Over one-fifth of the world’s largest corporations have pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, buoyed by a raft of companies expected to commit ahead of the November COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. However, with increasing concern that more needs to be done across the business community to achieve this vital target, the race to find and fund the green and cleantech startups of the future is well and truly on.

JPIN Venture Catalysts Ltd (JPIN VCATS), a world-leading startup investment bank, has joined Cambridge Cleantech as an ‘Investor in Residence’ with a lead focus on UK-India opportunities, alongside business leaders including fellow investors, corporates, entrepreneurs, academia and government.

Cambridge Cleantech’s flagship event Cleantech Venture Day – held on 21st October 2021 – is a pitching-and-investment event that aims to connect innovators in green tech businesses with investors that can support them through their growth journey to scale.

Preparing a robust ecosystem of green and cleantech innovation ahead of increased regulation, stealth competition, and increasing societal demands for change, the supported firms will be relied on by the leaders at November’s COP26 summit to help engineer a private sector that holds climate crisis at the forefront of its growth agenda. Supporting an increasing shift to drive green innovation; research from JPIN VCATS, commissioned in 2021, found that 45% of UK investors plan to back green and cleantech startups in the coming years.

JPIN VCATS is joining the panel as an Investor in Residence, Abhinav Mishra will work closely with the companies pitching to create a shortlist of potential firms as well as judging the pitches alongside advisory board members. Already the leading conduit in hosting and strengthening investment relations between the UK and India, JPIN VCATS – through its global proprietary network of family offices, institutions, and strategic mentors – aims to help green and cleantech startups with global expansion across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The target is to enable startups throughout their journey to scale and to help them become Decacorns (valued at over $10 billion).

Nayan Gala, founder of JPIN VCATS, comments:

“The entire team at JPIN VCATS are incredibly excited to join the Cambridge Cleantech team in time for the Cleantech Venture Day, which will provide a real boost for what is an incredible ecosystem of innovators and entrepreneurs in the clean and green business sector. We are committed to supporting sustainability in business and often the best examples of this come from the smallest companies and startups that the UK has to offer.

“Reaching net zero is perhaps the greatest challenge society has ever faced. Deadlines are tight, and many of the technologies we’ll need to succeed don’t yet exist or need significant refinement, meaning businesses need to act now. A key part of the growth journey of any innovator is the international expansion that is to come, something that JPIN VCATS specialise in. The coming COP26 summit will further the UK’s reputation as a world leader on climate change and we hope to be a part of that by providing startups with the tools they need to
reach their potential in this space.”

Sylvie Russell, Head of Operations at Cambridge Cleantech, comments:

“We are delighted to partner with JPIN VCATS and bring them on board as an Investor in Residence at Cambridge Cleantech. With an investor in residence working closely with India, this creates new opportunities for SMEs on both sides of the corridor to expand to new markets and access new funding opportunities. Likewise, it helps investors to connect with like-minded people and co-invest wisely in unfamiliar markets.

Cambridge Cleantech has been running Cleantech Venture Days in the UK since 2017 and over the last four years we have been able to connect over 150 companies to sustainability-minded investors from around the world. We look forward to a day of exciting pitches and fruitful connections between investors and cleantech startups.”