We’re thrilled to announce that the 2025 Earth Capital Summit will take place on Monday 6 October in London. Join us for an afternoon of insight-packed sessions, followed by evening networking drinks with leading voices in sustainability, innovation and investment.

This year’s theme is “Scaling Capital, Innovation & Impact for a Changing World.” Why this? Because right now, the world needs risk-taking investment and fresh ideas more than ever. Tech breakthroughs, climate urgency and economic shifts are rewriting the rules – how we fund innovation and drive impact can’t stay business-as-usual.

Our focus this year will be on how we can unlock and mobilise capital at scale, foster truly transformative innovation and deliver meaningful impact where it’s needed most. Whether that’s through pioneering startups, visionary investors or collaborative partnerships that break down silos, our October gathering will bring together the people and ideas that are already redefining what’s possible.

REGISTER HERE

Summit Agenda

Speakers:

Keynote Speaker: Sustainability Progress and the Decisive Decade

Olly Lawder, Senior Strategy Director, Revolt (part of Anthesis Group)
Olly is a Senior Strategy Director at Revolt and author of The Cost of Silence. He has over 15 years experience working at the forefront of purpose and sustainability communications. He’s led national and global clients to define what they stand for, embed change in their culture and activate their brands to drive positive impact and build reputation. Olly brings a wealth of experience across a range of sectors with senior teams in entertainment, food and drink, beauty and fashion and transport, property and infrastructure. Olly has a Master (distinction) in Sustainable Business from Imperial College London.  

Panel 1: Scaling to £100m+

Niki Hutson, Market Lead -UK&I, Bureau Veritas Solutions (Moderator)
Dr. Niki Hutson leads on corporate decarbonisation and sustainable finance strategy, advising organisations on ESG, climate risk, and regulatory alignment. As Market Lead for Sustainability at Bureau Veritas, she focuses on mobilising capital for net-zero transitions and translating complex sustainability topics into clear, actionable strategies. Her recent work includes contributing to global climate finance efforts through COP29, where she collaborated with the WBCSD and the Greek Embassy to advance policy-market dialogue. Niki continues to shape international conversations on sustainable investment, climate diplomacy, and green finance through her active engagement across public and private platforms.

Steve Henney, Co-Head of Business Development at Aquis Stock Exchange (Speaker)
With a deep passion for creating more inclusive public market ecosystems, Steve is dedicated to making it easier for growth companies to access public markets while simultaneously opening up investment opportunities for a broader range of investors. Bringing over 18 years of experience in helping both public and private companies raise capital, Steve’s background includes 14 years in Institutional Equity Sales, specialising in UK smaller public companies. Steve’s commitment to fostering growth in emerging companies makes him a key player in shaping the future of capital markets.

Henry Philipson, Director of Marketing & Communications at Beringea (Speaker)
Henry leads marketing and communications for Beringea in the UK, working closely with the investment and fundraising teams. Henry also advises the portfolio on PR and communications, and he leads the Beringea Scale-Up Academy, an annual series of workshops and webinars for portfolio companies. Henry has also led Beringea’s work on ESG, including co-founding ESG_VC, an industry initiative to help portfolio companies improve their ESG performance. Henry previously advised VCs, founders, and financial institutions on communications campaigns at Seven Hills, a London-based agency. Henry read History at the University of Durham and holds an MPhil in Latin American Studies from the University of Cambridge.

Andrew Keen, Head of Content, Energy, Resources & Industrials, Edison
Andrew joined Edison in December 2022 as Head of Content, Industrials, Energy & Resources. He was previously a management consultant with the CRU Group, advising governments and corporations on issues including decarbonisation, critical minerals, and structural change in natural resource industries. Andrew also led metals and mining research at a number of financial institutions, including Sanford C. Bernstein and HSBC, and began his career in the Australian mining industry. He holds a BSc (Physics) and an MBA from Monash University.

Matt Coles, Senior Investment Director, Palatine Private Equity
Matt is a Senior Investment Director in Palatine’s Impact Fund, leading investments in businesses that deliver positive social and environmental change. He has nearly 10 years of experience in impact investing, having joined Palatine in 2017 at the launch of its pioneering Impact Fund – the first UK mid-market private equity house to raise a dedicated, returns-focused impact fund. Matt works closely with management teams across all areas of value creation, including M&A, people strategy and ESG, demonstrating that financial returns and impact can go hand in hand. He has particular expertise in partnering with purpose-driven people businesses, helping them scale their impact while achieving sustainable growth.

Mathangi Chandrasekhar, Investment Manager, Gresham House
Mathangi joined Gresham House in January 2023 and is an Investment Manager in the Sustainable Infrastructure team where she invests in UK based core+, value add infrastructure assets with a strong sustainability lens and manages a portfolio of assets ranging from waste to energy businesses to digital infrastructure assets. Prior to joining Gresham House, Mathangi worked at an impact venture capital fund in India where she was responsible for setting up the fund along with building the fund’s investment thesis and deal pipeline. Prior to that she was part of EY India’s Financial Due Diligence team. Mathangi has over nine years of work experience in the industry and is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. She also holds an MBA from HEC Paris with a specialisation in Finance. 

Keynote Speaker: Where is Capital Flowing?

Alessandro Casoli, Global Head of Advisory & Director UK, Holtara  (part of Apex Group)
Alessandro has worked in strategic climate advisory for 15 years and specialises in sustainable finance. At Holtara he leads the Global ESG Advisory team. Prior to joining Holtara, he was with McKinsey, where he led the team in developing sustainability frameworks and strategies for banks and other financial institutions. Alessandro has worked across industry and consulting and covered sustainable finance themes from a broad range of perspectives. These include developing blended finance programmes in Latin America as well as designing green bond frameworks for major global investors.

Panel 2: Global & Regional Market Outlook and Cross-Border Investment Challenges

Emma Bickerstaffe, Growth Advisor, Earth Capital (Moderator)
Emma has spent 15+ years driving growth across financial services, impact investing and ESG consulting. She scaled Holtara Sustainability, including integrating the business post-merger into the Apex Group, co-founded The Big Exchange, and shaped strategy at HSBC UK as Chief of Staff to the CEO. Emma combines strategic vision, capital markets expertise and purpose-driven leadership.

James Thompson, Managing Director & CEO, Alexander Hutton Inc. (Speaker)
James is the Managing Director & CEO of Alexander Hutton, Inc., Seattle’s oldest investment banking firm, where he leads transactions across industries and drives the firm’s growth. With extensive experience in corporate finance and operational leadership, James has closed 50+ transactions and raised $300M+ in growth capital. Previously CFO and CEO of HaloSource, he led an $80M AIM IPO and its subsequent sale to Strix, PLC. He also serves on the boards of Brown Strauss, Inc., ImageSource Inc., and Montana Ambassadors, fostering economic development in Montana. Additionally, he advises the Entrepreneurship Centre at Seattle University. James holds a BBA from Gonzaga University and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Washington. 

Stuart Andrews – Managing Director, Canaccord Genuity (Speaker)
Stuart is currently a managing director in Canaccord Genuity’s investment banking division and is a specialist in UK equity capital markets. He has over 25 years of ECM experience and has previously served as co-CEO of Zeus Capital and as the managing director of finnCap, leading its flotation and acquisition of Cavendish and sitting as an executive on the quoted plc board. He has acted for a variety of overseas companies both on raising capital in the UK and on acquiring or being acquired by UK PLC’s, In addition to this, he is a member of the AIM Advisory Group, frequently advises on shareholder activism and has been an expert witness in several regulatory hearings.

Aisling McCaffrey, Senior Programme Manager: Just Transition, Impact Investing Institute (Speaker)
Aisling joined the Impact Investing Institute in February 2025 as Just Transition Senior Programme Manager. She is focused on the Institute’s goal of mobilising institutional capital for a transition to net zero where no-one is left behind. Prior to joining the institute, Aisling worked as a Director in Grant Thornton where she led the development of their Sustainability Advisory team. She has spent the last 12 years in Consulting supporting organisations of various sizes to design pragmatic solutions that enhance value, increase business resilience and ultimately deliver sustainable change. Aisling currently serves as Board Chair for Global Action Plan Ireland and previously co-founded Green Team Network – a forum for connecting and empowering change towards a sustainable environment within the Irish Funds industry.

Charlie Leveque, Co-Managing Partner and Head of the Corporate Practice, Harbottle & Lewis
Charlie is the firm’s co-managing partner and head of the corporate practice. Outside of his management roles, Charlie advises on a wide range of corporate transactions from private and public mergers and acquisitions to investments, joint ventures, fundraisings and shareholder arrangements involving private equity, venture capital, family office and strategic parties. He has advised on a number of IPOs on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. His clients comprise investors, funds and companies of all sizes, from startups to international corporations in a wide range of industries; he is particularly experienced in advising clients in the technology, media, entertainment, retail and leisure sectors. He is also passionate about advising entrepreneurs, accompanying them from the inception of their ideas to exit.

Dr. Döne Yalçın, Managing Partner of CMS Türkiye and Partner at CMS Austria
Dual-qualified in Turkish and Austrian law, Döne has 20+ years’ experience in corporate transactions, M&A, project finance, commercial law, and ESG advisory. Recognised by Chambers Global as a leading Corporate/M&A lawyer in Türkiye, she is noted for coordinating multijurisdictional teams across CEE. A co-architect of CMS’s global ESG and Sustainability Strategy, Dr. Yalçın advises clients on EU ESG regulations, supply chains, and reporting. She also contributes to CMS Global Leadership and recently co-led one of the firm’s largest pro bono projects as legal advisor to COP28.

Sponsors:

Harbottle & Lewis is a dynamic, multifaceted law firm known for delivering expert legal advice to a creative and entrepreneurial client base. Renowned for their deep sector specialisms and collaborative approach, the firm brings together legal insight and commercial understanding to deliver truly personalised solutions.

Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) is a stock market providing primary and secondary markets for equity and debt products. It is authorised as a Recognised Investment Exchange, which allows it to operate a regulated listings venue. The AQSE Growth Market is divided into two segments ‘Access’ and ‘Apex’; the Access market focuses on earlier stage growth companies, while Apex is the intended market for larger, more established businesses. Aquis Stock Exchange is part of SIX: the provider and operator of stable and efficient infrastructure for the Swiss and Spanish (BME) financial centres.

GP Private Equity is a specialist advisory firm supporting high-growth, private equity-backed businesses across the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia, with over 40 years’ experience in venture capital and private equity. The firm provides strategic advice and mentoring to management teams on business development, general management and fundraising strategies—particularly within the sustainability sectors.

Edison is a content-led IR business operating in all major capital markets. With their unique approach integrating analyst content, digital targeting and investor engagement, they have a proven history of increasing liquidity and valuations for their clients. By building bigger, better-informed and more engaged audiences, they help their clients stand out in the marketplace.