Smart Society Scoop
Welcome to the first edition of the Smart Society Ventures' Newsletter: Smart Society Scoop!
Every few weeks, we’ll bring you the latest firm highlights and market updates as we build Smart Society Ventures - finding and backing the next generation of climate and energy tech unicorns across the UK, Europe and US.
You’re getting this newsletter because you’ve had contact with our firm through our Co-Founders Brynne Kennedy and Steve Black - we’re excited for you to join us on our journey - and we’ll do our best to always keep it interesting and insightful. Let’s get started!
Brynne & Steve
Smart Society Ventures?
For those that need a refresher:
Smart Society Ventures is a scale-up venture capital firm that is backing the next generation of climate and energy tech unicorns from our offices in Switzerland 🇨🇭 and London 🇬🇧.
As former startup founders of a UK scale-up ourselves, we’re focused on backing companies once they are ready to scale (typically Series A-C) and we invest across foundational and decarbonization dimensions. We’re particularly excited about energy & grid tech, industrial decarbonization, the built environment, and carbon markets…not to mention the innovative companies we’re seeing the the UK, the Nordics, France & DACH.
Meet the portfolio: Pratexo
We’ll regularly share news from our portfolio, but we’re going to start with introductions to our existing companies, starting with Pratexo.
Founded in Malmo and Oslo, before moving to the US, Pratexo sells grid tech software that helps customers manage and monitor distributed power assets.
Its edge computing platform lets customers analyze high volumes of data locally, ensuring the reliability of critical infrastructure while avoiding data sovereignty issues. With a focus on energy and electrification, Pratexo plays a key role in the global shift toward decentralized, renewable energy by connecting diverse power assets such as batteries, solar panels, and EV charging networks.
Get in touch if you’d like to learn more!
SSV welcomes two founding advisors
This week we announced that Rt Hon Chris Skidmore has joined us as a Founding Advisor. Chris was the UK’s Energy Minister in 2019 when the UK became the first G7 country to sign their commitment to Net Zero into law, catapulting the UK into a leading position in tackling climate change. Well connected across public, private and academic sectors - we’re excited to work with Chris to identify and back the next generation of climate tech unicorns.
We’re also excited to announce Debbie Wosskow, OBE as a Founding Advisor as well. Wosskow is a multi-exit entrepreneur, Board advisor and investor, who is Co-Chair of the UK government’s Invest in Women Taskforce. Since selling her UK scale-up LoveHomeSwap to Accor, Wosskow has dedicated her work to growing capital and support for female entrepreneurs and investors. Today, less than 9% of European assets under management (AUM) are managed by women and just 23 women in the UK have a stake in a venture capital firm – and even fewer lead them! Female GPs are 2x more likely to back female founders. We’re excited to work with Debbie to help tackle the diversity challenge at both the GP and Startup level.
Where we're going
The post-summer conference season is upon us! Whether you are a climate tech founder looking for advice or investment, a fellow VC that wants to trade perspectives and collaborate on deals, or an LP interested in climate tech - please get in touch - we’d love to chat! Here’s where you can find us on the road:
🇸🇪 Malmö, Sweden - Steve at The Drop + Super Climate - 16-18th September
🇬🇧 London, England - Brynne at Founders Forum VC Summit and DBT’s Clean Tech Showcase - 18 September
🇺🇸 New York, NY - Chris at New York Climate Action Week - 23-27 September
🇳🇴 Oslo, Norway - Brynne at StartupLab 2030 summit - 24 September
🇬🇧 London, England - Brynne & Steve at Sifted Summit - 2-3 October
What we’re reading + shout outs
🌎 Mission Zero: The Independent Net Zero Review (by Chris Skidmore)
🎉 Congrats to our friends at Balderton and Atomico on their new funds 💰! Europe still has a long way to go to close the scale-up capital gap - but both of these represent a big step forward!