genuinely unlock value in construction and industrial markets.

His academic formation includes graduate programs in management, innovation, and technology at MIT, sustainability strategy, and board governance at leading institutions in Europe and the Americas. He holds executive credentials from MIT, Stanford, INSEAD, IE Madrid, and LSE, among others.

21+
Years of experience
50+
Countries
$7.6B
Sustainable revenue led
74
NPS achieved

Get in Touch

Building something
in Climate or Construction Tech?

We co-invest alongside angel networks and industry ecosystems. If you are a founder at pre-seed stage or a fellow investor, we would like to hear from you.

Thank you. We will be in touch shortly.