Women redefining the climate tech landscape in India – Angel Investors

ClimateAngels | Mar 08, 2022

This International Women’s Day, Climate Angels is featuring pioneering women leading the fight against climate tech In India.

This article covers Angel Investors who are actively investing in the early-stage Climate Tech startup ecosystem in the country. Climate angels is extremely grateful to have co-invested with them in the past and hopes to collaborate with them in the future as well.

“Without the inclusion of half of the world’s population, it is unlikely that solutions for a sustainable planet and a gender equal world tomorrow will be realized.”

Research suggests that 31% of climate tech startups in India that raise seed and pre-seed rounds of funding go on to raise series A investment. The following angel investors are defining the terms of the Indian climate tech ecosystem quite literally.

Aditi Balbir

Founder, V Resorts

Aditi began her corporate journey in finance, but her entrepreneurial spirit soon led her to start her first venture called V Resorts. Her company’s resorts are not just sustainable and eco-friendly but are also one of the first ones in the world which integrate the local communities and culture into their experience.

Aditi is one of the only women leading a company in the hospitality sector and the only woman who has built her company from the ground up. She wishes to change this dynamic. Her desire to see more women in the boardroom and across all the verticals of the corporate sector prompted her to lay the foundation of Divershefy Club to make the C-Suite more inclusive.

Aditi is currently the CEO of V Resorts, an avid angel investor, advocate for sustainability, and a mentor for early-stage startups that are led by women. Aditi has invested in multiple companies in the climate tech sector such as the circular economy syndicate led by Climate Angels, Beco and Praan, a filter less outdoor air purifier manufacturer.

Aditi has been recognized numerous times for her initiatives, business acumen and her innate desire and effort to drive social change. Her accolades include the Dell Foundation’s 200 most powerful women entrepreneurs in the world award, CNBC’s Young Women in Business award and the prestigious WEF’s Exceptional Women of Excellence award.

Dia Mirza

Actor, Angel Investor

Dia is someone who does not need an introduction. She is an actor, a producer, and an avid angel investor. She is the voice of environmental and wildlife conservation in the country. She passionately believes that our health and well-being are tied up with the environment and when we harm the environment, we end up harming ourselves.

Due to her unparalleled contribution to the environment, she has been UNEP’s Goodwill Ambassador for the past five years and the UN Secretary General’s Advocate for SDGs. Her inexhaustive list of titles includes Ambassador for the Wildlife Trust of India, Ambassador for the Swachh Bharat Mission’s “Swachh Saathi” program, Ambassador for Sanctuary Asia’s Tiger Conservation, Ambassador for Save the Children, and many others.

Unsurprisingly, Diya has invested in numerous up-and-coming startups that promote a sustainable lifestyle. She is the brand ambassador and one of the lead investors in Beco and Sheemu. Beco is a sustainable D2C brand manufacturing personal care, home care, and kitchen care products from plant-based materials while Sheemu is another D2C brand producing toys that are toxin-free.

For her contributions to society and the environment, Diya has been awarded several awards including the Champion of Change Award, and the Green Award at IIFA, among others.

Ghazal Alagh

Co-founder and CEO, Mamaearth

Ghazal is a serial entrepreneur, a corporate business trainer, and one of the judges on the panel for shark tank India. She is the co-founder and CEO of the fastest growing D2C brands in India MamaEarth.

It has been rightly said that necessity is the mother of invention. MamaEarth was born because Ghazal’s infant son developed a skin rash due to the toxins present in the baby products marketed in India. This forced Ghazal to use imported products from the US, an arrangement that was both expensive and inconvenient.

Ghazal strongly believes that an Indian consumer is getting more conscious about her brand choices and is actively investing in brands that promote sustainability and inclusion like the Mumbai based D2C brand Zouk. Zouk is a vegan handbags and accessories brand that uses Indian motifs, prints, and fabrics.

She has received numerous accolades including inclusion in Forbes 40 under 40 and Entertainment magazine’s 30 under 30 list, Best brand of the year award and Super Startups in Asia awards, among others.

Paula Mariwala

Founder, Stanford Angels

Paula is the Executive Director of Seedfund, and the managing partner and founder of Aureolis. She is one of the pioneers in early-stage venture funding in India and has more than 20 years of investing experience behind her not just in the Indian ecosystem but also in Silicon Valley. A Stanford-trained physicist, she is also the Founder and President of Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs India.

Her invest mantra is simple yet extremely effective. She looks for companies that are innovative and capable of creating an impact. Her ecosystem partners include leading organizations in the sustainability domain like the GoMassive Earth Network, and Green Artha Fund, among others.

Paula has invested in multiple companies in the climate tech domain for instance Blue Sky Analytics, a company that is building an environmental data stack for assisting governments and companies with climate decision making, terra.do, a climate change education platform, and pixxel a platform launching world’s most advanced satellite imaging constellation for monitoring the health of the planet.

Paula is deeply engaged in various philanthropic ventures. She supports several foundations working in environmental conservation and sustainability domains. She is a mentor and leadership coach for several young women and supports organizations like The Gender Lab, Avanti Young Women Leaders Program, Katalyst, and Chandani Mentor Network.