Impact Investing Guide

📣 Breaking Down Capital Structure in #ClimateTech Startups Understanding the capital structure in climate tech #startups, particularly those hardware-based, can differ greatly from digital startups. 👇 Hers’s an illustration of the evolution of capital types over time - equity, grants, and debt - with actual 💶 figures. Key takeaway: The name of the game is Non-Dilutive Capital ⭐ 1️⃣ Embrace Non-Dilutive Capital: Scaling with equity alone is a non-starter. There's insufficient climate-dedicated VC money out there and it's far from the most efficient way to finance CAPEX due to ownership dilution and the Cost of Equity. 2️⃣ Optimise Timing: With careful planning, each funding round can be delayed, allowing your company value to mature by achieving higher TRLs. Leverage grants wisely and delay equity funding rounds. 3️⃣ Strike a Balance with Grants: While grants are attractive, an overdose can divert you from your main focus of selling products and turn you into an R&D centre. Exercise caution! 4️⃣ Consider Debt Early: It's rocket fuel for growth. Proper measures can ensure you secure it even before hitting TRL9. 💡Tips for Raising Non-Dilutive Capital: General: - Begin early, it takes time - Build a solid funnel (4:1 ratio is a good rule) - Engage experts, it saves time and ups your chances Grants: - Be prepared to have some fresh equity to unlock certain grants - Participate in competitions - every sum counts and it's free exposure! Debt: - Sign off-takes to significantly boost your chances - Get in touch with your regional bank - they look at more than just ROI. It's time to rethink and redesign your capital strategy! #venturecapital #funding #innovation

Investing in women is not a statement of values. It is a measure of economic intelligence. For decades, women have been systematically underinvested in as entrepreneurs, farmers, scientists, and decision-makers. The cost of that mistake is still being paid. When women gain access to capital, land, and leadership, economies grow faster, communities become more resilient, and businesses outperform. That is not a claim. It is a pattern visible across every sector and region where serious investment has been made. We have recently marked International Women's Day. It is a useful marker, but the real test is what happens on the other 364. Across the world, there are leaders who understand this. Carolina Müller-Möhl's taskforce4women is pushing structural reforms that remove the barriers quietly penalising women's participation in the workforce. Project Dandelion, championed by Pat Mitchell, Mary Robinson, Hafsat Abiola, and Ronda Carnegie, is connecting leaders across climate, food, health, and finance, making visible the strategic role women play in systems change. Through Daughters for Earth, founded by Zainab Salbi, women-led initiatives are receiving the funding and visibility they have long deserved. And at IMAGINE, led by Valerie Keller, gender parity across our leadership networks is not aspirational, it is foundational. At Unilever, investing in women was never a side programme. It was core strategy. We built the first gender-balanced board in the UK, trained women smallholder farmers, backed women entrepreneurs, and ensured women accounted for at least half of all participants in our community programmes. The results were unambiguous: stronger supply chains, more resilient communities, better business performance. The companies that understand this will outperform. Those retreating in the face of political pressure will simply fall behind. That is not a prediction. It is already happening.

Most large-scale energy initiatives follow the same pattern: start with big commitments, roll out connections, figure out the policy later. Nigeria did the opposite. And that’s why it’s working. Instead of treating private investment as an afterthought, Nigeria built the policy framework first. And that made all the difference. What Nigeria Got Right - 1. A Structured Energy Compact – Nigeria created a clear, integrated policy that combines grid expansion, mini-grids, and decentralized solutions into a single plan. Other countries still treat off-grid power as an afterthought. 2. Private Sector Was Built Into the Model – Most African energy plans rely almost entirely on government spending. Nigeria understood that public money alone won’t be enough, so they de-risked the investment landscape for private players. 3. Policy Stability That Investors Can Trust – The biggest deterrent to energy investment is regulatory unpredictability. Nigeria structured clear rules around licensing, tariffs, and long-term market participation, giving businesses and investors the ability to plan long-term—not just react to political cycles. The Results Speak for Themselves - - Nigeria is now the leading mini-grid market in Africa. - Private capital is flowing into the energy sector at scale. - The policy model is structured for real expansion—not just short-term funding cycles. Now compare this to many other Mission 300 countries - - There’s no clear strategy to integrate decentralized and centralized power. - Investment risk is still too high for private capital to flow at scale. - The policy landscape remains too unstable for long-term planning. Nigeria isn’t perfect. But it’s one of the few places where energy policy is being built for growth, not just for the next round of funding. If Mission 300 countries want to make real progress, this is the playbook - - Stable, investment-friendly regulation - A clear plan that integrates all forms of power - Long-term market structures that attract capital at scale Energy access is an industry, not a one-time intervention. And Nigeria is proving that when the policy is right, the investment follows. #NigeriaEnergy #Mission300 #SmartInvestment #EnergyForGrowth

Sustainability Reporting 🌍 Clear, credible, and decision useful sustainability reporting has become a baseline expectation. Yet many organizations still struggle with where to start or how to improve. These two diagrams developed by BSR offer a helpful roadmap to design or refine any reporting process. The first diagram outlines five essential steps: from setting priorities and building a data structure, to developing content, communicating results, and reviewing lessons learned. It emphasizes materiality, audience needs, governance, and alignment with standards, cornerstones of any effective report. Step 1 focuses on setting a clear strategy and goals, conducting a materiality assessment, and benchmarking peer practices. These actions ensure the report is relevant, strategic, and anchored in what truly matters. Step 2 is about building the right structure: identifying key audiences, assessing gaps with existing frameworks, and drafting a high level outline linked to priorities. Governance processes are also set up here to support quality control. Steps 3 and 4 move into content creation and publication. Content should be iterative, aligned with standards like GRI or SASB, and clearly approved internally. Once finalized, communication should be adapted to internal and external audiences, reinforcing transparency and accountability. Step 5 is often overlooked but critical, reviewing the process and iterating. A good report is not just a document, but a learning tool to improve strategy, operations, and future disclosures. The second diagram introduces ten principles for strong reporting, grouped into two categories: report content and report quality. Content should be material, strategic, contextual, and complete, backed by clear KPIs and performance narratives. Quality, on the other hand, requires stakeholder engagement, balanced storytelling, external assurance, consistency, and information connectivity. These elements ensure that reports are not only informative, but trustworthy and comparable. Together, these frameworks provide a comprehensive view of what makes sustainability reporting effective, both in process and in substance. A helpful reference for any team seeking to align with evolving expectations. Source: BSR #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg

For decades, climate action has often been framed as a choice: Mitigation to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Adaptation to help communities withstand worsening floods, storms, droughts, and fires. 💰 Yet, finance for adaptation has lagged far behind. Mitigation attracts most of the investment, while adaptation remains underfunded, leaving communities increasingly exposed to climate risks. But here’s the truth: this divide is misleading. Many solutions already exist that deliver both mitigation and adaptation benefits simultaneously. 🔎 A recent analysis of 300 adaptation investments found that over half also reduced emissions , often with economic value equal to or greater than their resilience benefits. 🌱 Whether it’s silvopasture that sequesters carbon while protecting farmers’ incomes, or mangroves that absorb CO₂ while shielding coastal communities, these are not “either/or” solutions. They are “both/and” — and they are urgently needed. 🚨 With global temperatures dangerously close to thresholds that will unleash even more severe impacts, prioritizing multitasking climate solutions is essential. They make limited finance go further, deliver co-benefits across sectors, and most importantly, improve lives while safeguarding the planet. 👉 Climate action must be designed to serve both goals at once. read the article by World Resources Institute 👇 https://lnkd.in/eMAvraRv

Climate change impacts everyone on the planet - but no one more than women and girls. When water is scarce, they walk for hours to collect it. When disasters strike, they face greater barriers to relief. When climate stress intensifies, so does the risk of gender-based violence. And yet? Women are also doing pioneering work on climate solutions. That’s why Amazon is a founding partner of 2X Global’s Resilient Futures Fund - an initiative designed to get capital and support for innovations led by, involving, or benefitting women and girls. Because, here’s another reality: women-led ventures receive only 2% of global venture capital funding. Closing that gap isn’t just about equity. It’s also about accelerating climate progress. This month, seven new grantees were announced across Latin America: ⚙️ Amplifica Capital | Latin America 🟢 Impacta - Emprendimiento sostenible | Colombia 🦈 Fundación Mundo Azul | Guatemala 👩💻 Irrazonables | Latin America 🪸 Mesoamerican Reef Fund - MAR Fund | Mesoamerican Reef Region ♀️ Positive Ventures | Brazil & Latin America 🌿 Regenera Ventures Fund by SVX MX | Mexico Different regions and approaches, but one shared goal: scaling climate solutions that are rooted in communities and built to last. To date, the fund has awarded $7.9 million to 22 grantees, supported 184 organizations, and helped create nearly 3,000 jobs (with more than half benefiting women). If we want faster, more inclusive climate solutions, we need to invest in the people already driving them! Learn more about the Resilient Futures Fund here: https://lnkd.in/gw48gNZZ

Want 2× your angel investment returns? Most investors are missing one of the biggest inefficiencies in venture capital. Only 2% of global VC funding went to women-led teams in 2024. Yet the data shows: • Women founders generate double the revenue per dollar invested compared to all-male teams. • Women-led tech companies deliver 35% higher ROI than male-led ones. In other words: Women receive far less capital, yet deploy it significantly more efficiently. Markets always correct inefficiencies like this. The only question is who moves early and who misses the boat. I’m a Founding Alma with Alma Angels not only because I want to support more women but because I trust the numbers. We’re building £1 trillion in women-led wealth by 2050.🌍 My work has always been helping founders win funding. And as an investor it only makes sense to allocate capital to the founders who consistently perform best. This isn't just a social imperative. It's about being smart money. Alma Angels offers a systematic way to access mispriced, higher-performing startups, before it's obvious.

Impact startups in MENA are growing fast but funding strategies must evolve just as quickly. One of the questions I’m asked most often by founders is: “Where do we start when it comes to raising funds for climate or sustainability-focused ventures in this region?” Here’s how I usually break it down in 4 key pathways I’ve worked with or closely observed, each requiring a clear narrative, regional awareness, and the right positioning: 1. Government-backed innovation platforms These are not just about incubation, they are increasingly designed to de-risk startups and connect them to capital. 🔹 Example: Hub71 (Abu Dhabi) offers access to corporates, sovereign investors, and a growing base of VC partners through its Incentive Program. It's a launchpad for startups aligned with national priorities. 2. Climate-aligned positioning Framing your solution around climate resilience or adaptation is no longer optional—it’s a strategic funding move. 🔹 Example: ALTÉRRA, the $30B climate investment fund launched by the UAE at COP28, is designed to mobilize capital into areas like clean energy, food security, and nature-based solutions. Startups that clearly align with these priorities stand a stronger chance of attracting institutional and private funding. 3. Corporate sustainability partnerships Corporates in MENA are increasingly partnering with startups to accelerate their ESG goals—often offering pilot funding, technical support, or access to infrastructure. 🔹 Example: PepsiCo Middle East has launched several open innovation challenges in the region, focusing on sustainable packaging, water reuse, and food system transformation. These partnerships are a valuable entry point for startups ready to co-create scalable solutions. 4. Strategic VC alignment Venture capital in MENA is increasingly aligning with long-term sustainability themes—especially in climate tech and resource efficiency. 🔹 Example: VentureSouq, a MENA-based VC, launched its Climate Tech Fund I to invest in technologies tackling the climate crisis—from energy and mobility to the circular economy. They’re actively backing companies that blend strong commercial potential with measurable impact. The takeaway? It’s not just about raising funds, it’s about raising strategically. That’s how you align with where capital is moving in the region. If you found this useful, share it with a founder or ecosystem builder working on climate and impact in MENA. Let’s make these conversations more visible ;-) #ClimateFinance #MENA #ImpactStartups #StrategicFunding #GreenTransition #BusinessWithPurpose

The world is changing, is the GHG Protocol following? What is happening from now until 2028? I often hear from potential customers: “These climate and sustainability rules change so much. I’d rather wait and invest when things become stable.” But the reality is waiting is riskier than acting. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) the global baseline for corporate climate disclosure is about to undergo its biggest reset in decades. And it will redefine what credible and compliant emissions reporting looks like. What’s changing (2025–2028): 2025: Land Sector & Removals Guidance (after years of delay) 2026: Drafts of Corporate Standard, Scope 2 & Scope 3 2027: Final versions published 2028: New guidance on Actions & Market Instruments Why it matters: - Tighter rules = less flexibility, more comparability - Scope 3 & carbon market claims under tougher scrutiny - Closer alignment with IFRS Foundation S2 & EU CSRD - Closing loopholes & raising the bar for credibility - Think of this as the IFRS moment for climate disclosure, a reset of the global accounting standards for carbon. What are the top 4 things leaders should do NOW: 1- Audit your reporting: spot weak assumptions in Scope 2 & 3 2- Engage the Board: this is as much governance as sustainability 3- Invest in data & suppliers: stronger data quality = stronger trust 4- Stay close to the process: follow drafts, anticipate impacts early Companies that prepare today will not only survive stricter rules, they’ll win investor trust, attract capital, and lead in credible climate action. This is not disruption, it’s transition. And it’s your chance to turn compliance into competitiveness. A decisive decade for climate action can also be your decisive decade for credible disclosure.

2000: Send press release → Land Forbes feature. 2025: Send press release → Journalist skims it → Then checks your LinkedIn → Skims your company blog → Listens to your podcast clip → Scans Twitter mentions → Reads competitor coverage → Scrolls 3–6 months back on your feed → Then replies. Most climate founders still think their tech will sell itself. They write a pitch email, cross their fingers, and get ignored. But it's not 2000 anymore. Journalists aren't waiting in their inbox. And the only founders they write about? The ones who already look like the obvious voice in the space. So if you want media exposure, don't start with PR. Start with consistent content that makes you impossible to ignore. Here's how: Tip 1: Pick one platform and own it completely. For climate founders, that's LinkedIn. Post 2–3 times per week with a mix of founder lessons, industry takes, and behind-the-scenes updates. Journalists check LinkedIn first. Make sure there's substance when they do. Tip 2: Publish one 800-word thought leadership article per month. Post it on LinkedIn, your company blog, or send it as a personal newsletter. Doesn't matter where. What matters is depth. These longer pieces show journalists you can think beyond hot takes. They give reporters substance to quote and link to. And they position you as someone with real expertise, not just engagement tactics. Tip 3: Document your founder journey publicly (the messy parts included) Share the decisions you're making in real time. The regulatory hurdles. The failed pilots. The customer conversations that changed your roadmap. Journalists love founders who are transparent, not polished. Vulnerability builds trust faster than any press kit. Tip 4: Connect with hundreds of journalists and PR folks proactively, months before you need them. 100s of journalists cover climate, tech, and startups. Start building relationships now, not when you're ready to pitch. Comment on their work. Share their articles with your take. Send a DM when they publish something that resonates. Tip 5: Make it stupid-easy for them to cover you. When a journalist does check you out, they should find: • Data points they can cite • Clear founder bios with credentials • High-res photos ready to download • A media kit or one-pager on your site • Quotable soundbites in your recent posts Remove every excuse for them to pass on your story. — The reality? PR doesn't work anymore if you're starting from zero visibility. But if you've been showing up consistently, journalists will come looking for you. That's when the press release actually works. — Founders, what's one story in your industry you wish a journalist would cover right now?