Event

Nature-Positive Investment: a pitching opportunity for start-ups

London, Middlesex University Business School | 20 June 2024, 11.00 – 14.00

The project team of the SME Nature Positive Finance project is inviting purpose-driven start-ups that seek to raise investment to attend a pitching event on 20th June 2024 at the Middlesex University Business School. Businesses will have the opportunity to pitch for investment to an audience of ‘nature-positive’ investors.     

This is an entrepreneur-investor matching event that will showcase exciting, innovative SMEs with clear scalability projections that are developing forward-looking, purposeful and alternative business models to create a nature-positive future. 

These fast-growing companies will inevitably need investment and advice from experienced investors to support their business expansion sustainably. Meanwhile, investors are seeking opportunities with strong teams and IP with genuine green or ecological credentials. 

This event will bring these two groups together, supported by Middlesex University’s Centre for Enterprise, Environment and Development Research (CEEDR) and its GreenFin research cluster.

Successful companies will benefit from investor-readiness coaching and networking opportunities across the Raising Expert and GreenFin ecosystem.

What are the key outcomes at the end of the event?

• Coaching and support for businesses:
  • Selected companies will benefit from pitching to a specialist audience. They will be provided with a tried and tested coaching programme.
• Practical use of GreenFin/MDX FinBio research:
  • Access to the FinBio toolkit for SMEs and investors which seeks to catalyse and operationalise entrepreneurial green or ecological credentials.
• Networking for investors, SMEs, and research partners
  • Investors and advisors can share their knowledge and connections.
  • The event will link SMEs with suitable FinBio investors across the UK, including angel investors, angel investment groups and VCs.

Who is attending? Who can attend?

Start-ups and innovative SMEs seeking investment are invited to pitch their propositions at the event. Before the event, pitching businesses will be able to share their ideas, constraints, and opportunities to access funding for nature-positive business ideas in online workshops. The cohort will also discuss current research findings on the transition of the UK’s SME green economy through the adoption of biodiversity risk assessment in commercial financing. 

Take a moment to review our eligibility criteria to determine whether this event aligns with your interests and qualifications. All applications will be assessed based on these criteria and you will need to confirm you agree to them when you sign up.

Who is facilitating the event and training?

Finlay Kerr is the Founder and Principal Advisor at Raising Expert. He works with early-stage businesses seeking investment on a 1-2-1 basis or in small groups. Finlay has 12+ years of experience in this domain—bringing well-prepared businesses to informal groups of investors with experience in public, private, third and academic sectors.

Is there anything I need to do before the event?

Before the event, Middlesex University and Finlay Kerr will run investor readiness coaching workshops which will be provided to a suitable cohort. The selected participants will also be asked to review content proposed for an SME Nature-Positive FinBio toolkit and commit to contributing to its development and testing it.

Who is funding this event?

The event is part of the SME Nature Positive Finance project led by Middlesex University and funded by the Natural Environment Research Council’s Integrated Finance and Biodiversity programme. This project highlights key UK sectors where SMEs are at the forefront of innovative solutions to measure and assess nature-positive business activities. 

Please see the criteria and terms of agreement, and contact us for further details.

Related reading