As part of London Climate Action Week, Reset Connect provides a forum for founders to make connections

It’s tempting to think we’re in a transition period. A society that once burned fossil fuels with riotous enthusiasm is now moving towards a greener, climate-friendly future.

In reality, the transition period has only just begun. Net-zero targets have been set and international agreements signed, but now the world is faced with turning good intentions into action at a time when there are still record levels of carbon in the atmosphere. So the question is, how can you make effective progress towards net zero in a fair and workable way?

That’s a question from Reset connectiona two-day conference, networking event and exhibition taking place this week as part of Climate Action Week in London† And as organizer Duncan Reid explains, entrepreneurs are an important part of the mix.

I speak with Reid a few days before Reset Connect opens its doors (June 28/29) and as he explains, it is an opportunity for companies and other organizations to come together and learn from each other by sharing information about their own initiatives . Unsurprisingly, global brands are present – Reid cites the BBC, Hitachi Energy and Pwc – but as he emphasizes, innovators are also well represented.

Startups and scaleups

Indeed, among the talking slots and exhibitors there are quite a number of representatives of startups and scale-ups such as solar energy company bboxxEV charging network, Connected curbgreen packaging start up Magic Mushrooms Company and supplier of carbon management tools nZeroto name a few.

That all comes down to? Well, it comes down to a conference. But could events like this ever be more than talking shops? Does Reset Connect offer real opportunities for the Climatetech or Greentech companies participating or attending?

connections

From Reid’s perspective, there’s never been a better time to make connections. It’s clear that startup founders are eager to pitch their companies to potential clients — and especially those with big budgets — but Reid emphasizes that investors will also be present at a time when green tech is emerging as a magnet for venture capital funds.

“What we’re seeing now is a lot of VC funding is going to climate,” he says. “And we also see new investments coming in from institutions such as insurers and pension funds, but also from private equity.”

Reid states that companies active in the broad areas of environment, climate and sustainability will be at the center of the investment strategy in the coming years. In fact, that fintech, which has been the traditional banner of the London startup scene for many years.

Training required

But that requires training. Funds are looking for projects to invest in, he says. But to date, they tend to focus on certain sectors while oblivious to others. “A lot of money has gone to mobility, for example. Now investors are looking for other projects.” In that regard, the conference provides a forum where founders can connect with potential donors.

In addition, for equity investors bodies such as government-sponsored Innovate UK and British Business Bank are on hand with grant and loan options, while the UAE is offering the Zayed sustainability award of £3million.

A receptive audience?

Is there a lot of business being done? As with most conferences, there are many speakers – an astonishing number you might say – who provide substantive and thoughtful leadership. The opportunities to do business arise from both the networking and the exhibition component.

But let’s face it, large organizations tend to move slowly. Networking is all well and good, but a C-suite executive or the head of an ESG team isn’t necessarily going to invite a founder to discuss a business relationship based on a little networking at the end of a long day. So to some extent, this kind of event is about forging relationships that can pay off later. But as Reid points out, there will be instances where founders find themselves having a receptive audience. “There will be big companies out there that have issues that need to be solved now and that have the budgets allocated,” he says.

There may be a bigger point here, green technology is emerging again. For many founders who work in the field, making a difference means establishing partnerships or commercial relationships with buyers. With the London Climate Action Week, which once again emphasizes the importance of the transition to net-zero, a little networking can never go amiss.