Robin Klemens
CEO
- Eight years in alternative finance.
- In carbon since 2020, across ETS, Article 6, and voluntary markets.
- Launched the first tokenized lending protocols using carbon credits as collateral.
About
We see both sides of every carbon deal.
Most of the carbon market sees a handful of transactions. We have seen the ones that fall apart, the ones that stall, and the ones that close, and we know what separates them.
The unique position
50+ carbon transactions in three years.
Institutional capital is the only way to take carbon removal to gigaton scale, and the only way to reach net zero.
We know what projects need, where they are constrained, and the terms that make a project financeable. And we know what capital providers require, where transactions stall, and what it takes to reach financial close.
Over the last three years we have analysed and worked on over 50 carbon transactions, the ones that fell apart, the ones that stalled, and the ones that closed. We now know what separates them, but it has been a learning curve, for us, for projects, and for those who provide the capital.
We can take lessons from project and infrastructure finance, but in practice carbon financing has nuances that fit neither.
This is where Kumo stands out: our execution expertise is proven to help carbon deals get financed.
- What we are
- The data, diligence, and execution infrastructure for carbon project financing.
- What we are not
- Kumo is not a carbon credit rating agency or a carbon credit broker.
Leadership
The people making carbon a bankable asset class.
Henry Waite
COO
- 15 years in investment banking.
- Originated and executed over $200bn in financing across public and private markets.
- Holds the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing (CFA ESG).
Why Robin and Henry
We came to carbon from finance.
Carbon removal markets only grow if the financing is there to support them. We have always approached this market through that finance lens.
Robin is an engineer by training who moved into alternative assets and tokenization: building efficient financial markets, using carbon credits as collateral, and combining technology and data to price anything you can borrow against, so the market can scale.
Henry is a former investment banker who set out to give sovereigns a better alternative to debt-for-nature swaps: a new instrument that lets them finance against their Article 6 compliance credits under the Paris Agreement.
A former colleague at HSBC introduced us. We had reached the same conclusion from opposite directions: carbon has to become a bankable asset class, and that takes infrastructure. That is what we are building.
Join us
Become an integral part of building the financial infrastructure for carbon.
You will work alongside a senior team of A players on a mission to turn carbon into a multi-trillion-dollar asset class. Real ownership, fast decisions, and work that reaches real deals.
We want to be upfront. Reach out only if you enjoy a fast, high-pressure environment. We are not looking for a nine-to-five mentality.
Open roles
Senior Data / Product Lead
Senior Finance Lead
Fund Manager
Location
London preferred. Remote considered, with one week a month in the London office.
We see both sides. Let's talk about yours.
300+
Projects
100+
Capital providers
1,000+
Financing conversations