Startup Scouting and Due Diligence for Greencode Ventures
Greencode Ventures
Greencode Ventures (Greencode Ventures Oy) is a Helsinki-based venture capital firm that backs digital-first “green transition” startups. Their portfolio consists of mostly software accelerating decarbonization, in pan-Western Europe from seed through Series A. Focus areas include green energy, mobility, industry and cities. The fund is classified as SFDR Article 9 (sustainable investments). The firm is described as Finland’s first green-transition fund, and as of March 2025 had raised €70M+ toward its first fund.
My task
For this task, I conducted a brief analysis of a company from the Norrsken Accelerator batch of 2024. In the analysis, I focused on why it would be a good fit for Greencode as a potential investment.
Summary
Due Diligence Process
For this project, I combined systems thinking and comparative due diligence to identify investment-ready software startups within a sustainability accelerator cohort. The process began with portfolio screening guided by GreenCode’s investment thesis and sectoral focus. A multi-criteria evaluation followed, which covered governance, compliance, and impact-tracking readiness. Financial potential was approximated through ARR estimation and peer benchmarking using secondary data sources. The steps below guided my analysis:
- Investment Thesis Alignment: Defined screening criteria based on GreenCode Ventures’ investment scope (Seed–Series A, B2B SaaS, Climate Tech, EU market).
- Pipeline Screening: Reviewed accelerator portfolios to identify candidates with verifiable traction and ESG relevance.
- Due Diligence Framework: Assessed governance maturity, process compliance, and data-tracking capacity using public and proxy indicators.
- Comparative Valuation: Benchmarked ARR and scalability with peer cohort data (Norrsken 2024, Tracxn) and sector benchmarks (PwC Strategy&).
- Stakeholder Value Modelling: Applied Bain & Company’s 30 Elements of Value to quantify stakeholder-perceived functional and emotional value.
- Feasibility & Risk Mapping: Evaluated AI-model defensibility, regulatory exposure, and workflow-integration risks, and proposed quality-assurance mitigations.
- Strategic Fit Analysis: Prioritised startups by synergy potential within GreenCode’s climate-tech portfolio, culminating in the selection of the company.