UK’s Carbon13 bags  $2.2M in seed funding to fuel fight against climate change

Cambridge-based venture builder Carbon13 announced that it has raised over $2.2M (€1.9M) in a seed round of funding. The funding came from several family offices and venture companies, including Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm True Ventures. 

Carbon13 says it will use the funds to expand its operations, including increasing the number of climate startups produced. It also involves supporting entrepreneurs addressing global decarbonisation challenges.

Carbon13 says it can mitigate over 420 million tonnes of CO2e annually through its ventures. This capacity is expected to grow even more. As of 2021, the number of ventures supported by Carbon13 stands at 46.

Since 2021, Carbon13 has supported over 350 startup founders through three programmes –  Venture Builder Europe, Venture Builder UK and Venture Launchpad. By the end of 2025, it plans to support over 1,000 entrepreneurs to build at least 200 startups.

Pointing out the significance of the investment from True Ventures and four family offices, Carbon13’s CEO and founder Chris Coleridge highlights its critical role in the company’s expansion, particularly in supporting entrepreneurs addressing pressing global issues in “decarbonisation and carbon capture”.

“We have found that remarkable things happen when you bring together some of the world’s most talented people who are all highly motivated by the mission to fight the climate emergency. True’s investment is therefore a valuable recognition of our people-first approach,” he says. 

Coleridge also says that climate change presents scientific and business innovation challenges and a significant challenge concerning people.

According to True Ventures vice president Priscilla Tyler, the decision to invest in Carbon13 and its focused commitment to carbon-neutralising technology aligns perfectly with the company’s existing climate tech investment portfolio.

She praises Carbon13’s team for sharing its values and belief in nurturing creative entrepreneurs, emphasising its people-first approach prioritising individuals over technology.

“We’re thrilled for this partnership and to help embolden their important work around mitigating climate change,” says Tyler. 

Carbon13 programmes

Carbon13 offers a Venture Builder programme for people dedicated to helping achieve Net Zero by reducing CO2e emissions. The programme aspires to form teams of over 70 founders who will launch climate tech ventures capable of reducing 10 million tonnes of CO2e emissions annually.

The programme has three phases: Teaming/Ideation, Validation and Acceleration. Successful applicants will form teams and progress through the phases to create scalable ventures focused on carbon emission reduction. 

The programme welcomes diverse founder types, such as Technical Founders, Commercial Founders and Venture Catalyst Founders, to find complementary co-founders to execute breakthrough climate solutions.

Carbon13’s Cambridge Venture Builder programme consists of three phases. It starts with “Teaming & Ideation,” delivered partly in person and virtually. Participants must be able to attend the in-person sessions in Cambridge. 

After the initial six weeks, teams have the option to work remotely. The programme offers three Modes of operation: Full, Specialist Support, and On-call. It allows flexibility and core working hours between 09:30-15:30 UK time. 

Each phase introduces different levels of engagement, with specialist support becoming less frequent but of higher value in Phase 3.

Carbon13’s Europe Venture Builder programme is conducted in English. In addition to potential investments in startups, the Europe Venture Builder programme provides participants with a stipend to support them during the programme. 

Every person accepted into the programme receives a stipend of €1k for Phase 1 and €1k per month during Phase 2 for their participation in the programme. The stipend is intended to assist people who may need more savings to cover their expenses before securing potential investments.