S8: E10. Funding Transformative British Climate Tech Startups ft. Jonathan Pollock (Elbow Beach)

Elbow Beach is an early-stage climate tech VC. They help to unlock technologies, solve big problems and transform industries. To date, they have made 20 investments.JP co-founded Elbow Beach in 2021 and is CEO. With over 20 years’ experience in large telecoms and tech companies, he brings deep operational experience to commercialise technology. He transitioned into climate tech investing, combining his passion for commercial success with purpose-led companies. Throughout his career, JP has led numerous turnaround stories by focusing on customer and colleague outcomes, driving both business success and meaningful impact.During this series of bite-sized episodes, I’ll be speaking to investors from across the climate ecosystem to get their reflections on 2024, insights about the funding landscape for 2025, advice for founders looking to raise, and finding out what they’re most excited about for the coming year.1:39 - Intro to JP and Elbow Beach5:30 - Which stages and ticket size does Elbow Beach invest in?6:21 - JP’s reflections on 2024 broadly and also within Elbow Beach specifically10:22 - Is traction in international markets a strong differentiator for companies looking to raise Series A and beyond?11:02 - Is there a risk that trying to handle UK and international markets can lead to founder focus and marketing not being strong enough in either market?13:22 - JP’s predictions and thought for the 2025 fundraising market18:12 - Which climate technologies are ripe for growth currently?20:09 - What does Elbow Beach look for in potential investments?22:16 - What are the minimums you look for a team? How mature does it have to be and can gaps be filled by fractional support?25:43 - When should founder-led sales be changed for a commercial / sales team?28:15 - JP’s advice for founders looking to raise this year31:25 - How to contact JP and Elbow Beach Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.