Amsterdam-based Startupbootcamp, a startup accelerator that provides investment and mentorship services, has announced that it will be going live with its second initial public offering to fund the global ecosystem of sustainable innovators.
The sustainability program will accelerate 30 startups over the next 3 years and will build on the 10,000 jobs they have already created with their sustainability portfolio. In a statement, the accelerator mentions that the funds will be utilised in accelerating sustainable startups to help achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals.
This launch comes right after the global accelerator was awarded the One Single Hub subsidy, in February 2020, by the Dutch government to further their efforts in growing innovative businesses.
The One Single Hub subsidy is a Dutch government initiative that aims to empower entrepreneurs in growth and acceleration and position the Netherlands in the top 5 of the world’s best startup and scaleup ecosystems.
About Startupbootcamp
Startupbootcamp is a global network of industry-focused startup accelerators that offer investment and mentorship services. They support early-stage tech founders to help them scale their companies by providing direct access to an international network of the most relevant mentors, partners, and investors in their industry.
By holding events in more than 100 cities each year, Startupbootcamp facilitates a mentorship-driven model by providing startups with essential tools during a 3-month accelerator program.
The global accelerator provides €15,000 towards living expenses for the team during the program, 6 months of co-working space, over €450K in sponsored services, and the platform to pitch to over 400 investors at Investor Demo Day.
Since 2010, it has accelerated over 1000 startups through 100 programs, with a portfolio valuation of over €2.5B.
Startupbootcamp was founded in 2010 by Alex Farcet, Carsten Kolbeck, Patrick de Zeeuw, and Ruud Hendriks. The accelerator currently operates in cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Miami, New York, Cape Town, Dubai, Istanbul, London, Chengdu, Rome, and Mumbai.
The climate change conference
As global leaders begin preparation for the climate change conference this year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has made it clear that 2021 is a crucial year for climate change and achieving essential sustainability goals.
In a recent briefing to UN member states, Guterres said, “The world remains way off target in staying within the 1.5-degree limit of the Paris Agreement. This is why we need more ambition, more ambition on mitigation, ambition on adaptation, and ambition on finance.”
The increasing awareness related to environmental concerns and the growing consumer and industrial interest in the use of clean energy resources is driving the adoption of green technology and sustainability solutions & services in the market.
Businesses around the world are proving they have this ambition, as the global Green Technology and sustainability market is expected to grow from $11.2B (approx €9.39B) in 2020 to $36.6B (approx €30.68B) in 2025.
Besides, the startup industry in-particular is seeing rapid growth in regards to sustainable development, largely due to the dramatic growth of impact investing, growing 42 per cent from 2019 to 2020 to the significant sum of $715B (approx €599.5B).
Despite this increasing enthusiasm for purpose-driven investments, 64 per cent of asset owners identify a lack of robust data when it comes to making their investment decisions.
How is Statupbootcamp helping?
The global accelerator claims that it is making it safe for impact investments to be made where it counts. The Dutch government also picked up on their success, awarding them with national grants to continue growing the Dutch innovation scene.
In their mission to accelerate startups and scaleups that focus on environmental, social, and economic issues, this year they are launching their program Startupbootcamp: Sustainability.
In this program, they are looking to select startups around the globe with the assistance of AI technology and de-risking them through collaboration with their global network and training suite.
Director of Startupbootcamp Kauan von Novak says, “Startupbootcamp works because it is more than just an accelerator, it is a global ecosystem, essential in creating the collaborations we need to see to solve some of the worlds biggest problems. It is fantastic to see that the Dutch government has also recognised this, awarding us with the One Single Hub subsidy. With this national support, we can continue to accelerate innovative businesses and grow a supportive network that can tackle sustainability.”
Building this trust between investors and startups is a key goal for Startupbootcamp, and also one that will help them progress towards the UN’s sustainable development goals.
Startupbootcamp CEO Patrick de Zeeuw believes that when it comes to building a better future, the power of startups shouldn’t be underestimated. “In recent years, it has become clearer than ever that we have to reevaluate our processes, our products, and the way our economy works. We as a society are in need of a more sustainable approach towards energy, food consumption, and financial equality. European tech companies are responding to this demand, with high levels of capital investment and the number of sustainable startups growing rapidly, leading the change we want and need to see.”
