There is however occasional good news, we are seeing evermore venture opportunities and support communities coming out of the woodwork. There are brilliant black founder networks, organisations helping under-represented founders, female first investment groups, and awesome fellow news and media teams bringing light to often overlooked communities and teams. Tip of the cap to them all.
But, for many, economic downturn, a world teetering on the edge of recession, stagflation or otherwise put, harder times ahead; it is even harder to get the funding they need to even survive, not to mention grow.
Whilst venture and growth investors scale back (Q1 2023 was 53% down year over year in comparison to Q1 2022 according to Crunchbase), this INCLUDES the $10B that went into Open AI and a cheeky $6.5B for Stripe… are we not in a global crisis? One crying out for innovation and progress? One that desperately needs investment, support, coaching and opportunity? A climate crisis?
That’s where the Green Techtrepeneur comes in. Founded in 2021 by Marianne Lehnis, a journalist-turned-entrepreneur, The Green Techpreneur's mission is to level the playing field for startups and companies making outstanding contributions to society in their efforts to fight for this world-shaping cause. Originally setup to highlight the incredible work of climate-tech founders, it has since expanded into a multi-purpose platform that touches numerous facets of startup growth. Now with this Climate-Marketplace partnership it enters it’s next phase as a far reaching platform for climatetech startups and investors.
The climate crisis is having an inescapable effect on society. It is a destructive force that needs pushing back, it is also however a great opportunity for economic and technological growth and investmen. Wouldn’t it also be great if this time around, the door was open to all? Not the old-boys clubs that dominate MOST of fintech and other such verticals? more people with great ideas had the opportunity to help us all, and themselves?
“The Green Techpreneur exists to make a big impact for climatetech entrepreneurs and accelerate their journey to launch and scale. We are truly excited to be joining forces with our sister company Climate Marketplace in a partnership we know will help climatetech startups all over the world with their fund-raising efforts.” Marianne Lehnis, founder and CEO of The Green Techprepeneur
through its partnership with Climate-Marketplace, its services include founder access to consultancy-level support, help for founders to better understand the investment climate in which they sit, and the ability to connect founders to the suitable investors directly. The Green Techprepeneur is on a journey to making the path to funding accessible and affordable for high-impact climate tech founders looking to gain visibility and funding through the Climate-Marketplace.
Lehnis added that “Climatetech businesses and innovation will be what saves us from climate catastrophe, we’re here to ensure startups get the support and resources they need to succeed to #SparkTheTransition.”
According to the company in a press release announcing the launch, only 1% of startups are currently accepted into accelerator programmes, and many more fail to even launch, as a result, countless potentially world-changing ideas are left unexplored.
“Against a backdrop of deeply-shared values, this partnership has the potential to truly elevate teams, allowing them the space to get on with the business of saving the planet.” James Burford, Director at Climate Marketplace
Already boasting some driven, forward thinking VCs on the platform, it will be an exciting space to watch, and with high profile celebrities and tech stalwarts pushing forward change, now seems as good a time as ever venture into sustainability. One such VC partner, Karolina Lewandowska, Co-founder of Venture Capital Fund StarBeam expressed that she is “committed to investing through StarBeam Venture Capital fund into startups in the climate-tech sector and therefore the collaboration between Starbeam and The Green Techpreneur could not have come at a better time. I am excited about The Green Techpreneur and the power behind their platform as well as their commitment to inspire and support clean tech entrepreneurs, help connect companies with the right investors and increase the visibility of climate tech solutions."
The Green Techpreneur platform partners with institutional investors such as Starbeam Capital and has helped startups such as Greener, Wildgrid and Beworks Automation to gain visibility during its Beta period since 2020.
"The Green Techpreneur has helped quite a few startups gain market awareness and supported them in sales. With our network in the green-tech world, from investors to board advisors through to marketing companies, we’re ready to further help startups accelerate their progress.” Mark Thackeray, Non-Executive Director, The Green Techpreneur.
“The Green Techpreneur helps you share your story in a real, engaging way to help your clients connect with the authenticity of your founder launch journey. The platform delivers the messages of your vision, mission and values to create greater impact as a sustainability leader. The level of commitment the GT has for helping climatetech startups succeed is a joy to watch.” Leon Gerard Vandenberg, CEO & CTO Sunified Group
“Our founder launch journey story had steller engagement, told our unique story, and shone a light on our brand’s strengths. I highly recommend The Green Techpreneur to business owners and entrepreneurs looking to amplify their business’ impact online.” Added Pratik G., cofounder at Skyfri
Marianne Lehnis is founder and CEO/Director of The Green Techprepeneur.
