Some ideas deserve the best chance of success. We accelerate them.

Approach

We build systems change by working with impact-driven ventures. Our toolkit to support is diverse. Investing is only one of them.

Meet our innovation engine.

  • We don't invest only, we only invest with hands on support

    Ventures often face conditions of extreme uncertainty. Our business model allows us to provide venture support in return for equity stake, in combination with a reduced hourly rate. We can also invest seed capital directly through our Angel Network. This allows us to collaborate with any size company and build a relationship in which all parties work together towards collaborative success.

  • We work and think like entrepreneurs

    Ventures operate in challenging, rapidly changing environments. We believe that an entrepreneurial mindset is essential to tackle any challenge and move businesses forward. We are entrepreneurs ourselves, so we have been there. We co-create and support development in line with our expertise, combining technology, business and innovation.

  • Our network drives scale

    TES brokers access to downstream business and investment opportunities and works to connect ventures to venture capital, grants and blended financing opportunities, as well as leading institutes. We are also supported by a network of leading engineers, academics, serial entrepreneurs and government officials.

  • TES.invest

    We are a sustainable change catalyst. TES solves the funding gap and provides skilled domain expertise

    We are a sustainable change catalyst. TES solves the funding gap and provides skilled domain expertise

    TES is bringing execution power and domain expertise when and where it is most needed. There is a large funding gap to move from friends and family towards a venture-backed venture. We solve for this by lowering the barrier in venture support via fast and smart investments up to $500k. This means easy contracting and no fixed menus unlike other alternatives offered by typical Venture Capital.

    Way of working

    1. Investment

    Access to $50K - $250K seed investing opportunities on a deal-by-deal basis in carefully selected East African ventures through investment syndicates. TES curates attractive investing opportunities backed by professional research, due diligence, and legal advice whilst sharing transaction costs at much lower fees than typical VC funds.

    2. Venture support

    Angels are matched for their expertise and network to portfolio companies for advisory roles and consulting paid by ventures or grants, supporting the ventures alongside TES Venture builders.

    3. Network & learning

    TES provides coordination meetings with ventures and shares monthly knowledge notes with invested angels providing for cutting-edge insights into emerging market conditions and business models.

    Criteria

    Clear positive environmental or social impact.

    Strong founders (team) with a commercially viable product, capable of growing in scale and efficiency.

    Opportunity to leverage TES' network and expertise at the investee company.

    $0.5-10M valuation / Post-revenue.

    Investment process

    TES team conducts high-level due diligence and writes up a brief investment and impact thesis.
    ---
    We circulate the pitch deck that we co-create with the venture, and our investment thesis across the Angel Network, and collect feedback and questions.
    ---
    In case of sufficient interest, the venture is invited to a live pitch session and Q&A session.
    ---
    Detailed due diligence starts. Angels are given access to the data room, including TES summary findings and site visit report. Final terms and investment vehicle is determined.

    • Typical outcomes

      • Get connected with highly engaged TES Angel Investors
      • Seed investment through investment syndicates
      • Better business results through hands-on support
    • Typical methods and tools

      • Angel Matching
      • Coalition Building
      • Data Room Development
      • Due Diligence
      • Funding Roadmap
    • Team

      • 3-4 TES Angel Investors per venture
      • TES investment manager
  • TES.grow

    We allow impact-driven founders to radicalize the playing field by solving the funding gap for early-stage ventures

    We allow impact-driven founders to radicalize the playing field by solving the funding gap for early-stage ventures

    The world is filled with uncertainty. But within that uncertainty there are innumerable opportunities to design game-changing businesses. Opportunities are there for the taking, but only if change-makers can get access to the right foundations.

    TES invests in founders since they are the secret weapon towards systemic change. To nurture ventures, you need besides capital also expertise and a network. For years, TES has been successful in scaling up early stage (pre-series A up to Series B) companies through providing a mix of seed financing, business venture support, and network building through providing ventures with access to industry partners, investors, institutes and governments.

    Way of Working

    TES is bringing execution power and domain expertise when and where it is most needed. There is a large funding gap to move from friends and family towards a venture-backed venture. We solve for this by lowering the barrier in venture support via fast and smart investments up to $500k. This means easy contracting and no fixed menus unlike other alternatives offered by typical Venture Capital.

    We are on the ground, don’t mind getting our hands dirty. It is everyone’s job to look continuously for improvements and new markets. Founders can focus on long-term growth while we provide talent, business and investment opportunities, and our extensive network in East Africa and Europe to maximize social, environmental, and economic impact.

    We typically follow a 4-phased approach

    1. Plan (c. 2 months)
    Getting to know each other, working towards a strategy roadmap session to agree on support areas. We don't charge anything.

    2. Pilot (c. 3-6 months)
    Execute on a pilot project with our selected Venture Builder and your team. We work for a discounted fee. Our value add is a key criteria to continue our collaboration.

    3. Program (c. 2 years)
    We start our Venture Support program executing on selected projects with tangible results. We typically build up vested equity and/or work at discounted fee.

    4. Passive (until exit)
    As your company has scaled successfully, we take a passive role as advisor.

    Investment

    We typically invest between the Plan and Program phase through the TES Angel syndicate. TES Angel investors are invested in your mission and will proactively support the mission with expertise, network and resources. They have been in leadership positions at various start-ups and as such (s)he can support to founders proactively.

    • Typical outcomes

      • An agile strategy roadmap
      • Seed financing and funding roadmap for equity, debt & grants
      • An engaged team that takes ownership towards scale-up
    • Typical methods and tools

      • Agile Strategy
      • Angel Matching
      • Coalition Building
      • Data Room Development
      • Digital SOPs
      • Due Diligence
      • Funding Roadmap
      • Market Analysis
      • Marketing Strategy
      • Proposition Development
      • Rapid Prototyping
    • Team

      • 1 TES Venture Builder actively involved
      • 1-3 TES Angel Investors available for monthly sessions
      • Ad hoc expertise from the TES Network
  • TES.connect

    We know that sustainable system change requires collaboration. Our aim is to build ecosystems and consortia to change old paradigms

    Sustainable system change requires collaboration. We build ecosystems and consortia to change old paradigms

    Big challenges require many stakeholders to do things differently. We have seen that many stakeholders want to contribute to change, but encounter internal legacy barriers to change. TES has demonstrated experience in setting up and managing innovative consortia to drive system change.

    Way of working

    1. Connect stakeholders through a deep understanding of the domain and stakeholder incentives.

    2. Accelerate transitions through best-practices and essential expert support.

    3. Experiment by leveraging entrepreneurial and innovation methodologies, connecting bottom-up towards government and top-down towards industry systems.

    4. Learn together by moving from paper to pilot projects and creating an agile, learning environment.

    5. Fund the efforts, using match-funding from government, non-government & industry stakeholders closely aligned to tangible results and individual incentives.

    The TES approach to ecosystem design has accelerated ecosystems across the world

    Norway

    18 companies, institutes & government bodies working together to accelerate digital manufacturing for the energy sectors.

    Rotterdam

    Pilot Project leads to highly successful consortium, engaging institutes, government and industry from aerospace to maritime.

    East Africa

    For Tesla, our portfolio company Kryha is building a sustainability platform, to trace Cobalt from Congo to the electric vehicle.

    • Typical outcomes

      • A consortium with pilot to harmonize the vision and objectives
      • Win-win partnership
      • Collective lobby for policy development
    • Typical methods and tools

      • Coalition Building
      • Collaborative Sessions
      • Consortia
      • Design Sprint
      • Partnership Development
      • Pilot
      • Trade-off Studies
    • Team

      • 1 TES Entrepreneur in Residence
      • Representatives of relevant stakeholders

We have a toolbox that is fit for purpose.

  • Funding

    • Angel Matching
    • Data Room Development
    • Due Diligence
    • Funding Roadmap
    • Investment Pitching
    • Investment Readiness
    • Venture Capital
  • Strategy

    • Agile Strategy
    • Business Development
    • Business Model Innovation
    • Consortia
    • Lean Startup
    • Proposition Development
    • Strategy Direction
  • Innovation

    • Additive Manufacturing
    • Blockchain
    • Business Model Innovation
    • Design Sprint
    • Design Thinking
    • Collaborative Sessions
    • Workshops
  • Execution

    • Digital Applications
    • Knowledge Based Engineering
    • Lean Product Development
    • Rapid Prototyping
    • Repeatable Processes
    • System Engineering
    • User Experience Design