Manuel Heckmann: Driving Green Mobility and Deep Tech Investments
Manuel Heckmann on balancing investing with environmental impact
This week, our TTI Interview Series covers our member Manuel Heckmann. Manuel is an experienced entrepreneur and investor focusing on green mobility and deep tech. He has a vast network across Europe and contributes to several startup accelerators. Recently, he led the growth of EcoG, a major IoT platform for EV charging in Europe, and has founded four successful ventures.
In this interview, Manuel discusses his journey in the impact space, the urgent environmental challenges we face, and his vision for a sustainable future.
Manuel, tell us a little about your work and how it intersects with the impact space.
As an entrepreneur and investor, I have been working on topics with an environmental or societal impact e.g., making democracies more inclusive with online participation opportunities or by making it easier to build and operate EV charging infrastructure. Today as an investor, impact is our core theme to make sure that we are making our contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation by 2030 and not only in 2050, because there is simply no planet B.
“Consuming less than there is”
What is your own definition of impact?
It is about being aware and conscious of the consequences of my actions. It is about not consuming more than there is available and today that means consuming less than there is and changing my lifestyle accordingly.
Electrification, food waste, & gas leaks
What do you believe is one of the most important issues that need to be solved over the next 10 years?
1) Electrification and decarbonisation of the transportation sector
2) Food and food waste. We need to get rid of meat and dairy products and we need to significantly reduce food waste.
3) Fix gas leaks, especially methane leaks.
Overcoming challenges in venture capital
Within your sector, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges in the impact space?
As a venture capital investor, the biggest challenge is always to get funding for your fund. It should be obligatory or mandatory to always have an impact angle and report as an investment fund focussing on future breakthrough technologies and business models.
Significantly reducing emissions
Tell us more about the long-term vision you have for your work and how you measure & quantify your impact.
My vision is to be able to show in 10 years that we have made a substantial contribution to emission reductions and diversity with our portfolio companies and managed to return at least 3x on our initial Venture Capital Fund.
Debunking myths about greentech
What are some of the misconceptions you’ve noticed regarding what impact is all about?
It is still believed that green transition technology startups cannot have a significant impact and be economically very successful at the same time.