When it comes to addressing the challenge of climate change, there is no single company, solution or sector that can carry the bulk of the burden. Staving off the worst impacts of climate change means accelerating, commercialising and adopting a wide variety of solutions at scale.
That’s exactly what a new growth hub in Sydney intends to do.
Dubbed ‘Greenhouse’, the hub will serve as a physical home for climate tech founders across the country, accelerating business growth and strengthening regional ties in support of impactful climate action.
Greenhouse is the brainchild of Investible, a leading Australian-based early-stage investment company, and is supported by the City of Sydney. It is designed to help climate companies scale globally by providing them with the capital, talent, programs and community they need to reach their fullest potential.
So, what exactly is Greenhouse?
First and foremost, Greenhouse is a physical hub that, thanks to the support of the City of Sydney, will offer flexible and cost-effective work, collaboration and event space in one of the city’s most desirable locations -- right at Circular Quay inside Lendlease’s new 56-storey tower, a building targeting incredible environmental credentials.
Members will have access to private and open workspaces that are suited to hybrid and geographically dispersed teams - as well as teams that want to build a strong culture as they grow.
But Greenhouse is so much more than coworking alone.
“As the name suggests, Greenhouse is all about growth. Technology businesses face increasingly complex challenges and require different levels of support as they scale. We’re bringing together a diverse group of investors, experts, partners and advisors to help founders overcome these challenges,” said Greenhouse CEO and Investible Co-Founder Creel Price.
“We envision many of our services to be borderless - with the goal of supporting tech companies to expand into global markets while also reducing harmful carbon emissions – and help progress Australia as a leader in climate innovation.”
That support will come in a variety of forms including the Greenhouse Talent Hub, which will offer access to pre-vetted talent, such as advisors, contractors and other professionals, as well as a strong line-up of growth-focused programs and events.
Greenhouse will also help with another key growth challenge - funding. Climate founders will also have the investment opportunities from Investible’s Climate Tech Fund, a new fund with 100% climate impact allocation, and through connections with leading VCs and angel investors who will join the community and Investible’s broader network of investment partners.
Importantly, founders will also be joining a purpose-driven community, committed to making Australia a leader in climate technologies and protecting the future of our planet.
How did Greenhouse come to be?
Planning for Greenhouse began in earnest in 2019, after the City of Sydney announced it would be seeking an operator to run what was then called the Business Innovation Space (BIS). The City had long recognised the pivotal role technology businesses play in creating high-quality jobs, boosting the local economy and strengthening global connections and it wanted to develop a space that could enable businesses to grow globally.
Price says Investbile was interested in the opportunity right from the start.
“We’ve always viewed early stage investing as our front-row seat to the future and saw the BIS as an incredible opportunity to help the next generation of founders build global businesses to address complex problems,” he said.
“It’s become clear, however, that no problem is more pressing or packed with latent opportunity than climate change. Greenhouse is our way of supporting and enabling optimistic, impassioned founders at the forefront of the fight.”
“It’s our vision for Greenhouse to unite people, capital and purpose in new ways and accelerate the businesses that will help us all respond to this challenge.”
Price says Greenhouse will be a collaborative space for founders, investors, professionals, corporate partners, and supporters who are passionate about building a better future.
“We’ve always taken a collaborative approach at Investible and want to bring together a diverse network of investors, experts, partners and advisors to make Greenhouse as impactful as possible and position Australia as the home of smart, inclusive and green innovation.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Greenhouse or lending your support, get in touch with Investbile.
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