Danielle Walsh, who grew up in a family passionate about car racing, has taken a significant turn in her career. In her late 20s, she led HSBC’s ‘Future Cities’ project, focusing on climate change initiatives for the global banking giant. By 2018, she realized the immense financial commitment required to achieve net-zero climate goals in road transportation and saw an opportunity to make a difference.

In 2021, Walsh founded Clearly, a startup aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in the transportation sector. Today, as the CEO, she has successfully raised $4.3 million in a Seed round led by Pace Ventures and Nine Realms, with participation from Mobilion, Next Gear, M1720, and angel investors like Lord Nash and Margaux Primat. Clearly’s flagship product is an AI-driven ‘climate intelligence’ platform designed for transport fleet operators. This platform can alert drivers to optimize vehicle performance, such as inflating tires for better efficiency.

The transportation sector, responsible for 25% of global emissions, faces a daunting challenge in decarbonizing fleets and supply chains. Clearly’s platform, using anonymized data from logistics operators and fleet owners, provides diagnostics on vehicle performance, GPS tracking, IoT data, and more. The dashboard offers emission-related insights and driver alerts to encourage eco-friendly driving behaviors. Currently, the platform tracks over 100 million trips from clients, helping operators save money and meet emission regulations.

Walsh highlights that driving behavior alone can influence up to 30% of fuel consumption, emphasizing the importance of data-driven insights for drivers. Clearly’s product has garnered significant interest from large corporations and the finance sector, as noted by Marius Swart, a partner at Pace Ventures.

Despite competition from large telematics providers, Walsh believes Clearly’s focus on practical application and advanced technology stack sets it apart. She remains optimistic about the market potential, welcoming additional players to address the vast opportunities in this space.

Reflecting on her journey from a gearhead to a climate innovator, Walsh humorously remarks, “Well, I just raised $4 million… How about that?”