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Can you profit off nature without destroying it? These venture capitalists are betting on it.

Lionfish leather and AI to reduce bird collisions: See all the innovations that a new “biodiversity” VC firm is backing.

If you’ve ever wanted to buy sandals made with leather from invasive lionfish, I’ve got some good news — you can!

A clothing and gear company called Grundéns is now selling flip-flops with a “panel” of scaly lionfish leather. The leather itself is made by a Miami-based startup called Inversa that produces the material from a number of invasive species, including Burmese pythons, lionfish, and iguanas in Florida, where these non-native and very prolific animals are known to damage the state’s native ecosystems.

The idea behind the venture is that, by turning invasive species into luxury products, you can make money while restoring ecosystems. It’s an obvious win for the environment and a win for the company’s bottom line.

The world’s rainforests are vanishing. In this one country, they’re growing back.

It’s this tandem goal — to achieve both financial and ecological returns — that is the driving force behind a new venture capital firm that backs Inversa. The firm, known as Superorganism, calls itself the first VC firm dedicated to biodiversity.

Earlier this year, Superorganism announced that it raised nearly $26 million from funders, including the Cisco........

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