Startups Will Save Us: How "impact-greedy" investors deploy capital for good

✌️ G’DAY

As we hurtle towards COP27 in Egypt, and as another wave of extreme climate weather smashes the East Coast of America, it’s important to focus on what we can do in our corner of the world and sphere of influence. And—as Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson preaches—it’s also crucial that we find some joy in the process.

On that note, there’s no better example of how you can bring your whole, brilliant, imperfect, authentic self to the climate fight than Bec Milgrom (along with brothers Adam and Jake) at Tripple. We caught up with Bec recently to learn more about how her rock-star family is deploying capital for good. But first…

📅 It’s time to get together IRL!

🇬🇧 11th-13th Oct: Blue Earth Summit in Bristol.

🇬🇧 19th Oct: The Climate Crisis is a Human Rights Crisis at the London School of Economics.

🇦🇺 19th-20th October: Purpose Conference in Sydney, where Amy will be hosting a series of short pitch-style presentations for impact-driven startups. Don’t miss out—Purpose is bursting at the seams with big-hitters in the climate and impact space.

🇬🇧 24th Oct: Vanessa Nakate & Clover Hogan in conversation at x+why Whitechapel. Join these two young superstars of the global climate movement as they discuss Vanessa’s new book, A Bigger Picture. 📖

🥁 THIS WEEK…IMPACT, IMPACT, IMPACT!

Meet Bec Milgrom, one-third of the family office Tripple.

🤔 WHY TRIPPLE?

Bec, Adam and Jake wanted to make sure their investments were completely aligned with their values, without compromising on returns: “It’s possible to be a 100% impact investment company and be making whatever kind of returns you want to be making, with whatever kind of asset allocation feels right to you.”

🥳 IMPACT FIRST, FUN A CLOSE SECOND.

Bec and her brothers are self-proclaimed “impact area agnostics”, investing in a range of environmental and social justice opportunities across the world, with a focus on systemic change: ”Who are the beneficiaries? How underserved are they? How much is this business going to change that?” And, because they consider the environment to be the most underserved beneficiary, climate startups come up with a high score.

While Tripple also makes grants and invests in later-stage companies, too, Bec says that startups are where it’s at: “I’d be lying if I said startups weren’t our favourite and where we had the most fun.”

😍 WHAT KINDS OF FOUNDERS ARE YOU ATTRACTED TO?

”I’m looking for founders with a great why who are looking to work on this problem for the next 5, 10, 15 years.”

”We invest early stage but we’re not investing pre-product, so we are looking for some traction.”

🎧 PODCAST

To hear the full convo with Bec, check out the latest episode of our podcast, Startups Will Save Us👇

🚀 CLIMATE STARTUP EVENTS

The climate startup event season is upon us! Last week, we hosted our latest ‘Startups Will Save Us’ meetup at x+why Whitechapel, where we heard from 14 climate startups, including Batch (suits that don’t go out of fashion), Tern (B2B product trade-ins) and Rightcharge (compare the market for EV chargers), all washed down with Brixton Beers and IKÓ Drinks. Two key themes emerged:

1. Climate startups need to get better at telling their story & communicating impact.

2. Circular economy & SaaS climate models are gaining momentum.

🌈 Hosting two leading global climate activists

We're super excited to be hosting Vanessa Nakate and Clover Hogan, two of the world’s leading climate voices, on 24 October at x+why Whitechapel.

Clover will chat with Vanessa about her remarkable journey, from her first protest outside the Parliament of Uganda, to her role as a global climate activist, and most recently as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In the words of Greta Thunberg, “Vanessa Nakate continues to teach a most critical lesson. She reminds us that while we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat.” 

Both Clover and Vanessa have gone through so much in recent years, and this will be a candid, informal and inspiring chat. In-person tickets include a copy of Vanessa's awesome new book, A Bigger Picture, a drink, and a £2 donation to Vanessa's Green Schools Project in Uganda. Tickets are limited and there is a £5 discount for our community, shared with us by our awesome friends, Rebel Book Club (just use the code 'rebelbookclub' at checkout). 

🌍 IN OTHER NEWS:

The devastation caused by Hurricane Ian is hard to fathom. And yet, the Governor of America’s most climate-vulnerable State seems intent on keeping his people under water. Even as he commits billions to climate resilience projects, Florida’s Governor is introducing legislation that prevents cities and towns from switching to green energy, and prohibits pension funds from considering climate risks when making investment decisions. Learn more about the climate idiocy of Ron DeSantis from one of the world’s foremost climate journalists, Emily Atkin, in Heated. 🔥

📚 WHAT WE’RE READING:

Our co-founder Ben (also of Rebel Book Club) has done the hard work for you and read 30 of the best climate books out there. Find his list here.

👀 SNEAK PEEK:

Next time, meet the founder building a weather service fit for the climate emergency (not a moment too soon). 🌪

👷‍♀️ BUILDING SOMETHING AMAZING OR WANT IN ON THE NEXT BIG THING?

If you're an aspiring climate startup founder, or if you're a budding or seasoned impact investor looking for the next big opportunity, take a moment to sign up. It's simple, free, with no commitments and takes <1 minute. 👇