Meet Orchlon Enkhtsetseg, founder and CEO of URECA and member of the Robb Report Singapore Thought Leaders community
If you’re going to dream, you might as well make it a big one. Despite boasting a stacked resume as executive board member and chief investment officer of Newcom Group, one of Mongolia’s largest investment firms, Orchlon Enkhtsetseg left the corporate world in 2021 to start URECA, a Singapore-based climate tech start-up with ground-breaking applications.
Powered by blockchain technology and deep machine learning verification systems, it’s the first-ever marketplace that allows for the trading and offsetting of verified, high-quality carbon credits in an open and accessible manner. Support the reforestation of the Valle de Iruelas in Ávila, Spain with 160,000 native plants like wild pine and birch? Check. Invest in the provision of fuel-efficient biomass cookstoves to roughly 250,000 locals in Malawi’s Nkhata Bay District? Check. For an intrepid start-up that isn’t afraid to tackle climate change on a hitherto unprecedented scale and manner, the sky is virtually the limit.
What put you on the path towards founding URECA?
I’ve been working in the renewable energy field since 2010. Earlier in my career, I was part of the team that developed and built the first windfarm in Mongolia. After encountering difficulties in accessing carbon financing and monetising carbon credits, I saw the potential for innovation in the carbon credit space, especially with regards to transparency and accessibility.
What’s your take on climate action?
There’s a prevailing notion that climate investing is exclusively available to corporations, non-governmental organisations and governments. Quite the opposite, URECA visualises a system where every individual can contribute in a meaningful way. I firmly believe that climate action and carbon accessibility should be universal, so we can drastically expedite the global energy transition.
Give us a glimpse of a day in your life.
My day often revolves around interacting with people from various parts of the world. This includes calls with project developers from countries as diverse as Malawi, Spain and Peru. As you can imagine, it can get quite challenging given the varying time zones. Additionally, I engage in regular discussions with our corporate partners to align on shared goals and strategies. Beyond that, a significant part of my time goes into strategising for URECA’s growth, analysing market trends and ensuring the team remains mission-driven in all our endeavours.
What are you most curious about these days?
Our recent partnership with Formula E has ignited my interest in understanding the intricacies of electric racing and the technology that powers it.
What’s a lesser-known fact about you that will surprise most people?
At one point in time, I was the proud owner of 80 sheep.
Photography by Eugene Lee, Enfinite Studio
Hair & Makeup by Sophia and Victoria, Suburbs Studio
