Global professional services firm EY announced today a new collaboration with venture builder Carbon13, in a partnership aimed at helping develop and scale companies developing solutions to reduce CO2 emissions.

Founded in 2019, Carbon13 aims to help 1,000 entrepreneurs over 5 years to build scalable ventures, with the potential to reduce carbon emissions by over 400 million tonnes. The initiative’s venture builder program works with startups over eight months, matching co-founders with a team to help build the venture, building proof points around the venture, and then investing in the venture, and focusing on building customer traction and momentum.

The program is currently working with its second cohort, with applications for the third now open. EY worked with the first two cohorts, and has committed to collaborating with the next three venture builder programmes over the next two years.

Rob Doepel, EY’s Managing Partner – Sustainability said:

“Transitioning to a more sustainable and low carbon economy will take a collective effort from every corner of the business community. Innovative thinking, transformational business models and rapid action are what’s needed to fast track us to a more sustainable future. That’s why organisations like Carbon13 are so vital in the fight against climate change – the entrepreneurs and ideas they support are potentially game-changing in the race to significantly reduce CO2e emissions.”

Under the new collaboration, EY will help the start-ups to overcome common challenges faced by early-stage businesses with insights, knowledge and advice, and will also run speaker events and workshops where members of the EY sustainability team will share expertise across the climate change and sustainability, to help shape and refine the start-ups’ value propositions. EY will also support the entrepreneurs to pitch their initial concepts, with feedback and advice to help strengthen their ideas.

Ben Taylor, EY Global Climate Change & Sustainability Services Strategy & Markets Leader said:

“Collaboration is central to building sustainable solutions. EY’s support of Carbon13 aligns with our belief that sustainability is the innovation opportunity of our lifetime. By supporting these entrepreneurs and their innovative ideas, we are supporting the development of some of the sustainable solutions best placed to positively impact business, people, and the planet.”

Dr Chris Coleridge, Carbon13 CEO, added:

“Having the support, knowledge and expertise of EY and its people is a huge boost to Carbon13 and the entrepreneurs that we work with. There are a great number of entrepreneurs with some ground-breaking ideas but the challenge is taking these from concept to reality much more quickly. By bringing together the collective power and expertise of EY to collaborate and offer advice and guidance to entrepreneurs, we will be better able to drive forward their plans and ambitions.”