Sustainable Ventures are a full-service ecosystem empowering sustainable start-ups to scale.
Pre-seed - Series A
Sustainable Ventures has grown into Europe's leading climate tech ecosystem, supporting over 800 startups with investment, workspaces, and tailored venture development. Since 2011, they've become a cornerstone for entrepreneurs tackling climate challenges, helping businesses scale from concept to commercial success - or as they like to say, from "beer-mat to exit". Their all-encompassing strategy enables climate startups to lead innovation and sustainability across multiple sectors. The focus is on developing practical routes for green businesses to succeed in the marketplace.
Sustainable Ventures aims to empower climate tech startups through investment, workspaces, and hands-on support, speeding up the shift to a low-carbon economy. Their mission focuses on scaling solutions to climate challenges, from initial idea to market success, while creating measurable environmental benefits.
These elements position Sustainable Ventures as a catalyst for climate tech innovation, combining money, community, and expertise to tackle urgent environmental challenges.
Andrew Wordsworth and Christopher Morris launched Sustainable Ventures in 2011 as a response to the urgent need for scalable climate solutions. They combined their know-how in finance, sustainability, and entrepreneurship to build what's now Europe's largest climate tech ecosystem. The founders spotted a critical gap in the market - there wasn't enough support for early-stage climate tech startups. This led them to create a hybrid ecosystem offering investment, workspaces, and hands-on venture support. Their vision focused on commercial innovation to fight climate change. Since they started, they've fostered over 500 startups by providing crucial support during those challenging early stages of business development.
Sustainable Ventures specialises in early-stage climate tech startups with scalable solutions to environmental challenges. They prioritise ventures that align with the EU Taxonomy for sustainability.
Securing non-dilutive funding and funding to accelerate ventures are key strategies they use to boost development and growth, especially in the climate tech sector.
Sustainable Ventures mainly focuses on the UK climate tech ecosystem, with hubs in London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Cambridge. They're working to support regional green economies by creating local ecosystems and tapping into talent from nearby universities. The goal is ambitious - to expand to 2,000+ startups across the UK. This approach helps green-tech founders connect with like-minded entrepreneurs facing similar challenges, making knowledge-sharing and collaboration much more likely.
Sustainable Ventures evaluates startups through a designed process for EU Taxonomy alignment, SEIS/EIS eligibility, and climate impact. They don't just look at the business model - they dig deep into the potential environmental benefits too. Their assessment includes technical feasibility reviews, market potential analysis, and checks for ecosystem synergy. This thorough approach helps ensure they're backing scalable, sustainable solutions that can make a real difference.
PheroSyn: An AgriTech innovator developing pheromone-based pest management solutions to replace harmful chemical pesticides, targeting midge pests in wheat, peas, and pears, backed by Sustainable Ventures. Visit website: PheroSyn.
Airex: A pioneering energy efficiency company developing smart air bricks to improve home ventilation and reduce energy consumption by up to 15%, supported by Sustainable Ventures. Visit website: Airex.
Albotherm: A materials science company creating temperature-responsive coatings for greenhouses and buildings to passively regulate heat and light, reducing energy use, with strategic support from Sustainable Ventures. Visit website: Albotherm.
Sustainable Ventures secures capital through EIS/SEIS tax-efficient funds, crowdfunding platforms (e.g., Seedrs), and grant-writing services for non-dilutive funding (e.g., Innovate UK). They collaborate with partners like Sapphire Capital Partners for scaled fund management and leverage corporate investments (e.g., Barclays Climate Ventures) to support portfolio growth. Additionally, their expertise and direct grant support are crucial in helping climate tech startups and entrepreneurs secure the necessary funding to transition their ideas into impactful, market-ready products and services.
Sustainable Ventures targets pre-seed to seed-stage climate tech startups that have MVP/prototype validation and early customer traction.
They typically look for:
By combining tax-efficient funding with hands-on venture building, Sustainable Ventures helps startups tackling energy, mobility, agritech, and circular economy challenges move forward faster.
Sustainable Ventures has established itself as a cornerstone of Europe's climate tech ecosystem. They've supported over 700 startups directly and 5,000+ organisations in their wider network, with portfolio companies raising £1.1 billion in equity funds to date, according to their 2023/24 Impact Report.
Their startups have created 6,000+ jobs, focusing on core sustainability areas like energy, mobility, and circular economy. The accelerator model puts a strong emphasis on diversity, achieving a 95% diversity index (proportional to UK demographics). They've backed 65% of portfolio companies with female or underrepresented co-founders—far exceeding industry averages.
Key successes include 3 exits exceeding £150m enterprise value and standout companies like Rovco (41x valuation growth) and Concrete4Change, which aims to mitigate 2 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2040.
Partnerships with Barclays and others—including a £3 million investment to expand Manchester and Glasgow hubs—amplify regional impact, targeting 2,000+ startups by 2025. Their 12-month accelerator program delivers 84% portfolio survival rates, with startups securing £150m+ in follow-on funding, highlighting Sustainable Ventures' role in scaling climate solutions at pace.
Sustainable Ventures has built Europe's largest climate tech ecosystem, bringing together over 800 startups across vibrant workspaces in London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Cambridge. These hubs, such as London's County Hall with 145+ startups, serve as dynamic innovation centres where entrepreneurs benefit from 650+ annual events.
These collaborative spaces foster knowledge exchange and partnerships across sectors like energy, mobility, agritech, and circular economy. Portfolio companies get tailored 1:1 mentorship from climate tech experts, covering everything from product development to IP protection and grant applications.
The Fellows programme adds another layer of support by connecting startups with seasoned business leaders for strategic guidance and governance advice.
Alongside this community support, they run a comprehensive 12-month accelerator program providing £150k–£350k in SEIS/EIS-compliant funding plus hands-on growth support. This includes help with R&D credits, grant writing, and investor introductions.
Startups also benefit from partnerships with major corporations like Barclays Climate Ventures, Schneider Electric, and Google Cloud, which offer AI tools and technical expertise to scale innovations. This integrated approach has driven an impressive 85% portfolio survival rate, helping startups get to market faster and maximise their climate impact.
Discover how Sustainable Ventures can support your climate tech journey by visiting: Sustainable Ventures Website.
Stay informed about the latest developments and opportunities by following Sustainable Ventures on LinkedIn: Sustainable Ventures LinkedIn.
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