Aviva Investors to launch £250m Venture Capital Fund for Climate Tech Startups

Aviva Investors, the asset management arm of insurance giant Aviva, has received regulatory approval to launch a £250 million venture capital fund focused on climate technology startups. The fund, named Climate Transition Venture Capital Fund, aims to invest in early-stage companies developing innovative solutions to combat climate change.  

The initiative is being spearheaded by Mark Versey, CEO of Aviva Investors, who has been instrumental in driving the firm’s sustainability-focused agenda. Daniel McHugh, Chief Investment Officer for Real Assets, is playing a key role in shaping the fund’s strategy, leveraging his expertise in sustainable investments. Mirza Baig, Chief Sustainable Investing Officer, is also contributing to the fund by ensuring it adheres to strict environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles.  

The Climate Transition Venture Capital Fund will target investments in areas such as clean energy, sustainable transport, and carbon removal technologies. This aligns with Aviva’s broader commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Mark Versey emphasized the fund’s importance in supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy while fostering innovation in climate-focused ventures.  

This move reflects the growing trend of institutional investors allocating capital to climate technology and reinforces Aviva’s leadership in sustainable investing.

OpenAI has taken a bold step in making artificial intelligence more accessible by integrating ChatGPT with WhatsApp and launching a phone service. This move brings the popular AI chatbot to billions of users through familiar communication channels.

WhatsApp users can now chat with ChatGPT by simply adding a designated phone number to their contacts. To get started, open WhatsApp, add a new contact with the number +1 800-242-8478 (which spells out 800-CHATGPT). Save the contact as "ChatGPT" or any preferred name, and you're ready to start a conversation.

For those in the United States, OpenAI has introduced a toll-free number (1-800-ChatGPT) that allows voice conversations with the AI assistant. This service offers 15 minutes of free interaction per month for anyone dialing from a US number, making AI engagement as simple as making a phone call.

While the WhatsApp version comes with some limitations - it only supports text conversations, has a knowledge cutoff date of September 2021, and can't be added to group chats - it provides a straightforward way for users to experience AI without needing to create an OpenAI account.

To use ChatGPT on WhatsApp effectively, keep your messages clear and concise for better responses. You can ask follow-up questions or request clarifications in the same chat thread. Remember that there may be daily message limits, although the service is free to use.

This expansion is part of OpenAI's broader strategy to reduce barriers to AI adoption and showcase its potential to a wider audience. By leveraging familiar platforms like WhatsApp and traditional phone calls, OpenAI aims to make AI technology more approachable and less intimidating to the average user.

As AI continues to evolve and integrate into our daily lives, initiatives like this play a crucial role in democratizing access to advanced technologies. While the current offering is described as experimental, it represents a significant step towards making AI a more common and accessible tool for people around the world.

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