Climate Insiders is a community of investors committed to making the world fundamentally more positive and sustainable. We invest in bold, innovative moonshot startups that can drive radical technological advances to combat climate change. And we empower everyone to become part of a new generation of Climate Investors with the goal of making a positive impact.
We only back founders who are obsessed about radically disruptive products that fight climate change. We only invest in moonshot opportunities, only hardware, no software. We only invest in transformative innovation, not in incremental innovation. We only invest uncharted territories, not in crowded opportunities.
Yoann Berno: after a number of years working as a software engineer in Silicon Valley, Yoann built a Cleantech business in Kenya, then joined a VC fund in Berlin and ended up starting his own Climate Tech fund in 2020 (Climentum capital)
Today, he interacts on a daily basis with the world's best Climate Tech investors. They share deals, trends, insights. He is here to give you access to that wisdom and accelerate your path to success so you also can 5x your money and be proud of the positive impact you've helped generate in this World. In just 5 years, he’s assembled a portfolio of 30 startups already generating a track of 5.3x.
We only invest in pre-seed & seed-round, where founders need it most and ownership can be maximised.
See here: 💫Portfolio Climate Insiders
Our community is active on our own Member Portal and our deals are structured on Kapital (SPV platform, see below). Once you're an active member you will receive your private access.
Whenever a new deal opens, you will be notified on our Member Portal and receive an email with all the information. All discussions related to the deal will take place on our platform. You can then place your commitment for the deal on Kapital.
For each deal we have a separate channel in our Member Portal with all the relevant information and chats in which we discuss everything to do with the investment
We follow a set of core investment principles to maximize impact and returns:
https://www.kapital.inc/ : Kapital is a Swiss-Luxembourg based fintech and financial service provider that supports Founders, Asset Managers and VC Funds with investment solutions to easily raise and deploy capital from their network.
We utilize Kapital to organize our Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). Kapital handles all legal aspects related to the investment. They offer competitive pricing and faster service compared to other providers, while also prioritizing climate concerns. Kapital shares our commitment to democratizing Climate Tech investing and has provided invaluable support since the beginning.
SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicle) have been used since the 80's to structure numerous types of transactions - but they've become popularized by VC's and Startups who use them to raise and deploy capital during fundraising rounds.
An SPV enables hundreds of investors to come together as a single group, with smaller individual investments, and share the legal costs.
Kapital uses Luxembourg securitisation vehicles. For years Managers have been choosing Luxembourg as their jurisdiction of choice for domiciling funds and other financial products, particularly when it comes to alternative assets.
Yes. Kapital was setup with global intentions in mind and has built a specialty in global transactions. To date, they work with customers and investors from across 40+ countries.
Sophisticated investors refer to individuals or institutions with a high level of financial knowledge and experience, allowing them to participate in more complex investment opportunities and instruments.
Investors taking part in Kapital SPVs must be sophisticated or accredited investors who are allowed to invest in alternative investments such as private equity, venture funds, angel syndicates, etc. in their country.
By having previously Angel invested, taken the ‘Invest In Climate Tech Like A VC’ course (which is available as an online course for free to all members) or worked in the Climate Tech investing space, you qualify as a Sophisticated investor.
KYC, which stands for "Know Your Customer," refers to the process of verifying the identity and suitability of individuals or organizations before allowing them to make investments. It is a standard practice in the financial industry to prevent fraud, money laundering, and other illegal activities.
You will need to complete the KYC process on Kapital. This only needs to be done once, for your first deal with Kapital. Here are the steps to follow after committing to a ticket via the deal page:
To start, you must commit a specific amount to a deal through the provided deal page. This amount serves as a pledge indicating how much you intend to invest in the deal.
If this is your first investment, you will need to complete your KYC (Know Your Customer) process. After that, the shareholder agreement will be issued to Kapital. Kapital will then provide you with the wiring details. Once the money is wired, you will receive the necessary paperwork. You can always monitor your portfolio directly on Kapital.
If Kapital (our SPV provider) goes bankrupt:
To join, you need to submit an application on the home page. This will be followed by an interview with Yoann, who will walk you through the onboarding process. Once you're selected to become a member, you will be granted access to our Member Portal, Kapital and a platform with all the resources.
By becoming a member of Climate Insiders, you will not only gain access to exclusive deals but also have the opportunity to build a valuable professional network and learn about startup investing. Throughout your membership, you will have access to the following services:
We have paused the cohort-based course 'Invest In Climate Tech Like A VC' at https://maven.com/climate-tech/invest-in-climate-tech-new. Instead, we are now offering it for free in a recorded format as part of the Climate Insiders Community membership. The community is experiencing rapid growth, and our primary focus is to provide as much upfront value as possible to its members.
Your membership fee covers access to the Community, its network, training courses and events, as well as access to the deals presented. It is payable on a one-off basis and cannot be used to invest.
Memberships are strictly personal, valid for 1 year and cannot be transferred
Before Climate Insiders, to access the right Climate Tech startup files, you either had to be a renowned business angel or have significant financial resources or an excellent network. This allowed you to access them via a renowned investment fund (average entry ticket $250k) or a top business angel club, provided you could invest $50/100k in each deal to interest the founders of high-potential startups.
Thanks to the exclusive network of Yoann Berno and the business angels associated with the Community, Climate Insiders gives you access to off-market files - those that are never presented to the general public - from $1,000 upwards, whether or not you have substantial assets or a network. Also, unlike a fund, you remain in control of your investment since you decide which startups to invest in.
Memberships are valid for one year. If you are no longer a member, you will of course retain all your investments and portfolio, but you will not be able to subscribe to new fundraising activities or access the courses and resources.
To join the community, you must first pay an annual membership fee of $990.
Then, for the fundraising rounds in which you participate:
Here is the breakdown of the total fees. The Kapital and Climate Insiders fees are added on top of your commitment. For example, if you commit $2,000, the total amount you will need to wire is $2,060.
We invest $100-500k in each ticket. The allocation will be communicated on a per-deal basis and can be viewed on Kapital.
The minimum ticket for each deal is $1,000.
There is no maximum as long as there’s still allocation in the deal.
On average, we complete one deal per month (12 per year).
The deals are listed on Kapital. Each time a new deal opens, we will provide you with a link to the deal on Kapital. To reserve your investment allocation, simply fill out the form on Kapital. If this is your first time investing with us, Kapital will guide you through the onboarding process. After the first deal, the process becomes much simpler.
Using the Kapital portal, you can track your portfolio, committed capital, and receive portfolio updates.
Deals are usually open for one week.
⚠️ It can take a few weeks to a few months for a deal to fully close, depending on where we are in the process. If this is the case, don't worry. You will receive all the information and next steps in due time.
The time frame for completing the paperwork depends on the deal. If the deal is part of a larger funding round, the lead investors need to complete the final legal procedures before we can proceed, and this can take a few weeks. Until all investors are confirmed and their details are added to the cap table, the final Shareholders Agreements cannot be issued to Kapital, and you cannot wire the money yet. However, if the deal is structured as a SAFE, we can close it much faster as it doesn't require the same extensive legal procedures. We will inform you about the expected timeline for each individual deal.
Investing in startups and early-stage businesses carries risks, including illiquidity, lack of dividends, potential loss of investment, and dilution. Therefore, it should only be done as part of a diversified portfolio. The content on this community is intended for sophisticated and professional investors who have sufficient experience and knowledge to understand the processes and risks involved and make their own investment decisions. If you feel that you are not equipped to evaluate your expertise, please refrain from investing.
Investing in startups and early-stage businesses carries risks, such as illiquidity, lack of dividends, potential loss of investment, and dilution. Therefore, it should only be done as part of a diversified portfolio. The content on this community is intended for sophisticated and professional investors who have sufficient experience and knowledge to understand the processes and risks involved, and to make their own investment decisions. If you feel that you are not equipped to evaluate your expertise, please refrain from investing.
In most cases with a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), individual angel investors' names do not appear on the startup's cap table. Instead, the SPV is listed as a single entity. The deal lead or the entity managing the SPV represents all the angel investors who have invested through the SPV. This simplifies the cap table for the startup by consolidating all individual investors into a single line item.
It depends on the valuation and the amount invested. If we invest $100,000 and the startup's valuation is $1M, we own 10% of the capital together. Then, you hold the percentage relative to your investment in the deal (if you invested $2,000 out of the $100,000 for example, you hold 2% of 10% which is 0.2% of the startup).
It is impossible to predict. We do not control the process and are therefore unable to exit when we want. The global average time frame is estimated to be 5-7 years. In Climate Tech, it might take longer.
Generally, it is the entrepreneur or the startup. In some cases, the exit is offered to us, and we have to decide whether to exit or not. In this case, the decision is taken by the majority (within the holding).
Yes, we invest through a holding, and our destinies are linked. If we exit, it is all together.
You can invest with a company, as an individual, or both, in each operation. You can choose the entity to invest with during your onboarding process on Kapital.
As shareholders, we have the right to information. The startup communicates its progress, milestones, etc. In practice, this communication is centralized by Open Climate, which then transfers the information to the shareholders.
Investment in startups are non-liquid, and exits are not made at the discretion of investors but during liquidity events such as the purchase of the startup by another company.
You will no longer have access to new investment opportunities. However, you remain shareholders of the startups in which you have invested during your membership, and you will continue to receive updates about them, including information about exits.
Yes, you remain a shareholder of your portfolio companies and you will still make the exit even if you are no longer in the community.
Your money is always transferred directly to the holding account.
If you are a EU resident, no. You are only taxed in your place of residence. If you’re a US resident, you’ll be taxes in the US. The SPV is a Luxembourg entity. And you'll be paying taxes in the jurisdiction where you are tax resident, and only there. There's no double-taxation.
No, nothing special to declare at first. Then, in the event of a capital gain, you declare it like any other capital gain (like your stock market shares, for example).
Yes, no problem investing as a US resident. But SPVs will be Luxembourg entities. You will still need to file your regular taxes in the US as a US resident.
Kapital will provide all legal documentation.
Investing in startups and early-stage companies is considered high-risk, as these companies are still in the early stages of development and may not be profitable for several years. There is also a risk that the investment may be lost if the company is not successful. It is important to consult with a financial advisor before making an investment into startup companies.
Angel investors should be aware of the potential legal risks associated with angel investing. For example, angel investors may be subject to liability if they fail to conduct adequate due diligence when assessing the potential investment opportunity. Additionally, angel investors may be liable for any misrepresentations made by the company in which they invest, or for any losses resulting from their investment. It is important for angel investors to understand the legal risks associated with angel investing and to consult with a qualified legal advisor before making any investments.
In addition to the legal risks associated with angel investing, there are also several other risks that angel investors should be aware of. These include the risk of investing in a company that may be unable to generate a return on the investment, the risk of investing in a company that does not have a viable business model, the risk of investing in a company that is not adequately capitalized, and the risk of investing in a company whose management team lacks experience or the necessary skills. Additionally, there is a risk that the company may fail to execute its business plan or its technology may fail to meet expectations. It is important for angel investors to understand the risks associated with angel investing and to consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investments.
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We democratize climate tech investing, empowering thousands to align their money with their values and utilize money as a powerful tool to drive positive change in combating climate change.
