Emerald Peak Private Equity today announces that Mateo Neri has joined the partnership bringing the number of partners in the pioneering Central American investment firm to 5.
The joining of Mateo Neri allows Emerald Peak to position itself as a major technology driver and consolidator in the fields of recycling, circular economy models for plastics and upcycling of agricultural and organic waste in Central America.
Mateo has headed up large scale climate research and innovation projects with Fortune 100 companies on the future of climate change on multiple continents with the top scientists and organizations in the world. He has worked with Fortune 500 clients such as Nike, Mercedes, Disney, Olympics, HP, NEC, intel, Charles Schwab and Coca-Cola.
Mateo is an Adjunct Professor at Art Center College of Design, one of the top design schools in the world, where he has developed an entrepreneur program, accelerator to circular economy courses using innovative and bio-based materials. He is a mentor at the Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), which is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California that develops leaders, cultivates ideas, and accelerates solutions in the field of ocean health and sustainability globally.
"I have been attracted by the platform Emerald Peak has built over the last few months in the region and the opportunity it provides to drive real change. The team’s approach is very focused and they are extremely quick at spotting new opportunities. I believe that the circular economy model and the upcycling possibilities can be true game changers in Central America and I am excited to have found a firm where we can make a successful push for that change." says Mateo Neri about the reasons for his move.
Says Pol Thielen, founding partner at Emerald Peak: "The recruitment of Mateo Neri is significant given his in-depth expertise in circular economy companies that transition plastic waste into products, both with recycled content, upcycling waste streams to bio-materials in soft and hard goods. With his addition we are able to position Emerald Peak at the forefront of the clean tech movement in the region.”