Training
Our curriculum is tailored to help your company identify early milestones and prepare for your next round of capital
Greentech Europe 2024
An accelerator program supporting women-led greentech innovation in Europe
About the Program
Greentech Europe 2024 is an accelerator for women-led startups in Europe working on sustainability products. The program will provide the selected startups with timely training, expert advice, network support, and potential funding to allow them to thrive – and in turn, help close the gender financing and resource gap in the region.
Program structure
2 cohorts of 15 startups selected to receive in-depth support via Village Capital’s award-winning training curriculum, including the opportunity to get grant funding through peer-selection, a unique process that has been proven to result in investment decisions that lead to a more diverse portfolio (as highlighted in our report, Flipping the Power Dynamics)
2 further cohorts of 15 startups selected to participate in light-touch investment-readiness training through our online, self-paced business development curriculum.
Meet the Autumn 2024 Cohort
Algae Scope
Algae Scope (Letchworth, UK) creates seaweed-based materials to replace harmful PFAS chemicals and toxins and develop a regenerative circular economy.
Meet the Spring 2024 Cohort
ATMO
ATMO (Berlin, Germany) helps corporations accelerate their net zero progress through project initiation and finance.
Women in Greentech
Investment into climate tech ventures is set to dominate the European VC landscape for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately however, funding into women-led climate ventures is still shockingly low — in line with global averages at around 2% of all capital allocated.
We need this to change. Not only are women working in the climate tech world tenacious — they’ve already battled their way through male-dominated education systems, but recent research shows that women-led ventures deliver higher revenue and ultimately make better investments for financial backers.
And Europe very much needs the innovative products that women founders are developing. Temperatures over Europe have seen the highest rise of any continent in the world, at more than twice the global average.
The International Energy Agency estimate that by mid-century almost half of required emissions reductions will call for technologies that are not yet on the market shows us that time is of the essence to build the support and investment communities that women greentech changemakers need to develop and scale their products, fast.
Eligibility
Eligible startups must have:
For-profit market-based solution that tackles a sustainability challenge in Europe, especially Southern Europe
Operations in or have the ability to expand business to the EMEAA or European market
Have a minimum viable product (MVP), and raised less than $1M in equity
Have at least one full-time founder based in EMEAA or Europe, and Co-Founders to have 50%+ female representation or more than 25% of senior leadership team to be female
Have meaningful customer or business validation (not limited to revenue, can also be successful pilot studies, number of users, and/or strategic partnerships)
Categories for eligible startups:
Climate Mitigation: Innovations within climate mitigation focus on addressing the surplus of greenhouse gasses.
Biodiversity Protection: Technologies within Biodiversity Protection work to counteract the challenge of biodiversity loss.
Resource Savings: Technology for resource savings aims to decrease reliance on non-renewable resources.
Waste Reduction: Initiatives in waste reduction contribute to fostering a circular economy.
Benefits
Mentorship
Build 1:1 connections with investors, strategic partners and potential customers
Financial Analysis
Work with an investment analyst who will coach you 1:1 on building a financial model, identifying unit economics, and using financial metrics
Media Exposure
Get featured on Village Capital’s program website and other collateral
Access to Abaca
Scale your business faster by identifying the right capital for you and planning your next milestones for growth
Grant Money
$125,000 of grant money will be split between companies that complete the full accelerator program
Program Timeline
Applications Open: Spring 2024 Cohort
February 1
Applications Close: Spring 2024 Cohort
March 18
Cohort Selection: Spring 2024 Cohort
April 16
Program Dates: Spring 2024 Cohort
May and June 2024
Applications Open: Autumn 2024 Cohort
July 16
Applications Close: Autumn 2024 Cohort
September 16
Cohort Selection: Autumn 2024 Cohort
September 21
Program Dates: Autumn 2024 Cohort
October and November 2024
Alumni Testimonial
"The topics you cover are really useful, the peer feedback is very helpful, making us 'think like an investor' when viewing each other is useful for our development. I've loved the new friendships I've made through the process and meeting the VilCap team, too, all of whom I look forward to staying in touch with! Honestly, the best program I've been on!"
Kelly Price, Co-founder of Agreed Earth
Entrepreneurs that graduate from our accelerators
Raise over 3x more capital
Earn over 2.7x more revenue
Create over 40% more jobs
Advisory Board
Adriane Thrash
Managing Partner, Anthology Ventures
Agata Leliwa Nowicka
Founder and Investor, Female Foundry
Anieke Lamers
Founder and CEO, Peekabond
Aurore Falque-Pierrotin
Partner, Samaipata
Cecile Sevrain
Co-Founder, Tiime
Chenelle Ansah
Partner, Cornerstone Partners
Gabriella Bossman Helland
Co-Founder and CEO, Sustie
Jessica Burley
Investor, Planet-A Ventures
The Latest
11 Women-led Sustainability Startups Receive $125,000 Investment from the Greentech Europe 2023 Program
London, UK (December 12, 2023) – Visa Foundation and Village Capital announced their latest equity-free investment of US $125K into 11 women-led sustainability as part of the Greentech Europe 2023 program.
15 Women-led Startups Selected to Join Village Capital’s Greentech Europe 2023 Program
London, UK (May 4th, 2023) The selected startups will receive training and funding support to further develop and scale their sustainability ventures.
Visa Foundation and Village Capital Invest USD $125,000 in 13 Women-Led Sustainability Startups
London, UK (July 15, 2023) The spring 2023 cohort will be granted USD $125,000 in non-dilutive financial support, contributing to a cumulative investment of USD $425,000 that has been injected in 37 women-led sustainability startups, across 17 European countries, within the past two years.