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Fundraising · Climate tech

5 questions investors ask climate tech founders

Investors who back climate tech companies ask a familiar set of questions. Here are the five that come up most, why they ask, and what a strong answer looks like on a slide.

Write my investor story freeSee the questions
INVESTORDoes this work without subsidies?
SOLSTICE GRIDPayback 3.8 years without subsidy
INVESTORHow do you measure and verify impact?
SOLSTICE GRIDMetered generation · audited by a third party yearly

The five questions

Each answer is shown for our fictional climate tech company, Solstice Grid, which makes rooftop solar and storage for factories. The numbers are illustrations. Swap in your own.

01

Does this work without subsidies?

Why they askSubsidies change; investors want durable economics.
A strong answer showsPayback without incentives.
SOLSTICE GRID

Payback 3.8 years without subsidy

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
02

How do you measure and verify impact?

Why they askBuyers and investors distrust unverified claims.
A strong answer showsYour measurement method and any third-party verification.
SOLSTICE GRID

Metered generation · audited by a third party yearly

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
03

How capital intensive is growth?

Why they askAsset-heavy models need different funding.
A strong answer showsCapex per unit and how you finance it.
SOLSTICE GRID

Projects financed by a lender · 20% equity per site

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
04

Who is the buyer and why now?

Why they askClimate sales are driven by cost and rules.
A strong answer showsThe buyer, their cost saving and the trigger to buy.
SOLSTICE GRID

Factories cut power bills 22% · new tariff from April

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
05

What is your project pipeline?

Why they askPipeline shows future revenue.
A strong answer showsSigned, likely and early-stage projects in MW or value.
SOLSTICE GRID

14 MW signed · 40 MW in late-stage talks

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers

The four numbers they check first

Before the questions, investors scan for these. Show each one by month, with dates, so the trend is easy to read.

Metric 1Tonnes of CO2 avoided
Metric 2Cost saved per customer
Metric 3Project pipeline value
Metric 4Unit economics per installation

The gap that costs climate tech founders meetings

Gap

The most common gap in climate tech decks is leading with the planet and forgetting why a customer saves money. Fix it before you send the deck.

Know your buyer

Your customers are businesses or households cutting emissions or energy cost. Name the first group you will win, and show why they pick you today.

Prepare the appendix

  • Monthly metrics for the last 12 months
  • Unit economics by customer group
  • Your answer to each question above, with sources

Questions

What do investors look for in a climate tech startup?

They start with these metrics: tonnes of co2 avoided, cost saved per customer, project pipeline value, unit economics per installation. Then they test the five questions on this page.

What is the most common gap in climate tech pitch decks?

Leading with the planet and forgetting why a customer saves money.

Are the numbers on this page real?

No. They are illustrations for a fictional company, Solstice Grid, to show what a strong answer looks like. Use your own numbers.

Can Astitva build my pitch deck?

Yes. Astitva writes your investor story from a short brief, in the order investors expect, and designs every slide in your brand. The written story is free.

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