A new funding engine for climate innovation.
The Problem
We are not funding climate innovation at the scale this crisis demands.
Right now, only 16% of the climate finance we need is being met. Most capital flows to the same types of founders, backing the same kinds of solutions, leaving huge areas of innovation untapped.
One of the biggest missed opportunities?
Climate ventures co-led by women.
We need new capital models to unlock early-stage innovation, at scale, and with greater diversity in who gets funded because that’s how we change what gets built.
The Foundation
The Table Foundation will be a £300 million evergreen philanthropic fund backing women-(co)led ClimateTech ventures through recoverable grants.
A new model of non-dilutive capital designed for impact and scale, globally.
Each grant is linked to future revenue, not equity. As companies grow, a portion of their revenue is repaid and reinvested into new ventures, creating a compounding pool of capital.
This is how we support the earliest, most transformative stages of climate innovation, without putting pressure on founders or limiting their long-term growth.
For Founders
We fund early-stage ClimateTech ventures co-led by women, from Pre-Seed to Series A.
Grants are non-dilutive, tied to future revenue (if and when it comes), and designed to help you grow without compromise.
We fund ventures that
Have a direct and substantial positive climate outcome (across sectors)
Are co-led by at least one woman with meaningful equity
Have an investor partner already part of The Table Community
Want to learn more?
Who We Are
Founding Partners
Julie Blane
I work in the intersectionality of venture capital and impact as both an ESG Advisor for fund managers and as an Angel Investor.
​
I am active in climate tech networks convening, sourcing and collaborating with early stage investors. As an angel investor I am sector agnostic and climate-positive; I favour women-led and mixed teams to increase gender balance and investment opportunities.
My approach to venture capital bridges a mindset that investment returns are aligned with outcomes, which has been shaped by my early career within the philanthropy and NGO sectors in the US, Israel, UK and Europe.
Carmel Rafaeli
I support early stage climate ventures as an advisor, mentor and Angel Investor. I work with and invest in climate tech startups across sectors - from SaaS, through materials to hardware and robotics.
I have been an entrepreneur for most of my career: 15+ years bringing innovations to life in a variety of products and platforms in tech and non tech sectors ranging from brick and mortar fashion to hospitality tech and IP tech. Focusing on climate and sustainability for the past 5 years.
My passion is to help accelerate sustainable innovation by creating better connections between innovators, corporates and investors.
Advisors
Sthembile Nkabinde
I am a Chartered Accountant with 15 years of experience in finance and investment banking. I founded a private equity entity investing in mid-market businesses where I realised the lack of women-led and impact-driven businesses.
I decided to focus on supporting start-ups led by women and minorities, aiming to drive change in the investing landscape I now invest in and support these ventures.
I'm also actively involved in the start-up ecosystem, including serving on committees like the Harvard Business School Angels of the UK, advocating for more funding for women-led and socially impactful businesses.
_edited_edited.jpg)
Mea Lewis
I am the Managing Director at Columna Capital, a London-based private equity firm, where I focus on business development, portfolio management, and investment strategy.
I also serve as a Senior Strategic Development Advisor to the Datamars Sustainability Foundation, which promotes regenerative agriculture.
With over a decade of experience in global asset management, I am an angel investor and mentor in climate and sustainability sectors. Previously, I was a partner at a boutique advisory firm and Director of Global Investor Relations at SoftBank Vision Fund. I hold a JD from Columbia Law School.
Illai Gescheit
I am a serial entrepreneur, board advisor, and investor with a focus on artificial intelligence and climate technologies. I founded Mindset & Planet and serve on the boards of venture funds like The Atlas Capital and Barka Fund.
Formerly a Venture Partner at Siemens Energy Ventures and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at BP, I built new units focused on decarbonization and climate tech. I hold over 20 patents and was featured in the Harvard-MIT book Entrepreneurial Negotiation.
I am a member of the Ashoka Entrepreneur-to-Entrepreneur Network, the World Economic Forum Expert Network, and a Guest Lecturer at London Business School.