Inside Tanbii’s Climate Game
One such NGO partner helping with the tree-friendly initiative includes Eden Reforestation. The platform’s Proof-of-Green protocol verifies users’ eco-behaviors through AI and tokenizes them on blockchain. With integrations with Coinbase and Bitget Wallet, players can own, trade, and redeem their verified impact across ecosystems.
“On the retail side, we have dozens of affiliate marketing partnerships with sustainability focused brands both big and small, where our Tanbii Tokens can be converted for discounts to purchase local sustainable brands like Free the Ocean and EarthHero that offer exclusive rewards to Tanbii users,” serial entrepreneur and Tanbii CEO Rob Luo told Hypepotamus. “Eventually our goal is to build similar partnerships with brands like Patagonia and Allbirds. These collaborations help close the loop between digital engagement and tangible impact.”
While the app and startup are still in its early stages, Tanbii has already seen over 25,000 signups.
Tanbii’s in-game ecosystems and challenges change based on player progress and global tree-planting milestones. Tanbii will soon introduce new gameplay zones, limited-edition NFT “Guardian Trees,” seasonal events synced with planting schedules, and a marketplace where players can buy, trade and display their achievements.
“Sustainability often fails not because of a lack of awareness, but because of a lack of engagement. People want to make an impact, but they need to see and feel their progress in real time. Gamification creates that connection. By translating sustainable actions into measurable “impact points” (i.e. our Tanbii Tokens) and rewards, we help users build real behavioral change. It’s a psychology-driven approach that turns sustainability from a chore into something rewarding and social,” said Luo.
Gaming Meets ClimateTech
Luo is building Tanbii alongside co-founder Robert Grajewski, who previously served as the Founder and Executive Director at the Innovation Center at Vanderbilt University.
Investors have taken note.
The team just announced it closed a $3 million pre-seed round from a “mix of impact-focused strategic angels,” Luo told Hypepotamus.
Specific names of investors are not being disclosed.
While founders and investors are still optimistic, overall government funding into ClimateTech-related startups has slipped under the second Trump term. But funding into later-stage, technology-ready companies has seen optimistic growth signals, according to Net Zero Insights.
Luo said that fundraising for Tanbii was “both challenging and validating” during the pre-seed round.
“Climate and sustainability startups are gaining traction, but investors are rightfully looking for scalable, behavior-based models – not just good intentions. Our traction with users, enterprise partners, and NGOs gave us strong proof points. It was also important for us to find investors who aligned with our long-term vision of measurable, gamified sustainability rather than quick wins. We ended up with partners who share our belief that impact and growth can reinforce each other,” Luo added.