Name: Dr Kat Bruce
Company: NatureMetrics
Position: Founder
Website: https://www.naturemetrics.com/
About Dr Kat Bruce
NatureMetrics is a nature intelligence company that uses environmental DNA (eDNA) technology and advanced data science to provide businesses, governments, and NGOs with the tools to measure and monitor biodiversity at scale. By extracting DNA from soil, water, and other environmental samples, NatureMetrics can generate powerful insights into entire ecosystems, helping organisations make informed decisions that support better sustainability and nature-positive outcomes.
NatureMetrics’ Founder, Dr Kat Bruce, has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between scientific research and industry. Her journey with environmental DNA began during her PhD, where she explored its potential for large-scale habitat monitoring. Seeing how eDNA could revolutionise biodiversity assessment, she knew there was a need to bring this technology out of the lab and into the hands of those who could drive real-world change.
Kat started NatureMetrics in 2014 with a vision to transform the scale at which we can measure and monitor biodiversity. At the time, many investors questioned why anyone would pay for biodiversity data, seeing it as a niche interest rather than a fundamental aspect of the global economy. Fast forward to the present day, the world is waking up to the reality that nature underpins over half of global GDP, making biodiversity monitoring essential for sustainable business practices. Today, NatureMetrics works with over 600 clients, including the likes of Unilever, EDF and WWF, spanning more than 110 countries, helping them measure and report on their impact on nature.
Building NatureMetrics has not been without challenges. Scaling a company in a nascent field that was not universally recognised as essential required resilience and a commitment to educating businesses on why biodiversity matters. But the shift is happening—regulation and frameworks like the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) are pushing companies to measure and manage their impacts on nature. NatureMetrics is providing them with the tools to do just that.
The last year has been a major milestone, as NatureMetrics was named an Earthshot Prize finalist alongside 14 other pioneering solutions for the planet. More recently, the company announced its series B funding, which marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. This investment is enabling NatureMetrics to scale globally, enhance its nature intelligence platform, which enables its clients to easily visualise and engage with our nature data, and advance AI-driven analytics to provide businesses with the meaningful biodiversity metrics they need.
Looking ahead, Kat and the NatureMetrics team are laser focused on making biodiversity data even more accessible and actionable. With time running out to reverse nature loss, we need a step change in how we collect, analyse, and use biodiversity data. NatureMetrics is committed to providing the scientific insights that will empower businesses and governments to restore ecosystems, drive sustainability, and ultimately, protect the natural world for future generations.
