56 businesses from Europe, UK and USA kick off three-year partnership to advance social impact and sustainability.
Newcastle, UK - 18th March 2025 - Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), and its partner, Village Capital today announced the first cohort of 56 start-ups for the Sage Impact Entrepreneurship Programme. The start-ups are based across France, Spain, Portugal, UK and USA, and will receive mentorship, training, grants and product support from Sage to help scale their businesses.
Powered by Sage Foundation, the company’s social impact arm, the Sage Impact Entrepreneurship Programme was launched in November 2024 with the aim of supporting under-represented businesses addressing the world’s most pressing problems. The first call for applications received over 200 responses, with applicants building a variety of solutions at the intersection of sustainability and social impact, such as community carbon markets, clean agritech, disaster prevention and energy conservation.
The selected businesses, which were assessed on their mission, their business model, and their ability to translate vision to impact, are working to address critical social and environmental challenges within their communities. For example, Carbix Corporation in the U.S. is working to transform carbon emissions into raw concrete materials for a cleaner construction industry, while Omma from the UK creates on-farm insect rearing systems that offer a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides. Similarly, Insail from Spain develops wind-powered solutions for clean maritime transport, thus preserving oceans, and Turnee from France helps redirect returned products directly to new buyers, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of shopping returns.
The panel that selected these 56 start-ups consisted of 19 members, with seven being from Sage’s leadership team. External members included senior executives from climate-focused venture capital firms and companies, and racial equity non-profits.
The United States had the most entries into the programme, and represents the bulk of the cohort, with 28 selected companies being from the country. They are followed by the UK (21), Spain (3), Portugal (2) and France (2). The selected companies have been divided into a Core Cohort, which will receive tailored mentorship, funding and product access; and a Community Cohort, which will receive access to Village Capital’s learning solutions and investment-readiness tools. All start-ups will receive support for up to two years after the programme has ended to continue to help to scale their impact.
Elinor Wakefield, CEO and co-founder of climate-i, said: “Climate-i is delighted to have been selected for the programme, and to have access to Village Capital and Sage's expertise and network. We grew out of an accelerator in 2023 and know how motivating it is to be part of a well-supported, impact-focused cohort. We'll be using this to develop and commercialise our technology to capture leaks of SF6, the world's most potent greenhouse gas, from the electricity grid.”
Helen Devanny, Vice President of Sage Foundation, said: “We are so impressed by the calibre of the companies and entrepreneurs that applied, and are proud to be kicking off this programme with these 56 start-ups. The scale of the problems they’ve chosen to solve is immense, but that is what makes their work even more meaningful and urgent. We’re proud to be putting our technology, skills, and resources behind these purpose-driven leaders in service of a more sustainable and equitable tomorrow.”
Allie Burns, CEO of Village Capital, said: “Early-stage founders are at the forefront of tackling urgent social and environmental challenges, bringing bold ideas and innovative business models to drive meaningful change. The 56 start-ups in this first Sage Impact Entrepreneurship cohort are not only building solutions for a more sustainable future but also reshaping industries – from clean energy and circular economy innovations to sustainable infrastructure and data and climate modelling tools. We’re excited to support these entrepreneurs, learn from their journeys, and help them scale their impact.”
Further information:
About Sage Foundation
Sage Foundation has been knocking down barriers in our communities since 2015. By mobilising our colleagues, partners, and customers through impactful programmes, Sage Foundation is helping underrepresented entrepreneurs to grow their businesses while equipping the entrepreneurs of tomorrow with the skills they need to succeed.
About Sage
Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of small- and mid-sized businesses served by us, our partners, and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR, and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology, and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality, and the climate crisis.
About Village Capital
Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage startups to maximize business and impact growth.
Since 2009, Village Capital has supported close to 1,800 startups that have raised USD 7.5 billion in investment capital. It has made more than 150 investments through its various affiliated funds, including Vilcap Investments, which has invested in 110 peer-selected companies. Additionally, more than 25,500 users actively engage on Abaca, their web app that equips entrepreneurs, ESOs, and capital providers with tools for learning about, assessing suitability and expanding access to financial capital. Its latest feature, Capital Explorer, helps founders identify the most appropriate funding options for their businesses. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow Village Capital on X.
