What do an AI-powered investment engine, a grassroots organizing platform, and a nature-tech-focused VC have in common?

They’re all built on the conviction that technology should be in service of real-world problems – not just market efficiency or shareholder return. And increasingly, investors are stepping up not only to fund that kind of innovation, but to actively shape it.

In this 3-in-1 compilation, we revisit past episodes with investors who are doing exactly that: using capital to steer technological progress toward social and environmental outcomes.

Here are the featured voices:

Paul Miller, Managing Partner and CEO at Bethnal Green Ventures

Paul Miller launched Bethnal Green Ventures in 2012 – before “tech for good” was even a phrase most investors recognized.

At the time, brilliant developers were stuck building tools for banks and ad agencies, while the problems they wanted to solve – climate, health, inequality – sat on the sidelines. Paul saw the gap and built something to fill it.

Bethnal Green Ventures backs founders using technology to create measurable, intentional social and environmental impact. Everything BGV backs falls under one of three themes: building a sustainable planet, a healthy society, and better lives. That’s included backing startups working on grid flexibility software for the energy transition… digital tools to streamline public healthcare… and workplace platforms helping frontline workers organize and advocate for change.

Full episode

Xavier Lorphelin, Managing Partner at Serena Capital

Xavier Lorphelin co-founded Serena on a simple premise: entrepreneurs shouldn’t work for VCs – VCs should work for entrepreneurs. From day one, the firm has been run like a startup itself, combining capital with hands-on operating support and the belief that founders deserve more than a check.

That belief still holds. But in recent years, Serena’s mission has sharpened. Alongside its general tech funds, the firm now manages two vehicles dedicated to sustainability: a fully SFDR Article 9 impact fund, and a new early-stage fund with a significant allocation to climate tech. Both are anchored in Serena’s broader mission: to support innovative entrepreneurs in the service of a better world.

For Serena, climate is only the beginning. The firm is doubling down on “Nature Tech” – tools that help companies measure and manage biodiversity, water, and soil health in real time. Their thesis is clear: digital infrastructure can enable breakthroughs in how we preserve natural systems, from AI-powered biodiversity monitoring to ground-based sensors that track ecosystem change.

Full episode

Daniel Klier, former CEO of ESG Book

At the time of this interview, Daniel Klier was CEO of Arabesque S-Ray, the predecessor to ESG Book. He helped build one of the most ambitious platforms in ESG data – by combining three distinct engines: a sustainability-focused asset manager, a data provider tracking over 150 million ESG data points, and an AI system that customizes investment strategies in real time.

For Daniel, tech for good means infrastructure – the kind that can shift how trillions are allocated. ESG Book’s mission is to mainstream sustainable finance by making data transparent, machine-readable, and usable at scale.

Full episode

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