Purpose Driven Companies Deliver Higher Returns
Welcome to the Sixty-Seventh edition of Unstoppable Founders!
👑 #Unstoppable Female Founder
She’s spent her entire career boosting the startup ecosystem and helping founders scale their businesses. My Unstoppable Female Founder this week is the incredible Gabriela Matic, Co-Founder of Metta and Venture Partner at Aerospace Xelerated.
Gabi Matic has been at the heart of the startup ecosystem her entire career, creating opportunities for early-stage companies and mentoring founders through every stage of their journey. Before co-founding MindMate, the health-tech startup that gained international recognition and investment, Gabi was already helping founders navigate the challenges of building companies. As Programme Director at Ignite, she designed and delivered accelerator programs across the UK, supporting over 80 startups and mentoring many more. From securing funding to building sustainable business models, her work focused on providing practical, actionable support.
Gabi’s deep understanding of startups made her the perfect fit to lead initiatives like the ATI Boeing Accelerator and Aerospace Xelerated, where she worked with cutting-edge startups building technologies that shape the future of aerospace and sustainability. As co-founder of Metta, she now helps startups, governments, and corporations drive sustainable innovation through partnerships and community building. Alongside this, her ongoing work as a mentor with The Female Factor and Kickstart highlights her commitment to ensuring that founders—especially women and underrepresented groups—receive the guidance and networks they need to thrive.
Her approach is practical and grounded: helping startups find the resources and connections they need while creating an ecosystem where innovation is both supported and scalable.
Meet Gabi and hear her speak at our upcoming virtual event, Unstoppable Founders Summit. Registration is free - for more details and to register, check out WeAreUnsotppable.co
📣 #TheRant
Purpose Driven Companies Deliver Higher Returns
I know I am a little late to the party on this one, however I’ve just read through the Beyond Returns report, published by European Women in VC last year. The report focuses on venture and growth investing and how its fuelling sustainability and societal change. With over €53B raised in 2023, nearly a third of that funding went to companies aligned with UN SDGs. It’s clear that both LPs and VCs are becoming more intentional about where they’re allocating capital, focusing on startups that ultimately are impact and purpose driven.
A few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting the wildly intelligent and inspiring Alex Edmans who is a Professor of Finance at the London Business School and also holds several board positions for sustainability & investments. Alex is also a successful author, and in his book Grow the Pie, he outlines how companies can create both purpose and profit without having to sacrifice one for the other. Alex also argues that when businesses prioritize their stakeholders—employees, customers, and society at large—they don’t shrink the "financial pie" available for investors. Instead, they expand it.
Given Alex’s research and the data from the Beyond Returns report, I can’t help but think of the connection. The startups today receiving sustainable, impact-focused investments are likely to be the ones creating long-term value tomorrow - both for society as well as their investors.
LPs are driving demand for ESG strategies along with new EU ESG ratings, and many VCs are looking beyond short-term profits to assess how impact and purpose-driven companies can deliver scalable, sustainable growth. The Beyond Returns report also highlights that VCs leading with diversity and sustainability are seeing better performance. It makes me wonder: As founders and investors, are we underestimating how much impact-driven companies could outperform traditional ones in the long run?
While I’m no expert on the subject, I have been a passionate advocate on the topic that purpose driven companies tend to outperform those solely focused on profits. Having a purpose with what you’re building motivates your team, customers and partners while bringing them along on the journey.
So heading further into 2025, I can only hope that the trend will continue and we will see more LPs and VCs investing in impact driven startups. Boosting not only economic impact, but environmental and societal impact as well.
💰#HypeCorner
This is where we cover funding rounds raised by female founders and their teams across Europe. With less than 2% of VC funding going to female led startups, the HypeCorner is simply our way of congratulating and celebrating these founders!
🇩🇰 Line Kloster Pedersen Founder & CEO of Visibuilt
🇸🇪 Dr Elina Berglund Scherwitzl Co-founder & CEO of Natural Cycles
🇫🇷 Léa Dardenne Co-founder & CEO of EPYR
🇩🇪 Maria-Victoria Teicke Co-founder & COO of hallo theo
🇳🇴 Gillean Dean Nordal Co-founder & COO of Receipts
🇬🇧 Holly Butler Co-founder & CTO of Dxcover
🇩🇪 Xiaojun Yang Founder & CEO of Assemblean
🇫🇷 Maïa Alexaline, Chloé Bonnet & Hélène Antier Co-founders of Lyv
🇮🇹 Giulia Cervelli Co-founder & Head of Product at MESPAC
🇫🇷 Delphine Felder-Flesch Co-founder & CEO of SUPERBRANCHE
🇬🇧 Jen Keane Co-founder & CEO of Modern Synthesis
🇪🇸 Sira Mogas Díez Co-founder & CEO of KOA Biotech
🇬🇧 Luca Mezossy-Dona Co-founder & Strategic Engagement at IONATE
🇩🇪 Anna Alex Co-founder of Nala Earth
Huge congratulations to these founders on their teams. Wishing you all continued success!
🎤 Events for founders
👩💻 {VIRTUAL} Unstoppable Founders Summit is a free virtual event for female founders happening on the 28th of Feb. with actionable and inspiring talks focused on raising capital, scaling sustainably and inspiring your ambition to build a high growth company. Join us and 500+ founders - register for free.
🇸🇪 {Stockholm} TECHARENA themed ‘Becoming the Best in the World’ for next years conference happening Feb. 20th & 21st. Speakers include Sir Richard Branson, former Finish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph and more
🇫🇷 {Paris} GLOBAL SUMMIT by hello tomorrow celebrates the Deep Tech community on the 23rd & 24th of March with over 3,000 founders, industry leaders and investors.
🇦🇹 {Vienna} LTST25 hosted by Female Founders is back May 8th & 9th and this years theme is ‘The Real Deal for Founders’ Early bird tickets on sale now! Join the waitlist for the LTST25 Pitch Track and Competition.
🇬🇧 {London} SXSW lands in London June 2nd - 7th taking over the city merging creativity, culture and technology. SXSW London are now taking applications for musicians, film makers and speakers!
🇪🇸 {Madrid} South Summit Madrid - June 4th - 6th brings together global innovators, bold entrepreneurs, leading corporations, and visionary investors. Early bird tickets now available.
🇳🇱 {Amsterdam} European Women in Technology is a must for your calendar, happening June 25th & 26th. 5,000+ women in tech, diversity advocates, allies and change makers for Leading the Digital Revolution!
OUR ASK: With Unstoppable Founders Summit, are looking for partners to join us in creating the most impactful virtual event for female founders acrossEurope. Are you a VC, Tech Platform, Services Provider or University looking to connect with female tech founders? Get in touch to learn about our partnership options!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Jen
👋🏼 Are you a founder in need of support with you startup? A few ways I can help:
1. I support founders with their fundraising strategy and securing capital.
2. I build winning Go-To-Market and Growth Marketing Strategies
3. I provide mentoring and advisory services for founders, senior marketers and general operators.