Sustainability
Sustainability and ESG
At AlbionVC it is our firm belief that sustainability is paramount to long-term success.
Companies that integrate sustainable business practices offer better products and services to their customers, support healthy company culture and allow employees of all backgrounds to thrive. They consider unintended consequences of their actions and incorporate interests of all stakeholders. Such practices build enduring success and create long-term category leaders. Thus, delivering better returns to investors and shareholders.
In making our commitment to responsible investment and sustainability we have aligned ourselves with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We believe that by focusing on a few specific goals – G13 Climate Action, G3 Good Health and Wellbeing, G5 Gender equality, G10 Reduced Inequalities, G16 Peace, Justice and Strong institutions – and actively monitoring them we are creating tangible positive action towards meeting of the global challenge by 2030.
Sustainability and ESG
At AlbionVC we stand by the principles of responsible investment. We incorporate Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) considerations both for our internal operations and for our investment process and when working with founders and companies we’ve backed. Overview of our sustainability initiatives:
Sustainability Report 2024x
Sustainability Report 2025
x
Sustainability Report 2024
x
Sustainability Report and Data Appendix 2023
Environmental
We are committed to action on climate change and strive to play an active part in tackling the climate crisis.
- Curating a plan to transition our business to net zero
- Annual carbon footprints are measured with the help of our friends at Greenly
- We purchase Biochar carbon removal offsets from Supercritical, to take out all the carbon we put into the atmosphere in the previous 12 months
- We encourage all AlbionVC backed companies to measure their carbon footprint and introduce practices to reduce emissions; in turn we provide access to resources and blue print for best practice
- Our team takes local environmental action. Clean & Green event in Farringdon below:
Social
When we founded AlbionVC in 1996, we fostered a culture that welcomes everyone, where everyone can succeed regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, or socio-economic background. We achieve success by working as one team, where all employees feel valued, respected, and engaged. We believe that teams perform best when individual team members feel safe to bring their whole selves to work.
- We actively address gender inequality in our team: transparent performance review and remuneration process, tracking diversity in hiring funnel, and setting diversity targets for recruitment consultants.
- Diversity statement published below.
- To foster culture of collaboration and inclusivity we regularly organise informal team activities such as AlbionVC sports day, bi-annual away trip, cooking classes, mental health support.
- To inspire the next generation of venture capital investors, we partner with IntoUniversity to deliver work experience placements and workshops for students aspiring to careers in venture capital, entrepreneurship and technology.
Governance
As responsible investors we are guided by strong governance principles both for our internal operations and when working with the companies we’ve backed. Some of our governance considerations:
- ESG principles are incorporated throughout the investment process, view more here
- Annual ESG reporting and analysis across the companies we’ve backed across material Environmental, Social, Governance criteria
- Regular ESG updates for our investors and our board of directors
- Annual UN PRI reporting
- SFDR disclosures published, view here
- Actively involved in promotion of ESG and sustainability within venture capital, in 2023 received ‘Excellence in ESG’ award from the BVCA
- Active members of Reframe Venture, hosting annual roundtables on responsible dual use and defence tech investing
Signatories
AlbionVC is a signatory of UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) and commits to the six key principles to incorporate ESG issues into investment practice.
We are a member of Reframe Venture steering committee, a global community of 500+ VCs, 120+ LPs, and their portfolio companies focussed on meaningfully integrating responsible investment practices across all investment and engagement processes.
AlbionVC is a proud signatory of the Investing in Women Code, and commits to adopt internal practices that aim to improve female entrepreneurs’ access to the tools, resources and finance required to scale their companies.
Investment process
It is our firm belief that ESG considerations help align VC and founder interests in the long-term. We incorporate ESG considerations throughout the investment decision making process – from the pre-investment, investment stage and when working with companies. This forms part of our process to ensure an appropriate risk-return profile for our investments and helps AlbionVC backed companies develop sustainable long-term strategies.
This is what founders can expect from us:
1. Screening
- Company activity checked against AlbionVC exclusion list
- We track diversity of founding team and source of introduction
2. Due diligence
- ESG Due dilligence questionnaire for all new companies
- ESG terms added to the template Shareholders Agreement
3. Stewardship
- ESG and Sustainability objectives set during onboarding
- All AlbionVC backed companies are expected to meet ESG hygiene factors:
- Data security protocols – the implementation of data security and privacy protocols.
- Wellbeing & mental health – monitoring employee happiness, engagement and mental health.
- AlbionVC Treasury Policy – compliance with the policy on how company cash is held.
- Action on climate change – either having an environmental policy in place or measuring the company’s environmental footprint.
- At least one woman on the board – having at least one woman on the board of directors.
- ESG resources provided by our team
- Annual ESG reporting for all companies, based on stage and business maturity
4. Follow on investments
- Since we tend to back founders multiple times, ESG status is reassessed at each follow on investment stage
5. Exit
- We support your ESG transition
Diversity and inclusion mission statement
Since AlbionVC was founded in 1996, we have sought to build a culture where talented people from all backgrounds can thrive. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, or socio-economic background.
At AlbionVC, we believe that owning the future requires diverse perspectives. The most transformative companies are built by people who challenge convention, see opportunities differently, and bring unique experiences to the table. By fostering an inclusive culture, we strengthen our ability to discover, invest in, and support ambitious founders building category-defining businesses that create lasting positive impact.
We recognise that diversity and inclusion are not destinations but ongoing commitments. While we are proud of the culture we have built, we know there is more to do. As we continue to evolve, we are committed to ensuring that diversity, equity and inclusion remain embedded in how we operate, make decisions, attract talent, and support entrepreneurs.
Meaningful progress comes from sustained action rather than quick fixes. We focus on building equitable systems, processes and behaviours that support long-term change. This includes continuously improving our recruitment practices to reduce bias and broaden access to opportunities, strengthening onboarding and development programmes, and ensuring that fairness, respect and inclusion are reflected in our policies, practices and everyday interactions.
We succeed as one team. We believe people do their best work when they feel valued, respected and empowered to contribute fully. By creating an environment where individuals can bring their whole selves to work, we build stronger teams, make better decisions, and position ourselves and the founders we back to own the future.
