Category: Start-Up

  • Kick-off webinar with ImpactNexus: Theory and practice for measuring the sustainability of start-ups

    In December, we announced our partnership with ImpactNexus to offer founders an ESG and impact reporting. In a first webinar, ImpactNexus has now presented our investors the methodology and the practical application of the evaluation of companies.The topics of ESG and impact are closely linked in the ImpactNexus software but divided into different modules. The ESG assessment was developed by the company based on international standards. It focuses on the subjects that may have a significant financial impact on the business. This happens, for example, through regulations such as the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) or a change in consumer needs. Among other things, the measures taken by the company to protect the climate or the company’s own diversity are queried (see Figure 1: ESG assessment PDF overview).

    The impact topic is more comprehensive: The focus is on the positive or negative effect that a company creates with its products or services. Building on logics used by venture capital funds and the European Investment Fund, companies can set impact goals in the ImpactNexus software. These describe the desired effects both qualitatively and quantitatively.In coordination with its investors, companies can set tangible goals, classify them according to international systems such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and continuously measure the degree of goal achievement (see Figure 2: Impact profile of a start-up). Investors can use the reports to make better investment decisions and to continuously track target achievement of their portfolio companies.

    In addition to these advantages, the ImpactNexus team wants to make sustainability more tangible and measurable for young companies. The ESG assessment increasingly provides start-ups with tailor-made suggestions for improvement, helps to define corporate sustainability measures, and anchor them in the company.

    As part of our partnership, the startups registered with encourageventures are enabled to transparently show their ESG and impact reporting to investors in our network and further investors.

  • Learning from each other – our academy for start-ups and business angels

    Learning from each other – our academy for start-ups and business angels

    Encouraging and enabling are our main pillars to sustain our vision: bringing more diversity in the landscape of founders and investors. In terms of enabling, we strive to provide both parties with a solid network and with a sophisticated educational offer.

    Our start-up academy

    Therefore, we started our start-up academy in January. The objective is to offer founders with start-ups during the early stage to pre-seed and seed stage free access to the most relevant trainings via online sessions. Our academy is directed towards diverse founding teams, e.g. at least one of the founders has to be female.

    The program is organized in different modules per month and takes place during the whole year 2023. The modules will cover a broad range of topics which are relevant for the founders such as fundraising, financial planning, marketing, sales, legal, and many more.

    The academy comprises impulse sessions, masterclasses, and workshops provided by members of our network with relevant expertise and backgrounds.

    In January, we started with @Anna Kaiser and @Vanessa Fischer who presented the program to founders of the encourageventures network.

    In February, we proceeded with the topic business models. The founders could participate in an introductory speech, a masterclass, and a workshop. The impulse and masterclass were provided by @Mindshift.One with the speakers @Coleen Dannroth and @Kate Manon Sio. The workshop was held by @Prof. Dr. Heike Hölzner.

    In March, the academy will continue with the next topic marketing. You can be sure, that there will be exciting and insightful subjects for everyone!

    Our business angel academy

    In 2022, we also started an academy for business angels. After a very good response and many positive feedbacks, we will start a second edition in May. In addition to the modules around deal flow and deal making that we already held in 2022, we will also roll out other formats. We intend to offer deep dives on topics around female investing as well as on sectors and selected topics.

    We will also invite our members to talk formats with top-class female investors, to coffee talks, panels, lunch & learn sessions, and fireside chats. You can look forward to an extensive and exciting program!

    One of our participants in 2022, Sabine Raebinger, said: “An intensive academy with lots of theoretical knowledge and even more practical know-how. A clear encouragement to invest!”

    And another participant, Judith Kühne, said: “Through the Business Angel Academy from encourageventures I was able to learn the most important tools as an investor, clarify many open questions and build a great network. Now I’m really looking forward to investing together!”