Business Ecosystem Development

The venture-capital world has a serial-entrepreneur problem, and it is gendered. New National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) research comparing male and female co-founders of the same startups reveals disparities that cannot be explained by founder quality or ambition: → Women make up only 4% of founders with 3+ startups (vs 13.3% of all VC-backed founders) → After a startup failure women are 22.5% less likely to secure venture-capital backing for their next venture → Female serial entrepreneurs raise 53.3% less capital after failures and 24.6% less after successes → Men receive larger deals for founding experience regardless of outcomes. Women are penalized for failures and barely rewarded for successes → When an unrelated women-founded startup fails, it hurts funding prospects for all female founders. However, successes do not create positive spillovers.

🌟 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐠 - 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞! The biggest breakthroughs don’t happen by digging deeper into one area - they happen when ideas, industries, and technologies collide. Think about it: AI combined with IoT has transformed healthcare. Sustainability powered by cloud solutions is opening new markets. The magic lies at the 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - where fresh opportunities emerge. 🚀 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 1️⃣ 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Combining technologies like AI and cloud accelerates growth. 2️⃣ 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡: Partnerships across industries unlock untapped customers. 3️⃣ 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞: Cross-industry collaboration lowers costs and drives new value. At Deloitte, I’ve seen the power of collaboration. By partnering with organizations like #Celonis, #Schaeffler, #HumboldtInnovation, and #GermanEntrepreneurship, we’ve established the European non-profit AI ecosystem, #KIPark. This initiative brings together players from different industries to unlock innovation. For example, we’ve developed an ESG platform, marking a significant step toward sustainable solutions that are robust and business-relevant. 🛠️ 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 1️⃣ 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲: Who could you partner with to create something new? 2️⃣ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬: Pair data scientists with operations or customer-facing teams. 3️⃣ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐲: Start small pilots that combine tech and business ideas. 🌍 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 The future belongs to businesses that connect the dots others don’t see. Breadth - not just depth - is the key to growth and resilience. 💬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 What’s one unexpected partnership or idea you’ve seen recently that sparked innovation? Let’s exchange ideas. Who knows what new intersections we might uncover together? #Deloitte #AI #Innovation #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #Partnerships 𝐴𝑟𝑡𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑙. 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑂𝑓𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒. 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑡 @𝑔𝑎𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ

India’s Green Financing Opportunity Could Shape a Century   India stands at a defining moment where a growing economic momentum meets an urgent climate imperative. The capital we choose to deploy today, and the priorities that guide this deployment, will influence not just our development trajectory but also the century that India shapes for the world.   At a global scale, the key outcomes from the recently concluded COP30 point towards the immediacy of climate action and the pivotal role of green financing. With strategic policymaking and the emergence of a climate-focused entrepreneurial ecosystem, India has a real opportunity to lead the global cleantech transition and achieve its commitment to reach net-zero by 2070.   Today, Green finance is powering innovation and scaling climate action while enabling entrepreneurship and opening avenues in infrastructure and job creation. At the heart of this transition is India’s rapidly expanding climate-tech or cleantech entrepreneurship ecosystem. Entrepreneurs are building impactful solutions across solar microgrids, battery storage, EV charging, carbon capture and sustainable packaging. According to a news report published by Inc42, Indian climate tech startups attracted over $2.2Bn in new funding over the last 18 months. Despite this momentum, early-stage climate ventures, especially in Tier 2/3 regions, often face barriers in accessing institutional capital. The government is addressing this through policy pivots that strengthen transparency and build confidence in the climate innovation ecosystem.   Subsequently, upper-layer NBFCs, lenders and development finance institutions are collaborating to bridge funding gaps. We are also seeing the rise of innovative financing structures, including blended finance models that combine concessional and commercial capital, thematic green funds to de-risk early-stage investments and ESG-aligned investment frameworks. These tools are helping channel capital to the most impactful and scalable climate innovations. As policy intent aligns with an expanding pool of capital, I truly believe India is well-positioned to become a global cleantech hub. This convergence of finance, innovation and sustainability promises to power India’s transition, strengthens local economies, create green jobs and ultimately shape the green trajectory of the next century not only for the Global South, but for the world.   Now is the time for policymakers, lenders, investors and corporations to take unified action. If India accelerates its green financing architecture with the same ambition as digital and infrastructure transformation, India could set a global benchmark for climate-led growth. The next century will be defined by those who fund the future and India is on the right track to lead the change.

We keep telling Black women to work twice as hard. The real problem is a system built to make them invisible. Earlier this year, Aliyah Jones — a Black woman with real qualifications, real experience, and real ambition, decided to run what’s now being called The LinkedIn Catfish Experiment. She created a fake LinkedIn profile, a white woman with the exact same qualifications as hers. Same CV. Same experience. Same skillset. The only difference? Skin colour. Over the course of eight months, she tracked responses, opportunities, and conversations. The results? Her white persona was flooded with invitations, interviews, and job offers. Her real profile - the authentic her, was met with silence, rejection, and invisible barriers. This isn’t shocking. This is what Black professionals, especially Black women, have been saying for decades. This is structural bias at work. This is the system doing exactly what it was designed to do. Let’s talk facts. Field studies show that Black and other minority ethnic applicants have to send around 60% more applications than white candidates to receive the same positive response. Résumé “whitening” experiments reveal that Black candidates who remove cultural or racial cues receive significantly more callbacks, skill didn’t change, perception did. Ethnicity pay gaps in the UK remain stubbornly wide, and unlike gender pay gaps, reporting is still voluntary. And the impact? It’s not just economic. It’s biological. Chronic exposure to racism leads to toxic stress, trauma, and a biological weathering effect — accelerating ageing and worsening mental health outcomes for Black communities, particularly for Black women who carry both racial and gendered burdens. This is not a talent gap. This is a leadership failure. This is a system problem. A broken system doesn’t need tweaking. It needs a RESET. A reset that starts with leadership, the very people entrusted to shape, guide, and influence culture inside these institutions. Black women don’t need another diversity panel. They need systems that value their brilliance the same way they value their labour. They need: Pay equity. Psychological safety. Power - not just presence. Opportunities that don’t require code-switching to be seen. We, as Black men, as allies, as leaders — must stand in solidarity with our sisters. Because when Black women rise, the culture rises. This is your mirror, leaders. If your organisation can celebrate Black culture in campaigns but undervalue Black talent in boardrooms… If your hiring funnel rewards proximity to whiteness over proven excellence… If your leadership table looks like yesterday but claims to be building tomorrow… Then it’s time to stop making statements and start making structural shifts. The Call Is Simple: RESET IT. Put Black women at the centre — not at the margins. This isn’t just about fairness. This is about building organisations worthy of the future we keep talking about. 🔗 https://buff.ly/J0iJvPe

Dear women founders, If you’ve ever dared to build something from scratch, you’ve probably heard these: “Why not stick to a safe job?” “Who’ll run the home if you start a company?” “Are you sure women can handle this kind of pressure?” India has the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Yet only 15% of Indian startups have a female founder. Shocking, isn’t it? Now before someone rolls their eyes and says – “There she goes, the feminist angle again...” If stating facts makes me a feminist, maybe check your funding portfolio – not my tone :) Because this isn’t an ambition problem. It’s an infrastructure problem. - Less than 10% of VC funding goes to women - 43% of women lacked support from family or spouse - Only 7% of unicorn leadership roles are held by women And investors still ask women about risks, while men get asked about scaling opportunities. And yet, she doesn’t just prove herself to the pitch room, She proves herself to the entire ecosystem. So, here’s what needs to change: VCs: Stop “diversity-washing” your portfolio and actually back outsiders Incubators: Build systems that serve people, not just outcomes Media: Stop spotlighting women only when it’s March 8th Families: Support your daughters even when the pitch flops Thankfully, some are flipping the script: WE Hub – India’s first women-focused incubator CXXO by Kalaari – Backed 100+ women CEOs Saha Fund – Investing only in women-led startups The Bottom line is – This isn’t a gender issue. It’s an innovation issue. It’s about unleashing the full potential of a nation. If we wish to position India as the #1 startup hub globally, we need to fund locally – without bias. Let’s raise the bar, together! What do you think?

Sustainable Finance Catalysts 🌎 Scaling climate finance requires capital and an enabling system of actors that can align incentives, reduce risks, and mobilize resources at scale. The table developed by S2G Ventures is a great tool to understand the different players within this ecosystem and the roles they can take. Governments are critical. Through regulation, taxation, subsidies and policy signals they shape investment flows. Convening organizations accelerate collaboration. By establishing standards and connecting stakeholders they support the adoption of best practices. Academia and think tanks provide evidence and research. Their independent insights inform asset owners and policymakers. Consultants support strategy. They guide asset owners through change management, design of frameworks and operational alignment. Catalytic capital helps de risk investments. Philanthropy and concessionary finance can crowd in private capital for climate projects. Corporates act as recipients and enablers. They bring knowledge of transition risks and opportunities while offering investable projects. General partners and intermediaries implement strategies. They build track records, design innovative structures and connect asset owners to opportunities. The strength of this system lies in its interdependence. No single actor can scale climate finance alone. Impact emerges when these roles reinforce one another. This perspective reframes the challenge. Climate finance is an ecosystem effort that requires coordination across actors. Recognizing and strengthening these catalysts is essential to mobilize capital at the scale required for the transition. #sustainability #business #sustainable #esg

Stop networking like it's your first day on the job Whether you’re an entrepreneur, employee, student, stay-at-home parent, or job seeker, we all need a network. Think of it like a garden – you’ve got to nurture it to see it grow. Here's how to build yours: 1) Find Your People ↳ Look for groups with common interests: business networks, entrepreneurial circles, mums' groups, volunteer organisations, or sports teams. ↳ Show up in-person or online and get to know everyone. 2) Master the Art of Conversation ↳ Master your one-minute intro: Who are you? What do you do? What’s your business about? And who do you serve? ↳ Ask questions and show genuine interest in their lives, work, hobbies, and dreams. People love talking about themselves! 3) Be the Helper ↳ Don’t be the person who shoves business cards and sales pitches at everyone – yuck! ↳ Find ways to help: introduce them to useful contacts, share valuable insights, or promote their business on social media. You could even answer questions in groups with your expertise, not a sales link or "DM me" reply. The Result By consistently being that person who helps or offers value, you build trust and strengthen your relationships. You will find that this approach naturally leads to others advocating for you, even without direct requests. The best part? When you eventually do need support, you'll find a network eager to assist. What's your best networking tips? ♻️ to boost your network with these tips!

Would you use a phone that only lets you download apps from one company? One where every update costs a fortune and you can't connect it to your other devices. Of course not. Yet that's exactly what closed automation systems are doing to industrial companies today, and the hidden cost is staggering. Research shows these locked-in systems are quietly draining around $11 million a year from mid-sized firms, and over $45 million from large enterprises. But the real cost isn't just financial. You're missing opportunities. Losing agility. Struggling to attract talent. 🔗 You can read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/g9gAaNNa I've been talking to CEOs across India, the Middle East, Australia, and Brazil, and they're all wrestling with the same puzzle. They need their plants to run faster and cleaner, handle supply chain disruptions, and bring in AI, all while working with equipment that's been there for decades. Like trying to renovate your house while everyone's still living in it. You can't just tear everything down and start over. Open, software-defined automation changes the equation entirely. It's not about replacing everything you've built, it's about augmenting it. Think of it as bringing cloud principles to the industrial edge: interoperability, continuous innovation, the ability to compose solutions rather than being locked into them. What Shell, Nestlé, and Evonik are doing with EcoStruxure Automation Expert isn’t just modernization. It’s creating a real feedback loop where operations shape design, data drives decisions, and teams are empowered to keep improving. The companies moving to open systems now will be the ones who can launch new products faster, transition to cleaner energy quicker, and attract the digital talent everyone's competing for. The question for every leader is: will your infrastructure amplify your people and your strategy, or constrain them? Gwenaelle Avice Huet Rafael Segrera Deepak SHARMA Colette Munro Walid Sheta Schneider Electric Omdia #AdvancingEnergyTech #OpenSoftwareDefinedAutomation

Alastair Marsh's recent thought-provoking piece in @Bloomberg highlights critical challenges with the current climate tech investing landscape Climate tech projects are capital-intensive with long timelines. Unlike software, much of climate tech requires massive upfront capital for R&D, pilot plants, and manufacturing before significant revenue. This demands longer development and deployment cycles (often 7+ years to scale) that exceed typical 5-7 year VC exit horizons. The classic VC model - built for rapid, asset-light scale-ups - often misaligns with the realities of many climate tech solutions, especially "hard tech." While there’s an abundance of early-stage VC capital for entrepreneurs, later-stage growth that bridges these projects from venture to infrastructure stage is basically absent—that’s called the missing middle. We need to adapt and supplement that approach by layering in other types of capital and bridge the "missing middle." A broader array of financing instruments is essential for climate tech to scale, including patient equity and growth capital, project finance, blended finance, and specialized debt models. Marsh’s piece lays out how family offices are uniquely positioned to be catalyzing players in this space. Their flexibility allows them to deploy capital across diverse segments, filling the gap and driving significant financial returns alongside impact. https://lnkd.in/gUf85Bwy