Deadline: 5th January, 2026
The program focuses on fostering a community of visionary leaders who can drive systemic change through innovation and collaboration.
An additional 15 startups will join the Community Cohort and have access to various resources, including a curated digital platform, asynchronous tools, and visibility through Village Capital’s website and social channels.
All participating startups will receive two years of post-program support to strengthen their impact and scale their solutions.
Benefits
- Core Cohort – Advice – An invitation to participate in mock board meetings with representatives from relevant institutions, corporations, and investors that can help scale their solutions and startups.
- Core Cohort – Continued Learning – Four interactive workshops tailored to help their startup identify early milestones and prepare them for the next round of capital (if relevant).
- Core Cohort – Financial Analysis – Access to one-to-one coaching with an investment analyst focused on building a financial model, identifying unit economics, and using financial metrics to drive their business and investor diligence.
- Core Cohort – Funding – All startups from the Core Cohort will receive USD 10K in grant capital for milestone support. At the end of the program, two peer-selected startups from the Core Cohort will receive additional grant capital of USD 50K for the top-ranked startup and USD 25K for the second highest-ranked startup.
- Core Cohort – Mentorship – Ability to meet with and receive mentorship from potential strategic partners, customers, and other founders, as well as mentors and founders within the climate and sustainability space.
- Core Cohort – Networking – Ability to network and receive mentorship from prominent US investors and business leaders.
- Core Cohort – Travel Stipend – Receive a stipend to cover travel-related expenses for one team member associated with the Program Summit in London, UK.
- Core Cohort – Sage Product – TBC.
- Both Cohorts – Community Support Join a community of support and a suite of investment-readiness resources, including a curated digital platform, asynchronous tools, and visibility through Village Capital’s website and social channels.
- Both Cohorts – Exposure – The Core and Community cohorts will benefit from exposure to Village Capital’s program website and other communications collateral.
Both Cohorts – Support Post-Program – All participating startups will receive two years of post-program support to enhance their impact and scale their solutions.
Eligibility
Eligible startups must have:
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Legal incorporation as a for-profit entity, including, but not limited to, B Corp-certified companies.
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Headquartered or operating in France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, or the UK, with a preference for companies located near Sage’s offices in Newcastle, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Barcelona, or Lisbon.
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Market-based solutions that directly tackle the following verticals:
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Clean Energy Transition
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Biodiversity and Nature-Based Solutions
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Smart Mobility and Sustainable Infrastructure
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Sustainable Supply Chain and Manufacturing
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Circular Resource Solutions
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Climate-Resilient Health and Wellness
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Disaster-Resilient Housing and Community Planning
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Climate Finance and Insurance Innovation
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Environmental Justice and Social Equity
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Data Analytics and Climate Intelligence
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Green and Inclusive Economy and Job Growth
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Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
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A minimum viable product (MVP) and have raised less than USD 1.5M in equity.
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At least one full-time founder based in France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, or the UK. Meaningful customer or business validation (this can include revenue, successful pilot studies, user numbers, and/or strategic partnerships).
For more information and application.
