Impact assessment matters less than you think – Raphaele Leyendecker (Techstars)

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

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Raphaele Leyendecker, a Managing Director at Techstars Sustainability Paris, where she has invested in 70+ climate tech startups, joins the podcast to discuss early-stage impact assessment and the french ecosystem as it compares to the global landscape.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Why early-stage impact assessment is often a myth

* The biggest challenge for climate startups in France

* How investors should really measure impact

* The role of technological readiness levels (TRLs) in deep tech investing

* How France’s climate tech ecosystem compares to the US and Nordics

* Why founders should focus on revenue before certifications

* And more...

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TIMESTAMPS

* 00:00 – Introduction:

* 01:14 – Why Impact Assessment is Overrated for Early-Stage Startups

* 04:45 – Defining Impact Metrics That Matter

* 07:32 – Revenue vs. Impact: What Should Startups Prioritize?

* 12:10 – Tools & Frameworks for Impact Investors

* 18:25 – The Role of TRLs in Deep Tech & Hard Tech Startups

* 22:40 – The Strengths & Weaknesses of the French Climate Tech Ecosystem

* 30:15 – Why France is Slow to Scale Climate Innovation

* 35:50 – Comparing France to the US, Nordics & Germany

* 40:10 – Rapid-Fire Q&A: Advice for Founders & Investors

* 48:00 – Closing Thoughts

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CONNECT WITH RAPHAELE

▶️ Raphaele Leyendecker - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaeleleyendecker

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CONNECT WITH ME

▶️ Newsletter - https://climateventuresvco2.substack.com/

🔗 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugorauch/

📧 Email - climateventuresvco2@substack.com

🔴 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@VCo2_HugoRauch

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INVESTORS MENTIONED

* Citizen Capital

* Wind Capital

* Racine2

* Techstars Sustainability

* Bpifrance GreenTech

* Pale Blue Dot

* Planet A Ventures

* World Fund

* Revaia

* ETF Partners

* 2150 VC

* Norsken VC

ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND FRAMEWORKS

* CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive)

* SFDR Article 8 & 9 (EU impact fund classification)

* Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

* SDGs (UN Sustainable Development Goals)

* Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions tracking

* Impact Business Model (Dutch framework)

* Mouvement Impact France (French tool)

STARTUPS MENTIONED

* Kumulus

* Miners AI

* NDB Technologies

* BiB Batteries

* Pelikan Mobility

* CarbonBright

* SustainSoft

BOOKS MENTIONED

* Ralentir ou Périr by Timothée Parrique

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PAST EPISODES YOU’LL LOVE

* Heidi Lindvall on Impact Assessments (Pale Blue Dot)

* Eric Gossart on Impact VCs vs Traditional VCs (Racine2)

* August Solliv on cleantech 1.0 lessons (Impact Supporters)

* Tim Schumacher on selling to climate deniers (World Fund)

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💜 Apple Podcasts - https://shorturl.at/HIDcg

🟢 Spotify - https://shorturl.at/yDTfR