DEEP DIVE: 10 UK investors looking for impact companies

In today’s tougher fundraising environment, some venture capital firms are quietly downplaying their impact credentials – or dropping them altogether. The rhetoric is shifting, and “impact” can feel like a buzzword too many investors are retreating from.

But amid the market shakeout, plenty of venture firms are sticking to their mission of funding companies tackling the climate crisis and other systemic challenges – with just as much focus on financial returns as measurable positive outcomes.

Impact Loop has compiled a list of 10 UK-based investors who are still flying the impact flag high – from pre-seed investors to growth-stage backers. Whether you’re a founder looking for capital or a fellow investor scanning the field, these are names to know in 2025’s evolving impact landscape.

2150 – backing founders within "urban stack"

Focus: 2150 focuses on urban sustainability and finding solutions for improving the way our cities are designed, built and powered. It is the venture capital arm of investment firm Urban Partners, and views the urban environment as the key battleground for making investments that have a lasting effect on the environment. 2150 recently raised nearly €200m for its second fund, which has already made three investments.

What are they looking for? 2150 wants to find companies that “reimagine and reshape the Urban Stack, for good.” That means climate tech and other solutions that can both lower emissions, kill inefficiencies and benefit millions of urban residents. Its portfolio includes companies within carbon removal, metals recycling, construction materials and urban mining.

Stage: Early-stage (Seed to Series A).

HQ: London (with offices in Copenhagen and Berlin).

Ascension – looking for social impact

Focus: Ascension is led by former founders and was named the UK’s most active impact investor by data provider Beauhurst. It has invested in more than 150 startups, focusing on sectors such as fintech, health, sustainability, and deep tech.

What are they looking for? Ascension seeks mission-driven founders developing scalable solutions to pressing social issues, including the poverty premium, childhood obesity, and the cost-of-living crisis. Their institutional funds, such as the Fair By Design Fund and the Good Food Fund, specifically target businesses that leverage technology for social good.

Stage: Pre-Seed to Series A.

HQ: London.

Blume Equity – on the hunt for scaleups

Focus: Blume Equity is a growth-stage climate tech investor with the aim of backing European scale-ups that can accelerate the net-zero transition. The firm wants mission-oriented entrepreneurs that make impact a core of their business operations.

And co-founder Eleanor Blagbrough has made it clear that the firm is not backing down from that focus: "We can’t out-argue rising temperatures,” she wrote in a recent LinkedIn post. "We can’t out-debate melting glaciers. We can’t out-vote extreme weather. The climate crisis won’t wait for consensus."

What are they looking for? Blume supports scalable businesses with measurable climate impact in sectors like food waste, industrial decarbonisation, sustainable mobility, and resource efficiency. Its investors include the European Investment Fund, ABN AMRO and British Patient Capital.

Stage: Growth-stage.

HQ: London.

Climate VC – funding founders reducing emissions

Focus: Climate VC is an early-stage investors in startups with the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s looking for bold founders and ideas – even some crazy-sounding ones. "We want to help ignite that early spark," the company writes on its website. The focus is on decarbonising every aspect of our day-to-day life and the economy. Their ticket size normally ranges between €30,000 and €400,000.

What are they looking for? They seek pre-seed and seed-stage companies that could remove or prevent at least 10 megatonnes of CO₂e per year, focusing on bold innovations across food, materials, energy, and nature-based solutions.

Stage: Pre-seed to Seed.

HQ: Lightwater.

Green Angel Syndicate – sustainable fashion, materials, aviation, foodtech and AI

Focus: Green Angel Syndicate is the UK's largest network of specialist investors dedicated to combating climate change. As an angel investment syndicate, Green Angel brings together over 350 private investors, including many former founders, who are looking to put their money into impact startups.

What are they looking for? Green Angel’s senior investment executive Hugh Bartlett recently told Impact Loop that the network is especially interested in the fashion, materials, aviation, foodtech and AI sectors in 2025. The network seeks to invest in early-stage ventures that offer scalable solutions to environmental challenges.

Stage: Seed to Series A.

HQ: London.

Lightrock Capital

Focus: Lightrock is a global growth investor with a €860m fund dedicated to climate impact. The firm is focused on the “missing middle”, funding growth-stage companies that leverage technology to create scalable impact, focusing on three macro themes: People, Planet, and Productivity.

What are they looking for? Lightrock is passionate about helping create the next European unicorns and isn’t afraid to place big bets on successful companies. CEO Pål Erik Sjåtil tells Impact Loop that the maritime industry and tech helping decarbonise the construction industry are of particular interest, along with the energy usage of data centres.

Stage: Growth-stage (typically Series B and beyond), with investment sizes often ranging from €10 million to €50 million.

Spin Ventures

Focus: Spin Ventures is dedicated to accelerating the transition from a linear to a circular economy within the consumer and retail sectors. They invest in early-stage companies and breakthrough technologies drive circularity and operational efficiencies.

"Our mission is to shift the consumer retail sectors from a very inefficient linear economy to a completely reimagined regenerative and circular economy,” Spin founder Nic Gorini tells Impact Loop.

What are they looking for? Having already backed 19 companies, Spin is raising a €50m second fund to invest in climate tech solutions for optimised and predictive manufacturing, regenerative materials and recycled technologies. The ticket size will usually range between €250,000-€500,000 and the aim is to find companies who are already producing initial revenues.

Stage: Seed to Series A.

HQ: London.

Systemiq Capital

Focus: Systemiq Capital specialises in early-stage climate tech investments targeting innovations across four domains: sustainable food and materials, clean transport, climate intelligence and finance, and climate restoration. "At Systemiq Capital, the pursuit of positive climate and biodiversity impact is at the heart of why we invest," the company says on its website.

What are they looking for? Systemiq Capital seeks science-based startups with scalable solutions that can drive systemic decarbonisation and regeneration. Their investment approach combines capital with strategic insights and deep industry connections, offering portfolio companies access to a vast network of climate experts, policymakers, and corporate leaders.

Stage: Late Seed to Series A/B.

HQ: London.

Transition VC

Focus: Transition VC seeks to bridge the gap between traditional tech and climate science across various industries. “Climate tech is not a sector, it’s a driving force across all industries,” the Transition website states. Their mission is to support technical founders developing breakthrough technologies that reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy.

What are they looking for? Transition seeks early-stage companies with innovative solutions in areas such as energy, transportation, materials, and the circular economy. They are also on the hunt for “general purpose climate tech” – solutions that can be applied across several sectors.

"The next wave of economic doubling will come from exponential technologies that rethink existing processes and generate spillover effects across all sectors," partner Mona Alsubaei writes in a recent blog post.

Stage: Seed and Series A.

HQ: London.

Zero Carbon Capital

Focus: Zero Carbon Capital has a clear focus on investing in hardware companies that can "move the needle" when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. Founded by Pippa Gawley and her husband Alex Gawley, the firm only considers technologies that are backed by hard science and have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 0.5 gigatons per year at full-scale deployment.

What are they looking for? Zero Carbon’s first €24m fund was focused on UK companies, but the second fund is looking at companies across Europe. Max Werny, venture associate at Zero Carbon, told Impact Loop that startups in ag tech and white hydrogen are on the wish list for 2025.

Stage: Pre-seed and seed.

HQ: London and Berlin.

In today’s tougher fundraising environment, some venture capital firms are quietly downplaying their impact credentials – or dropping them altogether. The rhetoric is shifting, and "impact" can feel like a buzzword too many investors are retreating from.

People in the picture:

• Christian Hernandez, partner and co-founder 2150.
• Jean de Fougerolles, founder of Ascension.
• Emma Steele, head of Ascension's impact funds.
• Eleanor Blagbrough, Michelle Capiod and Clare Murray, Blume-Equity's founders.
• Peet Denny, founding partner, Climate VC.
• Hugh Bartlett, Senior Investment Executive at Green Angel Syndicate.
• Nic Gorini, partner at Spin Ventures.
• Irena Spazzapan, founding partner Systemiq.
• Pippa Gawley, founder Zero Carbon.
• Mona Alsubaei, partner Transition.
• Pal Erik Sjatil, managing partner and CEO of Lightrock.