Impact <> Investor Office Hours

IMPACT INVESTING ACCOUNTS FOR LESS THAN 2.5% OF ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT IN EUROPE

A major obstacle is the perception that return on investment and the creation of positive impact are incompatible. Data shows this is a myth.

At Unrest, we are committed to supporting impact founders in the forefront of innovation, and in channeling capital to companies that are addressing the most pressing issues of our time.

IMPACT <> INVESTOR OFFICE HOURS

A proven concept designed to support impact founders on their fundraising journey.

IIOH connects 100 high-growth impact founders with Europe’s most active VC funds giving founders the chance to gather high-quality feedback, build important relationships and take crucial first steps towards investment.

Following the success of our first edition—attracting 400 applications and participation from top tier VC funds—our goal is to support even more UK-based early-stage impact founders in achieving investment readiness. Whether they need strategic advice, investor feedback, or a platform to pitch their ventures, IIOH provides direct access to insights and connections that will accelerate their fundraising journey.

IIOH #1 - NUMBERS

400

APPLICANTS

103

FINALISTS

52

VC FUNDS

195k

SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS

SUPPORTED BY

95%

PRE-SEED - SERIES A

88

RAISED >£1M TO DATE

67%

TECH

87%

NOT USING MICROSOFT CLOUD, YET

EXAMPLE COMPANIES FROM IIOH#1

GRYD Energy

GRYD is enabling the rooftop revolution and bearing a new standard for solar in new-builds. Working with property developers, they fund, manage and optimise deployment of smart solar and battery systems onto new homes at zero cost to both developers and homeowners.

  • Concept

  • Raising Pre-seed.
    Closed a £1m round in December 2024.

  • To date, GRYD has secured over £500k pre-seed funding from Antler VC, SFC Capital, Oasthouse Ventures and industry-leading angels to scale the business.

    In March 2024, they deployed a full-scale 3-home pilot with a regional developer and delivered zero-cost smart solar systems for 3 new homes at a site in St. Ives, Cornwall.

    This project is the first of its kind in the UK where full-scale and optimally sized solar and battery storage systems have been deployed on newbuild homes with zero cost burden on the developer or homeowner.

    With the pilot, the average saving on electricity over the period was 14% compared to a traditional retailer. These savings were achieved with no software optimisation or influence on energy usage behaviour. Grid dependance is as low at 17%, meaning the home is getting up to 83% of their energy from the GRYD system, minimising how much they draw from the traditional grid.

    Finally, with the GRYD system delivering zero carbon electricity, the home has eliminated 167kg Co2e or 72% of its overall emissions compared to the same electricity use without GRYD.

    To date, GRYD have signed LOIs for 300 home deployments in 2024/25 and are already engaging in design activity with the first property developer on the first 52 home development in our commercially committed pipeline for deployment next year.

eyeora

eyeora are a groundbreaking technology company that is redefining how Extended Reality content is created, shared, experienced, and monetised. Driven by a belief in the power of XR to enhance everyday life, they have created a social platform that brings together XR ‘Creators’ and XR ‘Explorers’

  • Early Revenue

  • £2.5M raised to date

  • No high-entry costs, no coding, no lengthy post-production – it's Extended Reality made simple.

OKO

By delivering effective, affordable insurance to farmers in emerging markets with instant claim settlement, OKO leverage the growing influence of mobile technology, aiming to address income distribution insufficiencies for those who feed the world.

  • Seed

  • £2.4M raised to date

  • Allianz Africa recently renewed its multi-year partnership with OKO.


    Allianz and OKO initially signed an agreement in 2019 to test OKO’s concept in Mali. OKO offered an affordable and automated climate insurance accessible for the first time via mobile phone to smallholder farmers. 4 years later it is the most popular crop insurance in Mali.

Happity

Created by two mums who both experienced loneliness and isolation after giving birth, Happity is your go-to site for finding birth, baby and toddler activities where you live. Now staffed by a small but mighty team of parents (and some not-parents!), they are on a mission to end parent loneliness once and for all.

  • Early Revenue

  • Seed. Raised £1.4M to date

  • Happity has grown to a team of over 10 and is a previous winner of the Startups 100 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award.

MyPocketSkill

MyPocketSkill’s award-winning platform connects young people aged 13 to 24 with paid opportunities to earn, save and learn about money in an engaging and supportive environment. MyPocketSkill is dedicated to equipping our young community with the tools and behavioural nudges to gently encourage positive money habits.

  • Scaling

  • Seed. £1.5M raised to date

  • Starting January 2025, Lloyds student account holders at 4 major universities will get hooked up with earning opportunities on the MyPocketSkill platform. This means students can snag flexible gigs in photography, social media management and tutoring building up some serious life skills including financial know-how.

Good With

Good With takes a scientific and psychology-based approach to money that is proven to alleviate financial stresses. Their app creates life-changing money habits that supports users mental health, teaches the stuff about money young adults actually want to know, and offers stress-free living.

  • Early Revenue

  • Pre-seed. £1m raised to date

  • Good With is award-winning financial wellbeing and behaviour analytics solution unlocking fairer finance for credit invisibles. They’re actively partnering with financial services, higher education institutions, and charities to build financial capability and confidence in their communities.

IIOH #1 - SPONSOR RESULTS

1. Outperformed on Lead Target by 406%

For one of our sponsors, we exceeded conversion targets by 406%, thanks to a strategic approach tailored to founders' purchase journeys. This success was driven by three custom email flows designed to address the unique needs of different user segments. For new users, we crafted onboarding flows that highlighted the value of sponsor’s services, building trust and encouraging first-time conversions. For existing users, we focused on upselling by showcasing premium offerings and advanced features that aligned with their growth goals.

2. Conversion Targets Reached in One Single Email

We successfully reached one sponsor’s targets with a single, impactful email campaign. This campaign was strategically timed to maximise engagement and highlighted four key benefits and applications of their services for startup founders. By tailoring the message to address the specific needs and interests of the IIOH applicants, the email achieved exceptional resonance. The response was highly positive, reaching the lead target within just a few hours of release.

3. Hundreds of Custom Data Insights Unlocked

IIOH unlocked hundreds of valuable data points for our sponsors, offering deep insights into the startup ecosystem. Through the application process for IIOH, founders provided detailed responses on topics such as business stage, amounts raised to date, and more. Sponsors gained access to this rich data set, tailored to their specific package. Notably, our headline sponsor leveraged the opportunity to ask a series of custom questions to all 400 applicants, gathering precise insights into user behaviour, purchase patterns, and competitor dynamics.

Unrest in 130 seconds

60

ALUMNI COMPANIES

3000+

IMPACT COMMUNITY

500+

INVESTOR NETWORK

Meet the Team


  • Co-Founder

    Pan has over 10 years of experience in strategy and operations roles within high-growth startups. Before joining Unrest, he led the Fund and Global Operations for Entrepreneur First, Europe's leading deep-tech accelerator and fund.

    As one of the two co-founders of Unrest, Pan is responsible for the process of selecting the UK's most ambitious impact founders to join the program and is also overseeing plans to raise Unrest's own VC fund.


  • Sourcing & Selection

    Liesa is a growth marketing strategist with a strong background in brand and design, having worked for global lifestyle brands such as Matchesfashion, Zara, and Bumble.

    Over the past decade, she has held senior marketing roles at startups and scale-ups across various sectors, including Dating, Greentech, and Fintech.

    At Unrest, Liesa is responsible for sourcing and selecting the most impactful startup founders to join Unrest's flagship accelerator program.


  • Co-Founder

    Orr brings over 10 years of senior consumer marketing leadership, with experience spanning from large FMCG giants like L'Oreal and Procter & Gamble to high-growth scaleups such as Little Moons (Series B) and Vertical Future (Series A).

    Orr also serves as an experienced Non-Executive Director (NED) on the boards of consumer startups, where he provides strategic guidance and oversight to help these companies navigate their growth journeys.

  • Associate Director

    Anas has over 20 years of experience helping businesses tackle complex strategic challenges, particularly in the financial services/fintech, manufacturing, and sports sectors.

    Since joining Unrest in January 2021, he has played a key role in building and delivering the program, as well as contributing to the sourcing and evaluation of cohort companies, investor outreach, and other strategic initiatives.


  • Head of Partnerships

    Andy has almost 15 years experience in forging meaningful partnerships that create value for both partners and communities. He believes that great business outcomes don’t have to come at the expense of social responsibility; rather, they can fuel one another.

    As Head of Partnerships, it is Andy’s role to ensure that Unrest’s partners derive maximum value from engagement with the impact community.


  • Community Manager

    Poppy is all about building connections and creating spaces where people feel supported, valued, and empowered. She leads all community-related projects at Unrest, bringing founders, alumni, and the wider network together through engaging events and member-led initiatives. She ensures founders get the most out of their time at Unrest by keeping alumni engaged, amplifying their successes, and fostering collaboration.

    With a background in the charity sector, Poppy previously led the community and resettlement programme at Ella’s, overseeing 50+ projects and building partnerships to keep survivors connected to their communities. She brings that same commitment to Unrest, creating a thriving, supportive ecosystem where founders and brands can grow.