In a resounding affirmation of sustainable innovation, Baltimore-based Cambium has raised $18.5 million in a Series A funding round, announced today, propelling its mission to transform the wood industry into a beacon of environmental stewardship and economic vitality. Spearheaded by VoLo Earth Ventures and joined by a formidable coalition including NEA, Dangerous Ventures, Tunitas Ventures, Woven Earth, Understorey, Groundswell, Ulu Ventures, MaC Venture Capital, Rise of the Rest, 81 Collection, Alumni Ventures, and Soma Capital, this round elevates Cambium’s total funding to $28.5 million. The investment heralds a new era for the $788 billion wood products sector, where cutting-edge AI and a reimagined supply chain promise to turn salvaged timber into architectural gold.
Cambium’s vision transcends traditional lumber. Its platform orchestrates a symphony of tree care services, sawmills, and trucking networks, digitizing a once-fragmented industry to produce Carbon Smart™ Wood—a sustainable marvel now expanding into mass timber. This cross-laminated timber (CLT), engineered for strength and born from rescued wood, offers builders a low-carbon alternative to steel and concrete, storing carbon while slashing emissions. Esteemed brands like Amazon, Equinox, Patagonia, National Geographic, Room & Board, Steelcase, and Gensler already rely on Cambium for materials that marry performance with planetary care, spotlighting projects like Equinox’s Brooklyn gym flooring and Steelcase’s Bassline Collection
“This funding unlocks our ability to scale a smarter wood supply chain across the U.S. and beyond,” said Ben Christensen, CEO and co-founder of Cambium, whose leadership—alongside co-founders Marisa Repka and Theo Hooker—draws from expertise at The US Forest Service, Sweetgreen, Optoro, Wayfair, SmartLam, Woodworking Network, and Royal Building Products. “With global wood demand poised to triple by 2050, we’re modernizing sawmills, turning waste into sustainable materials, and bringing jobs back to local economies.” Kareem Dabbagh, Managing Partner at VoLo Earth Ventures, added, “Cambium addresses a vital need to streamline the wood industry with technology, delivering cost-efficient, low-carbon solutions that resonate with builders and designers alike.”
The infusion of capital will accelerate Cambium’s rollout of AI-driven tools—think real-time carbon tracking, logistics optimization, and e-commerce integration—while expanding its mass timber offerings through partnerships with CLT giants like Mercer Mass Timber, SmartLam North America, Sterling Structural, and Vaagen Timbers. Having already diverted 8 million board feet of wood from waste, sequestered over 10,000 tonnes of CO2e, and united 350+ industry partners, Cambium is proving its mettle. Its recent acquisition of Mill Market in July 2024 further strengthens its logistics backbone, connecting tree care to lumber mills with elegance and efficiency.
Editorial Opinion: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Tomorrow
Cambium stands at the vanguard of a movement that could reshape how we build our world. The construction industry, long a carbon behemoth, craves solutions that don’t sacrifice quality for conscience—Cambium delivers precisely that. Its pivot to mass timber taps into a global hunger for scalable, green materials, while its AI-infused supply chain offers a masterclass in modernizing legacy sectors. This isn’t just about wood; it’s about weaving resilience into communities, reviving American manufacturing, and proving that sustainability can be profitable.
The company’s trajectory suggests a ripple effect far beyond its current footprint. As urban skylines evolve and climate pressures mount, Cambium’s model—rooted in traceability, local empowerment, and technological finesse—could inspire parallel innovations in other resource-heavy industries. Its leadership’s diverse expertise and strategic acquisitions signal a nimble, forward-thinking ethos poised to meet escalating demand. In a world racing toward 2050, Cambium isn’t just keeping pace—it’s charting the course.
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