Bridging the Gap in European Scale-up Funding: The Green Imperative in an Unprecedented Time
This paper addresses a triple challenge – improving access to growth-stage capital, the ability to direct this toward green technology, and doing so during the pandemic and economic disruption. Four ideas are proposed: improved interaction with European institutions; using innovative funding structures; redesigning procurement; and giving founders a voice on regulation. Despite the current crisis, Europe has all the fundamentals for innovation, growth and prosperity. European policy-makers have proven capable of forward thinking and innovation. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is being adopted globally. The European Commission’s Sustainable Finance Action Plan is set to transform the financial sector, while the Green Deal aims to decarbonize the European economy by 2050 through decisions taken in the next five years.
