Warsaw, 4 May 2022 – PwC Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Wolves Summit have announced a strategic partnership and launched a CEE Climate Tech pitch stream aimed at matching startups from across the region with impact investors around the world.

Climate Tech pitch stream by PwC at Wolves Summit in Wroclaw, 24-27 May 2022

PwC ESG and Innovation specialists based in Warsaw and in London are working with Wolves Summit organisers to develop a pitch stream at the upcoming Wolves Summit in Wroclaw, Poland on 24-27 May. The CEE Climate Tech pitch stream, scheduled for the afternoon of 24 May, will be an opportunity for up to 10 climate tech startup founders to pitch to an expert jury of PwC specialists. Pitch stream winners will receive a consultation workshop with PwC professionals and exposure to global impact investors, as well as a place in the final round of the Great Pitch Contest later in the week.

Startup founders developing technical solutions aimed at reducing the impact of the climate crisis are encouraged to find out more about the Great Pitch Contest and apply on the Wolves Summit website by filling out this short form:

 

“We are thrilled to be partnering with PwC and looking forward to working with them to shine a spotlight on impact investment opportunities in the region. I am a strong believer in the power of our innovation and technology ecosystem in CEE to tackle any challenge, the climate crisis included. It is great to have a leading organisation like PwC working with us on this. They bring a powerful mix to the table: expertise in ESG, impact investment, innovation, and sustainable development. Great relationships and strong track record of working with startups and matching them with investors. A top brand and a strong regional footprint across the CEE region –  about which we are both extremely passionate,” said Michael Chaffe, CEO of Wolves Summit.

CEE edition of PwC Net Zero Future50 report to shine a spotlight in impact investment opportunities

The partnership will continue through the coming months and focus on the preparation of a CEE edition of PwC’s Net Zero Future50 climate tech report, with plans to present the report findings during the autumn edition of the Wolves Summit in October. 

The report, based on the methodology of The PwC Net Zero Future50 report published by PwC UK in February, will gather profiles of the top climate tech startups in the CEE region. In helping match global impact investors with local entrepreneurs in a range of climate tech sectors, the report will be an important tool for economic growth and sustainable development in this part of the world. 

“At PwC, we are always looking for ways to build trust and achieve sustained outcomes. The climate crisis is the major challenge of our time. One of the most exciting ways of making real progress is to match investor funding with entrepreneurs developing technological solutions to help achieve global net zero targets and limit temperature increases. We are excited to be partnering on these efforts with Wolves Summit, the premiere gathering of startups, scaleups and investors in our region. It’s about bringing together a community of solvers here in Central and Eastern Europe to make a real difference. I encourage anyone interested in this topic to get involved and help spread the word,” said Agnieszka Gajewska, PwC CEE ESG Leader.

What is climate tech? 

Climate tech is defined as technologies that are explicitly focused on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, or addressing the impacts of global warming. Climate tech applications can be grouped into three broad sector-agnostic groups—those that:

• Directly mitigate or remove emissions
• Help us to adapt to the impacts of climate change 
• Enhance our understanding of the climate.

Major climate tech sectors include the following:

• Mobility and Transport
• Energy
• Food, Agriculture and Land Use
• Industry, Manufacturing and Resource Management
• Built Environment
• Financial Services
• GHG Capture, Removal and Storage
• Climate Change Management and Reporting.

According to the PwC State of Climate Tech 2021 report, published in December 2021, investment from venture capital and private equity is pouring into climate tech, reaching US$87.5bn over H2 2020 and H1 2021, with in excess of US$60bn coming in the first half of 2021 alone. This represents a 210% increase from the US$28.4bn invested in the 12 months prior. Fully 14¢ of every dollar of venture capital (VC) investment now goes to climate tech. 

Where the investment falls short, however, is in addressing the largest contributors to global emissions. Of 15 technology solutions analysed in its report, the top five, representing more than 80% of emissions reduction potential by 2050, received just 25% of the climate tech investment between 2013 and H1 2021.

The United States leads in climate tech investing, attracting nearly 65% of VC investment, US$56.6bn from H2 2020 to H1 2021. China is estimated to have seen US$9bn in climate tech investment in the same period. Europe totaled US$18.3bn, driven by a nearly 500% increase in Mobility and Transport sector investments in H2 2020 and H1 2021, compared to the prior 12 month period.

Through their partnership and joint activities, PwC CEE and Wolves Summit will help bring to light the climate tech investment landscape and opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe.

Startups or scaleups from the following countries are encouraged to apply for the Wolves Summit Climate Tech pitch stream powered by PwC CEE: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, North Macedonia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

About Wolves Summit

Wolves Summit dedicates itself to fostering deep and productive collaboration between angel investors, VC funds, corporations, and the most promising startups in the CEE region invested in creating real, positive value in the world.

Founded in 2015 in Warsaw, Poland, the conference grew to become the largest tech event in Central and Eastern Europe. Today, Wolves Summit is best known for its matchmaking platform helping its attendees move the needle through meaningful connections. Every edition attracts more than 2,500 participants from 80 countries providing 100+ hours of immersive educational content, keynotes, and startup pitches. 

The next edition of Wolves Summit will take place on 24-27 May 2022 in hybrid format: in Wrocław, Poland & online. Find out more at wolvessummit.com.

About PwC

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