Impact Venture Accelerator
Six months to investment readiness. Built for impact ventures and NGO led initiatives. We run one cohort a year, with five founders, ending in our investor Pitch Day event.
The 2026 cohort applications review is now in progress. Applications for the next cohort are now open. Waitlist members are notified first and receive application guidance before the form goes live.
A structured pathway to investment readiness
The Human Planet Impact Venture Accelerator is a six month intensive programme that takes a small cohort of impact ventures from grant dependent to investment ready. We work with you on the strategy, the financial model, the pitch, and the investor relationships you need to close your next round of capital.
The programme is operator led. Every founder works directly with our team of fractional Chief Strategy Officers, capital strategists, and impact advisors. We are not consultants who hand you a report. We are operators who sit alongside you and do the work.
What you build during the programme:
A defensible financial model and valuation that holds up to investor scrutiny
Market ready investment materials, including a teaser, a deck, and a data room
A clear commercial strategy with a credible path to profitability
Direct introductions to active impact investors in your sector and stage
A live pitch experience at Pitchs Day, our investor forum
How the four months unfold
01
Unpack
02
Research
03
Modelling
We rebuild your financial model from first principles. Your model needs to work for investors, not for grant committees. Stage three is where the unit economics, the assumptions, and the valuation get tested until they hold.
04
Pitching
You build the deck, the narrative, and the data room. You rehearse with our team and with founders from previous cohorts. The stage culminates in Pitch Day, where you pitch live to a curated room of impact investors.
05
Follow-up
The programme does not end on pitch day. We support you through investor follow up, term sheet negotiation, and the operational changes that come with closing your first non grant round
Who we work with
We designed this programme for organisations standing at the edge of their next growth phase. The capital they need is no longer something a grant alone can provide.
If you are not sure you are a fit, schedule a 30 minute consultation. We will tell you honestly.
- NGO led initiatives with a commercial activity ready to spin out or scale
- Social enterprises with early revenue and a defensible business model
- Early stage impact ventures raising their first or second institutional round
- Founders working in climate adaptation, inclusive financial services, health systems, sustainable agriculture, and adjacent sectors
Why choose the accelerator?
Operator led, not consultant led
Our team has run impact ventures, structured impact deals, and sat on both sides of the investor table. The people teaching the programme have done the work, not just written about it.
Built around capital, not curriculum
Most accelerators are organised around weeks of content. Ours is organised around the documents and the conversations you need to close a round. Every session ends in something useful.
Small cohorts, real attention
We accept five ventures per cohort. Not fifty. Every founder gets direct, repeated time with our partners. The programme cannot scale without losing what makes it work, so we do not try to.
A real investor room
Pitch Day is not a demo day with PR seats and friendly faces. The room is forty active investors with deployment mandates in your sector. The pitches matter because the cheques are real.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Human Planet Impact Venture Accelerator?
It is a six month investment readiness programme for impact ventures and NGO led initiatives. The programme combines strategic advisory, financial modelling, pitch development, and direct investor access through our pitch event, Pitch Day.
Who is the programme for?
We work with NGO led initiatives moving toward commercial activity, social enterprises with early revenue, and early stage impact ventures preparing for their first or second institutional round of capital.
How long is the programme?
Six months from kickoff to Pitch Day, followed by twelve months of light touch follow up support.
How many ventures are accepted into each cohort?
Five. We run one cohort per year and keep the group small so every founder receives direct, repeated time with our team of partners and operators.
When do applications open?
Applications open in March each year and close in late April. The cohort runs from May through Pitch Day in late June. Applications for the 2026 cohort closed on 24 April 2026 and the cohort is now in progress. To be notified the moment applications open for the next cohort, join the waitlist.
What is Pitch Day?
Pitch Day is our investor pitch event. Each cohort closes with a live pitch session in front of a curated room of approximately forty active impact investors with deployment mandates in the sectors our cohort represents.
What sectors do you focus on?
Climate adaptation, inclusive financial services, health systems strengthening, sustainable agriculture, and adjacent sectors where the gap between problem size and capital allocated is large enough to justify dedicated venture support.
What does the programme cost?
The programme fee structure is shared with shortlisted applicants during the selection process. We work with founders to find a structure that does not become a barrier to participation for ventures that are otherwise a strong fit.
Is this programme remote, in person, or hybrid?
The programme is hybrid. Most working sessions are remote. Two in person convenings frame the programme: a kickoff retreat at the start, and Pitch Day at the end.
How is this different from other impact accelerators?
Three things. The programme is operator led rather than consultant led. The cohort is intentionally small at five ventures. The work is organised around the documents and conversations needed to close a round of capital, rather than around weeks of content.
What happens after the programme ends?
Founders receive twelve months of follow up support, including help with investor follow up, term sheet negotiation, and the operational changes that come with closing a non grant round of capital. Alumni also become part of the Human Planet network for future engagements.
Can I join the programme as an investor?
Investors join through Pitch Day rather than through the programme itself. To request an invitation to the next Pitch Day or to be added to our investor list, please use the form below.
Get involved
Founders:
Join the waitlist
Applications for the cohort open in March. Waitlist members get three things first: notification the moment applications open, a guide on what makes a strong application, and a 30 minute optional call with a member of our team.
Investors:
Request a Pitch Day invitation
A short form for active impact investors who want to be in the room at the next Pitch Day or receive cohort dossiers in advance.
Not ready to apply or attend?
Start a conversation.
Schedule a 30 minute consultation with one of our partners. We will be honest about whether the accelerator is a fit, and where else in our service portfolio you might benefit.