Newcastle, UK – 19 March 2025 -
Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll tech for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), together with Village Capital, today announced the second cohort of start-ups joining the Sage Impact Entrepreneurship Programme, following an 85% year-on-year rise in applications, signalling growing demand for support among impact-driven founders.
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Sage Foundation, the company’s social impact arm, the programme has expanded this year to include Germany - alongside the UK, France, Portugal, Spain and the US - broadening its reach to support under-represented businesses addressing social, environmental and economic challenges around the world.
The second call for applications received over 380 responses, showing momentum from founders building solutions to global challenges, and the increasing role entrepreneurship plays in driving change.
Over the next three years, the 57 start-ups in cohort 2 will receive mentorship, training, equity-free grants and Sage product support to scale their impact.
Building on a strong first year, the programme is now supporting 113 ventures, advancing towards its initial goal of backing 165 high-impact start-ups. Founders continue to be assessed on the strength of their mission, business model, and ability to deliver measurable impact in their communities. Across the programme, which includes both Core and Community cohorts, founders are tackling challenges at the intersection of sustainability and social impact. Notably, this year’s cohort also includes a majority of female founders.
The range of ventures selected shows the breadth of solutions emerging globally. In the US, the region contributing the highest number of applications, AquaOrganix converts organic waste into premium fertilizer in just 24 hours, diverting material from landfills and reducing methane and CO₂ emissions.
In Germany, Circular Grain upcycles brewer’s spent grain into plant-based milk alternatives, while London-based Ganddee is building an AI-powered marketplace that connects shoppers with local second-hand stores to drive circular consumption.
The start-ups were selected through a rigorous process led by the programme’s advisory board, which includes six members from Sage’s leadership team alongside external members from climate-focused venture capital firms and companies, and racial equity non-profits.
Founders say the programme provides much needed support as they scale their ventures. Speaking on their selection into the programme,
Pavlina Theodosiou, CEO and Co-Founder at UK-based METzero, said: “Being accepted felt like a real validation of the work we're doing at METzero, and it gives me confidence that we'll have the right mentoring and support as we prepare for our upcoming fundraising round.”
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Joseph Mooney, CEO and Co-Founder at Wattair, based in the US, shared, “Scaling climate technologies requires more than just strong science; it requires the right community, mentorship, and investor readiness. Being part of a program that focuses on supporting purpose-driven entrepreneurs while helping them prepare for the next stage of growth is incredibly valuable as we move from pilots toward broader deployment.”
Helen Devanny, Vice President of Sage Foundation, said: “The growth in applications shows the rising ambition of impact-driven founders and the urgency of the challenges they’re working to solve. We continue to be inspired by the quality of those applying and the ambition behind their solutions.
Through our partnership with Village Capital, we’re proud to help entrepreneurs scale solutions that drive meaningful change, multiplying Sage’s impact far beyond our own business.”
Kelly Bryan, Regional Director at Village Capital, said: “At Village Capital, we believe the future of impact lies in founders who are building practical, scalable solutions rooted in the realities their communities face every day. The 2026 Sage Impact Entrepreneurship cohorts reflect that belief – entrepreneurs who are not only addressing critical challenges for people and the planet, but doing so with models designed for long-term resilience and growth.
Through this partnership with Sage, we’re strengthening the ecosystems around these founders by equipping them with the right networks, capital, and strategic support they need to transform their innovations and create measurable environmental impact.”
To see the full list of start-ups that are part of the second Core & Community cohorts, please visit
https://vilcap.com/programs/sage-impact-entrepreneurship-united-states-2026 for US and
https://vilcap.com/programs/sage-impact-entrepreneurship-europe-2026 for Europe.
Applications for future cohorts will open later this year, as Sage and Village Capital continue to support impact-driven founders and start-ups globally.
