Sustainable Times Investor Series — Robin Grenfell Cowan: What Really Drives Early-Stage Investment Decisions

Host: Stuart Hall, Managing Director, Sustainable Media GroupGuest: Robin Grenfell Cowan, High-Net-Worth InvestorEpisode OverviewIn the first episode of the Sustainable Times Investor Series, Stuart sits down with HNW investor Robin Grenfell Cowan to explore how early-stage investment decisions are really made in private markets. Robin has backed multiple pre-seed and seed-stage companies and brings a candid view on founders, deal flow, due diligence and sustainability-led innovation.This episode focuses on what makes an opportunity stand out, what makes investors walk away, and how honesty, humility and long-term thinking shape investment outcomes.• Why people matter more than anything• Due diligence beyond the numbers• The biggest red flags• Pitch decks: what works and what doesn’t• Why he doesn’t require revenue• EIS/SEIS and the awareness gap• Where the next wave of innovation will come from• Advice for foundersThis conversation cuts through the noise. It’s a grounded look at how investors actually think, something both founders and early-stage investors will find useful as the market resets for 2026.