How to Use LCAs for VC Investments - Dr Benedikt Buschpies (Planet A Ventures)
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.***This week, we’re joined by Dr. Benedikt Buchspies, a scientist at Planet A Ventures, one of Europe's leading climate-tech VC funds. Benedikt has been pioneering the use of lifecycle assessments (LCAs) in venture capital for years and is showing that science + VC = impact.In this episode, we cover:* What an LCA is and how it measures climate impact* Why most VCs ignore environmental data (and why they shouldn’t)* How impact and financial returns align in early-stage startups* The challenges of modeling long-term systemic impact* What VCs should do to implement LCAs in their funds* And much more.. 👉 If you’re an impact investor, this is a must-listen episode.***⌛TIMESTAMPS * 00:00 Introduction and the Journey from Science to VC* 05:30 Understanding Impact Assessment in Venture Capital* 10:20 Quantifying Environmental Impact and Systemic Change* 15:10 Correlation Between Financial and Environmental Performance* 20:02 Guiding Investment Thesis with Impact Assessments* 24:15 Integrating Sustainability into Investment Processes* 32:36 Pros and Cons of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)* 38:05 Implementing LCA in Investment Firms* 40:23 Fire Questions and Conclusion***▶️ CONNECT WITH BENEDIKT* Dr. Benedikt Buchspies – https://shorturl.at/f40rA***🔗 CONNECT WITH ME * Newsletter - https://climateventuresvco2.substack.com/* LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugorauch/* Email - climateventuresvco2@substack.com* YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@VCo2_HugoRauch***📚 REFERENCES AND MENTIONS* LCA - A scientific method for measuring environmental impact* Emissions scopes – Different levels of carbon accounting for companies* Monte Carlo Simulation – A technique for modeling uncertainty * Systemic Impact Modeling – Assessing the broader effects of a startup* SFDR & EU Taxonomy – Sustainability regulations that apply to impact VCs* Scenario Analysis – A way to estimate how different variables affect an LCA result*** 🎙️PAST EPISODES YOU’LL LOVE* Heidi Lindvall on Impact Assessments (Pale Blue Dot)* Tim Schumacher on selling to climate deniers (World Fund) ***💚 LEAVE A REVIEW * Apple Podcasts - https://shorturl.at/HIDcg * Spotify - https://shorturl.at/yDTfR This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit climateventuresvco2.substack.com