Executive Evening completes the successful Scale | Impact Cleantech programme

PwC and Carbon Limiting Technologies collaborated to deliver the Scale | Impact Cleantech programme to support high potential scale-up businesses redefining the cleantech sector. Designed to drive growth of clean and sustainable technologies, the programme aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals number 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action).

Seven cutting-edge cleantech scale-ups were selected to undertake the 10-week programme, boosting their profiles, identifying commercial opportunities and preparing their business to scale-up. The curated links between the cohort of fast growth scale-ups with a global network of established organisations helped generate mutually beneficial commercial opportunities and relationships. Programme participants also undertook a business development curriculum and received advice on topics such as leadership, sales and marketing, operational growth, professional readiness and valuations, all designed to rapidly expand their businesses.

Scale | Impact Cleantech culminated in an Executive Evening, the programme’s corporate pitching event, where the cohort presented their value propositions to industry leaders and key decision makers, attracting 160 senior executives across industries including Energy, Utilities, Retail and Real Estate, driving high-profile engagement. The programme was supported by PwC’s Purpose team and Social Entrepreneurs Club.

Emma Cox, Head of Purpose at PwC, commented:

“The Scale | Impact programmes are aligned with PwC’s purpose by supporting and collaborating with innovative, agile scale-up businesses, who are working at the forefront of solutions to help achieve and unlock sustainable development. By combining leading technology with networking events and best practice, the programme allows scale-ups to accelerate their progress by opening the door to new prospects.”

Beverley Gower-Jones, CEO of Carbon Limiting Technologies (CLT), added:

“We were delighted to partner with PwC to deliver the Scale | Impact Cleantech programme. Environmental threats are the biggest danger to the global economy. We must accelerate the development, financing and deployment of low carbon technologies in the UK, and indeed globally. By connecting industry leaders and decision makers within major companies and organisations to innovative scale-up firms, the Scale | Impact Cleantech programme is doing just that. PwC’s commitment to the cleantech sector, given its position in the UK and internationally within business and government, is hugely valuable.”

Tom Hoskin, PwC Scale Proposition Lead, added:

“PwC was pleased to collaborate with CLT to deliver this year’s highly successful Scale | Impact Cleantech programme. CLT’s position at the nexus of UK cleantech SMEs, financiers and government provided unparalleled access to some of the UK’s most promising early-stage cleantech companies. The exceptionally positive response to the programme underlines the increasing business appetite for open innovation and corporate venturing to capitalise on the growth of the cleantech sector, which both PwC and CLT are enabling.”

This is the second programme in the Scale | Impact series, which targets impact ventures, social enterprises and mission-driven organisations with solutions aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Previous participants in PwC’s scale-up programmes collectively raised £295 million in equity on joining and have since been valued at $1bn, demonstrating rapid progression and quality. As well as investment, the cohorts received over 2000 introductions to over 800 relevant executive stakeholders, driving commercial opportunities for both parties.

The Scale | Impact Cleantech cohort of businesses are:

Naked Energy has developed an innovative hybrid solar technology generating combined heat and power, resulting in significantly higher energy output than standard solar panels.

U-Earth Biotech uses biotechnology to naturally destroy contaminants in the air, reducing air pollution, increasing occupier wellbeing, and creating certified ‘Pure Air Zones’.

LightFi has developed connected sensors that improve buildings’ spaces and environments, increasing wellbeing and productivity, while increasing energy efficiency. Their integration enables the automatisation of lighting and optimisation of HVAC to improve building performance for occupants.

CCm Technologies transforms captured CO2 and other waste streams into stable value-added materials with multiple uses across global priority sectors of food/agriculture, advanced materials and energy storage.

OXTO Energy’s flywheel-enabled energy storage system stores kinetic energy from solar and wind technologies, enabling a sustainable, low-carbon future.

Arvia Technology offers an innovative, modular treatment method to reduce hard-to-treat organics, micropollutants, and colour from waste and wastewater streams.

Virtual Power Solutions provides Energy as a Service through software-driven energy efficiency technologies that enable demand-response.