In 2006, Gavin founded AMEE – the Avoiding Mass Extinctions Engine – to enable anyone to calculate the environmental impact of anything. Combining thousands of environmental models into an Open API which anyone could integrate.
AMEE raised over $10M from world-leading individual and venture investors and was sold in 2015. The company won many awards for innovation and leadership during Gavin’s tenure as CEO, including the Rushlight Environment & Metrology* Award (image on the right).
* Metrology is the scientific study of measurement, encompassing all theoretical and practical aspects of establishing, maintaining, and applying measurement standards.
Pioneering environmental data infrastructure
- Worked with Defra to open up government environmental data, laying the foundation for the Act on CO2 campaign
- Created the world’s first government standard for domestic footprinting, the first national climate change campaign, and the world’s first national carbon calculator
Technological innovation
- Developed one of the first commercial APIs for carbon footprint data
- Addressed data privacy issues by anonymising citizen information by default, setting an industry precedent
Strategic partnerships and funding
- Collaborated with Google, Morgan Stanley, The Energy Savings Trust and Radiohead
- Series A: $2M led by O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV) and Union Square Ventures
- Series B: $5.5M led by Amadeus Capital
Policy influence
- Presented carbon data initiatives to UK Secretary of State David Miliband, contributing to the Climate Change Act
- Developed tools to map CO2e values to financial statements, treating carbon as a global currency
Global recognition
- Top Ten fastest-growing Cleantech companies in Europe
- VERGE 25 Award alongside Elon Musk (Tesla), Todd Park (US CTO), Jennifer Pahlka (Code for America), Carl Bass (Autodesk)
- Global Cleantech 100 (two years); Best of Green by TreeHugger
- Founder Gavin Starks recognised in VERGE 25, Phoenix 50 and shortlisted as Leader of the Year
Gavin listed alongside Elon Musk, US CTO Todd Park, Jennifer Pahlka and other exceptional leaders building markets for smarter, greener systems.
Won the peer-reviewed lead award against very strong competition. Also short-listed for the Group Award for Environmental Management.
Also won the “Unique Leadership” award, recognising the depth and breadth of the AMEE leadership team.
Listed for two consecutive years. Produced by the Cleantech Group in collaboration with the Guardian News and Media.
Selected by UK Trade and Investment and Thomson Reuters to demo at SXSWi, representing the best of British technology.
Recognised as one of the UK’s 20 fastest-growing clean-and-cool companies in a competition initiated by the Technology Strategy Board.
“The smartest carbon calculator” – AMEEdiscover honoured in the Green Tech category.
Awarded in the software category for AMEEdiscover – the only search engine designed for carbon standards.
Named among the pioneers of social innovation in Volans’ Phoenix Economy report, nominated by entrepreneurs and stakeholders.
Gavin Starks short-listed as Leader of the Year, recognising pioneers blazing a path across the green economy.
Top 5 shortlist for the GIVP awards on three occasions, recognising path-breaking products taken to new markets.
WTN finalist for innovative work of “the greatest likely long-term significance” in the Environment Corporate category.
“Highly Commended” for two years running at TechCrunch’s European startup awards.
Finalist honouring the year’s most promising private technology ventures from the European business region.
Short-listed, recognising some of the most innovative British businesses.
See also: AMEE in the archives and commercial work