Kelpi the Zebra
Forget what you believed as a child. Unicorns won’t save the world. At least not tech unicorns. The start-up rarity that reaches a valuation of more than $1 billion may be vital to drive the success of investor portfolios. But tech unicorns are characterised by exponential growth and market domination, not by their focus on sustainability goals.
Zebras are different. Zebra companies are both black and white. They combine profitability with environmental purpose. Neither is more important, but to achieve one without the other would be a failure.
The concept of zebras was coined by four women: Astrid Scholz, Mara Zepeda, Jennifer Brandel, and Aniyia Williams, who wanted to encourage fellow start-up founders to build zebras rather than unicorns. At the heart is a manifesto which talks of sustainable and profitable prosperity, of plurality rather than market domination.
The idea of zebras fits perfectly with an increased focus on impact investing. I recently heard one experienced investor succinctly describe why the zebra’s time has come: “Historically, impact investing has gone hand in hand with concessionary returns. That’s no longer the case. We are firm believers of financial returns hand-in-hand with impact.”
So Kelpi is targeting zebra, rather than unicorn, status. We see our future in delivering impact, whilst turning a profit. Replacing single-use plastics made from fossil fuels with biodegradable alternatives made from seaweed. But creating skilled jobs, being at the heart of our communities and contributing to green GDP by remaining profitable.
Photo by Erik Eastman on Unsplash