Carbon13

Applications are open for upcoming cohorts in Cambridge and Berlin. Over the next five years Carbon13 will bring diverse and amazing people together to create scalable ventures with the combined potential to reduce CO2e emissions by 400 million tonnes (Or 1% of global emissions). They provide the opportunity to build teams, bypass barriers and access expertise and finance to create impactful startups that address the climate emergency.

Carbon13’s programmes help determined people to build companies that transform global systems for a Net Zero future. Through these programmes, they support founders at all stages of start-up development, from the very beginning of ideas and co-founder teaming, through to pre-seed investment and scale. But unlike traditional accelerators, when you start a programme with Carbon13, you will be pushed to achieve their minimum target of emissions mitigation potential of 10 million tonnes of CO₂e per year when at scale. They can enable founders to aim this high because our programmes are built on a world class ecosystem of climatetech and carbon experts, partners and investors. It takes a community to build a startup. 

Investment process

The investors into the Carbon13 SEIS Fund (which will make investment into your venture) are motivated by making money from the fund, by reducing carbon emissions and to using their funds to initiate the change process through investing in Carbon13’s start-up ventures. There are tax benefits (relating primarily to novelty and scalability of the venture) from investing in the Carbon13 SEIS Fund and therefore ventures themselves will need to comply with UK tax authority legislation.

The investment represents the first £120,000 of equity investment into your company. The investment is made through a documentation known as an Advanced Subscription Agreement (“ASA”). The ASA does not put a valuation on your venture as it is designed to ensure that you do not suffer excessive dilution in the early stages of your journey. The investment under the ASA will convert into equity in your company when you raise your first round of investment with other investors, but given that it reflects the first monies into your venture it will benefit from a 20% discount to the valuation from those next investors.

This investment should enable your venture to start hiring and begin to demonstrate business traction and evidence of an investible business plan. This should make it possible for your venture to raise money from other investors, prior to or following the showcase days, due to take place at the end of Phase 3.

The investment will also enable you to pay Carbon13 a portion of the costs of participating in Phase 3. During Phase 3, Carbon13 and its partners will provide your venture with a variety of services and, to contribute towards the payment for these services, your venture will be required to make a payment of £40,000, using the investment proceeds.

Applicants willing to apply for Carbon13 can do it by following this link.

Portfolio: Nium, BioZeroc, 17Cicada, Zori Tex.