Why Scale Green Startups Now?

In India, TechnoServe has led transformational change for entrepreneurs via various accelerator programs, supported by Intuit, Moody’s Corporation, Goldman Sachs, the Blackstone Foundation and others. The programs were executed through a combination of hands-on business advisory support and access to capital as well as markets. The businesses grew by 64% and over 50% of program participants received financial linkages.

Our work in scaling regenerative businesses over the globe has been phenomenal. We’re a global leader in micro, small, and growing business acceleration, managing a successful portfolio of 47 programs across 30 countries. We work directly with businesses and across whole market systems to make them more sustainable — environmentally, socially, and commercially.

The founders in our portfolio initiate chain reactions, leaving a positive economic, environmental, and social impact on producers, consumers and the ecosystem at large. Through more than 50+ years of technical experience and continuous iteration, we transform passion into revenue and innovators into CEOs.

Our latest initiative, the GreenR Accelerator supported by Ikea Foundation & Visa Foundation aims to scale up exceptional green startups by linking them to knowledge, capital and markets. We’re often asked, why sustainability? It’s a good question, given our tagline says “Business Solutions to Poverty”.

Owing to the looming risk of Environment Degradation on Poverty and Food Security, we’re extending our expertise in scaling impact enterprises to mitigate it with the GreenR Accelerator. We believe that the innate sense of innovation, agility and passion that startup founders bring to the environment action mission can leave a compounding effect. Creating a Green Revolution with you is the key to solving the wicked problems that need urgent disruption.

GreenR Business Advisors, the backbone of our Accelerator, help Environment Action Entrepreneurs like yourself scale up your business revenue. Consequentially, this increases consumption of green products/services, thereby enabling environment restoration.

Code Red

The earth is hotter by 1°C from pre-industrial levels. Don’t be fooled; its repercussions are dire. Heat waves have already impacted the livelihoods and well-being of 123 million of us across the globe. Forest wildfires start more quickly and spread more rapidly, depleting our sources of oxygen. Microplastic pollution has migrated up the food chain, becoming a part of the food we eat — you get the drift. Human Life hangs in the balance.

As the world slowly but surely moves towards achieving the 2050 Net Zero target, there is a gap of nearly 35 GtCO2 emissions per year. Only 25–30% of this gap can be addressed by existing solutions. To address the remaining 70–75% gap, we need to innovate rapidly across spheres.

Good COP, Bad COP

Since 1995, governments have met year after year to find solutions to Climate Change and Environmental Degradation. Even so, building consensus between countries has been a herculean task. In 2009, at COP-15 in Copenhagen, wealthy countries promised to mobilize $100 Bn by 2020 to support Climate Action in developing countries. It’s taken over a decade for the countries to create a Loss & Damage Fund at COP-27; and could take even longer to operationalise it effectively.

One would posit that corporations could be more efficient in getting the job done: take on Carbon Neutrality as KPIs. Yet, only a handful are rethinking their business models from a Climate Action lens. And the critical question still remains unanswered: Can legacy players (read: polluters) change themselves and participate in saving the world?

The Power Is Ours

But this isn’t a doomsday prophecy. This is a clarion call to join forces, create exponential impact and accelerate it. The mantle now falls on us. To scale up and speed up environmental restoration through your work. While MNCs and governments make elephantine progress, startups committed to environmental action are quickly gaining a share in the market, estimated to reach $45–55 Bn*. Global Opportunity by 2027 at a CAGR of 25–30%. Venture capitalists across the globe have invested nearly $296 Bn in the sector.

The world needs you — Environment Action Entrepreneurs, now more than ever! As a founder of a high-growth business dedicated to disrupting the Environment Action space, if you’re looking to multiply your impact, this accelerator is where you need to be.

Head onto our website to apply today. www.getgreenr.org