Why we're organising Flatten the Climate Curve LP/GP Investor Summit

The Netherlands is home to a great number of startups & scaleups that relentlessly work towards curbing climate change. There are already 267 Dutch tech companies we've identified that are actively working on solutions to flatten the climate curve. Since we believe these companies are the key players in solving the most pressing global challenges, it is important to scale their solutions and ideas across borders.

After surveying 10% of the energy ecosystem, we identified that the inability to attract sufficient capital is the main growth impediment, according to 39% of the respondents. Moreover, our research has shown that funding for the energy sector within the Netherlands has actually decreased since 2015 onwards, while almost all other leading startup ecosystems (such as the US, Belgium, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, etc.) have gained funding. As an organisation responsible for removing bottlenecks, connecting knowledge holders and facilitating ecosystem growth, we are convinced that these challenges have to be addressed in order to allow Dutch companies compete on a global stage.

We at Techleap.nl saw the real need behind mobilising the GP/LP ecosystem to collaborate on scaling Dutch climate heroes in a more efficient manner. By hosting this event we seek to address the primary growth roadblocks for climate startups in the Netherlands. Some bottlenecks stand out more than others:

• Connectivity and funding challenges: Dutch tech companies experience difficulties obtaining funding and recognise there is not enough capital allocated within the energy ecosystem in the Netherlands;  
• Expertise gaps within the Dutch VC Ecosystem: The Dutch VC ecosystem has knowledge and expertise gaps when it comes to (co-)investing in startups that facilitate the energy transition when compared to bigger international players.
• Need for open knowledge sharing and more efficient collaboration between international and Dutch investment players;

As a result, we decided to bring together over 60 of the world’s biggest investment players such as PGGM, APG, HSBC Pollination, Northzone, and others to reimagine capitalism together as part of our exclusive, invitation-only Flatten the Climate Curve LP/GP Investor Summit.

Through this event, we intend to create a highly curated space where top international and Dutch investors will have a platform to openly share their knowledge and expertise around the topic of venture investment in climate-change fighters. Additionally, we will facilitate active discussion on how we can foster better collaboration between LPs and GPs within the Dutch energy startup ecosystem. We believe the Netherlands can allocate capital in a smarter way, this event being a step in that direction.

The LP/GP Investor Summit will take place on December 10th from 5PM to 7:30PM CET in a hybrid format – both virtually (for those invitees who can’t attend in-person), but also at a physical venue with moderators and selected local attendees. 

The theme of the event is built around Rebecca Henderson’s book ‘Reimagining capitalism in a World on Fire’, which resonates with our event’s goal of establishing grounds for a system that is not solely focused on maximising profits & shareholder value, but is also harmonised with current environmental needs & circumstances. Rebecca Henderson herself (Professor @Harvard University & Author), alongside other noteworthy guests such as Larry Fink (Chairman/CEO @Blackrock), Mariette Doornekamp (Board Member @ABP), Michael van Swaaij (Former CEO/Chairman @Skype/Ebay), and many others, will join us in our ‘reimagine capitalism’ sessions.

Expect panel discussions about effective collaboration on VC investment; expertise sharing on how to best flatten the climate curve in the short, mid, and long term, as well as curated breakout sessions between Dutch and international investors to spark collaboration with far-reaching potential and impact. For a more detailed look at the event agenda click here.

To trigger a more fruitful and inspiring conversation around the future of capitalism, the art concept of the renowned conceptual artist and photographer – Enno Rijpma – will be presented as part of the event's programme. His art piece ‘Group portrait of capitalism’ captures the elite of the world by showcasing Mondriaan-like images of the top 25 multi-billion emblem companies. In line with the values that Enno alludes to with his art piece, 20% of the profits will be donated to recognised African organisations that support stimulation of creative art and media in African communities.

Good news - you can find more info on the speaker lineup and agenda here. Also expect a summary of post-event key learnings/insights to be shared on the Techleap.nl social channels: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Later on, we'll be following up with a replay of the event, so keep your eyes open for more updates.