Social Planet Ventures is driven by a skilled team combining expertise in impact investing, leadership, and product design. Anders Bach Waagstein, a well-regarded venture capital and impact investor, brings his experience in guiding early-stage tech startups through critical growth phases. Tarja Zu Dem Berg, an accomplished investor, adds extensive knowledge in impact, fund management and impact-focused strategies.

The team also includes two product experts (Stealth for now), each with a strong background in entrepreneurship, product design and leadership, ensuring that startups receive the guidance needed to achieve product-market fit and address real-world challenges effectively.

Impact investing is an investment approach focused on generating measurable social or environmental benefits alongside financial returns.

As an Article 9 pre-seed fund, we adhere to the highest standards of sustainable finance under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).

This means we invest exclusively in startups with a clear and measurable social objective at the core of their business model.

At Social Planet Ventures, we integrate impact into every stage of our investment process, ensuring alignment with our mission and priority themes.

Deal Screening: We assess each startup's vision, impact potential, and alignment with our priority themes. By conducting a risk assessment, we ensure a strategic fit for creating meaningful, sustainable impact.

Due Diligence: We develop a Theory of Change and set KPIs aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Expected impact and Social Return on Investment (SROI) are benchmarked against international standards.

Monitoring and Reporting: Startups report on KPIs to track progress. We calculate the actual SROI and evaluate their contributions to the SDGs, providing investors with comprehensive reports.

Product Design: In collaboration with our portfolio companies KPI performance is integrated into product design cycles, enabling adjustments that optimize both market position and impact contributions.

When screening and investing we focus on the following:

Impact Alignment We prioritize startups with a clear goal of creating social impact alongside economic value. We look for tech-driven solutions addressing key societal challenges with measurable, positive outcomes.

Investment Geography We primarily invest in startups based in the Nordics. A limited number of investments may be made in other North European countries.

Founder Team We seek diverse and complementary teams with strong execution skills, committed to tracking and enhancing their social impact and poised for international growth.

Startup Maturity Ideal candidates have established teams, a minimum viable product (MVP) with early product validation ("product love"), and initial signs of commercial traction.

Technology We favor scalable software or software-enabled hardware. Preferred technologies include Blockchain, AI, VR & AR, and humanoid robotics, emphasizing transformative capabilities.

We invest at the pre-seed stage, which is typically the earliest round of funding for startups.

At this stage, we provide capital to help startups develop their initial product and gain early traction. In exchange for equity, we support founders as they build out their concepts and validate their ideas in the market.

A typical pre-seed investment ranges between EUR 0.1 million and EUR 1 million per company, tailored to fit the specific needs of early-stage teams aiming to make an impact with scalable tech solutions

If you're interested in pitching your startup to us, start by filling out the application form on our website.

This form helps us understand your business, team, and vision for social impact.

Once we review your application, we’ll reach out and let you know if we see a strong alignment with our investment criteria.

We look forward to hearing from you.