Raaise at X+Why

Ben Keene is co-founder of novel funding platform Raaise - specifically designed for start-ups tackling the problems of climate change. Raaise are building a community in Margaret River in Western Australia, that are on a mission to make raising capital for good green causes, simpler and more effective. On the 8th March at 7pm Raaise will be hosting a kick-off event at the People’s Mission Hall for their UK community of climate startup founders, impact investors and supporters. Raaise want to back as many of the bold, necessary solutions to the climate and nature crisis as possible.

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There’s a lot of money going into climate tech from VCs, but this tends to be high-risk capital and lacking in diversity. Raaise are interested in reducing the risk - so that more ideas succeed - and the founders get the best chance possible to make an impact. A big part of what Raaise do is push to get more people to switch their careers and investments towards climate action, and in doing so, tackle some of the anxieties we all feel.

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An Informal And Inspiring Gathering

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Come for quick pitches, stories and fresh opportunities. The format of the night will bring funders and founders together as follows:

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7pm arrival and drinks

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7:20pm welcome from Ben Keene and an introduction to Raaise

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7:30pm Meet Clover: climate activist and entrepreneur

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7:40pm-8pm round of shot-fire pitches from Raaises’ climate founders

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8pm - 8:30pm chat and Q+A

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8:30pm - 8:45pm second round of pitches, stories and opportunities

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9pm wrap up

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Combatting climate change is not just our generation’s struggle - it is also the single biggest investment opportunity in history. Raaise screen and vet start-ups to curate the best selection in the space, making the process simpler for start-ups and founders alike.

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"We need 1000s of bold, successful climate focused startups to help turn the tide. Raaise is the place to discover and get behind the most exciting and impactful climate startups." - Ben Keene

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What Raaise Look For:

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• Climate solutions (moving into a circular economy)
• Phenomenal founders (integrity, talent and vision)
• High impact (driving lasting change)
• Start-ups and scale-ups (revenue generating or almost there)
• Looking to raise $100k - $5M (within 18 months)
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Raaise believe that capitalism is broken, but that there is another way. We’ve got to where we are now because we’ve expected infinite growth from finite resources, exceeding our planetary boundaries. For too long, founders have chosen or been pushed to pursue growth at all costs, in order to meet shareholders’ expectations, and we can follow this playbook no longer.

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Raaise are both imagining and creating a world where founders remain captains of their own ship, plotting their course with less external pressure and maintaining control of their cap table. This benefits both founders and investors by increasing the chances of sustainability and longevity - taking a more holistic long-term view to investor returns.

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As an investor, you’ll still get to enjoy the upside if the company goes supersonic, but we all know unicorns are rare - so what happens if a company shows healthy returns but never exits or goes on to raise another round of capital? Well, in this world - you’d still get a competitive return!

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Raaise work with start-ups in a variety of industries, including: food, materials & waste, energy & transport, education, the blue economy and fashion. Their mission is to have 1000 climate start-ups funded by 2030, turning the tide on climate together.

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Investor Benefits: access to the best start-ups in the space, streamlined due diligence, benefit of other investors expertise, flexibility of a climate SAFE

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Founder Benefits: one-stop shop platform for all aspects of their raise, all hands on deck getting their ducks in a row, facilitated pitches and streamlined investor communication, access to legal templates and reduced fee professional services

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Climate SAFE: investment mechanism with all the benefits of a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and none of the drawbacks, offers investors better liquidity, allows founders to remain captain of their own ship, encourages sustainable growth

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“We know that startups, on their own, might not be able to ‘save us’, but we strongly believe that bold ideas, built with passion and backed by value-aligned investors can play a significant part in tackling the climate change crisis. For one thing, we can’t rely on governments big businesses alone to take the initiatives necessary to get us out of this mess.”