CarbonCupid

The Tinder for Blue Carbon Credit initiatives, and VCs.

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Inspiration

We created Carbon Cupid to solve a critical problem - climate-focused NPOs spend too much time seeking funding instead of doing important environmental work, while VCs with dedicated funds struggle to find impactful projects. Blue carbon chips make up a $3.5 billion market but limited connections between these two groups keeps this economy stationary. We built Carbon Cupid to bridge this gap.

What it does

Carbon Cupid is a matchmaking platform that connects climate NPOs with funding sources using AI The platform creates profiles for NPOs and funders Calculates compatibility scores based on funding needs, mission alignment, and impact potential It recommends optimal matches to both parties Provides semantic search for discovering relevant projects Centralizes information about blue carbon initiatives

How we built it

Frontend: React.js, Next.js, TailwindCSS Backend: TypeScript, Node.js, Express.js Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL) Deployment: Vercel, Render Custom AI matching algorithm and semantic search

Challenges we ran into

Standardizing data from a diverse number of sources Creating an effective ranking algorithm Balancing information asymmetry between established VCs and newer NPOs Developing an interface that works for both finance and non-profit sectors

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Building a structured database of ocean-based carbon removal initiatives Developing a nuanced matching algorithm calculated with multiple user features Establishing a scalable foundation for future growth

What we learned

Effective ways to apply AI to positively create productive opportunities Techniques for standardizing heterogeneous data to avoid extreme outliers How to balance quantitative ML metrics with qualitative ML factors

What's next for Carbon Cupid

In-app messaging system for investors and NPOs to message eachother directly Secure authentication with Clerk Geographic and funding stage filters Impact tracking and reporting tools Expansion beyond blue carbon to other climate solutions

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