In the next instalment of our Sustainability Focus we chat to Mike Hill Co-Founder of ACG portfolio company, One Planet Pizza.
Can you summarise One Planet Pizza’s mission in a couple of sentences?
To make great tasting plant-based pizzas that are better for you and for the planet. We love to use amazing pizzas to introduce people to plant-based alternatives and encourage them to think more about the impact their food choices have on their carbon footprint and health.
When speaking to potential investors did you find that they were particularly looking to invest in companies with a focus on sustainability?
Yes, most investors now included sustainability/environmental impact as part of their assessment when making investments. This is true of individual angels but also of some “impact investment” funds who put social and environmental impact at the heart of their investment criteria.
How do you think the early-stage investment community can influence the drive to net zero?
By asking questions about any company that they are considering investing in. All companies must now put their carbon footprint and sustainability at the heart of everything they do, from product planning and inception, to production and through to distribution. If early-stage companies know that investors find this important they will focus on it themselves.
Do you think that VC’s and Angel Networks could do more to focus on and encourage climate investment?
I think that many VCs now have ESR (Environment and Social Responsibility) as part of their investment criteria, and also as part of their reporting/governance. Some VCs only invest now in companies that will make a positive impact on key ESR areas. With Angels and their networks, I think there is more work to be done to ensure that it is at the forefront of their decision-making process.
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