1、March 2024Impact,environmental and social signals in startups and scaleups Executive summary The number of active potentially impactful companies has increased by 65.3%since 2013.If this growth trend continues,by 2028 there could be over 12,000 companies within this cohort in the UKs high-growth eco

2、nomy.London is home to the largest proportion of potentially impact-driven companies with more than 2,000 high-growth businesses headquartered in the capital.This can be attributed to the citys dense business population,access to skilled talent,and financial support networks.Outside of London,the So

3、uth East(1,199)and the East of England(892)account for the largest proportions of high-growth impact-centric companies.The high number of businesses in these regions is likely due to their proximity to London and the presence of renowned academic institutions such as the University of Oxford and the

4、 University of Cambridge.Companies with all-male founding teams represent the largest proportion of high-growth companies showing ESG positive signals(76.6%),whereas mixed-gender and all-female founding teams account for 15%and 8.42%,respectively.In recent years,potentailly impactful high-growth com

5、panies have raised significant levels of equity investment,recording a peak of 9.68b in 2022.The rise in investment in this area can be attributable to several factors including shifting societal values,the rise of socially conscious consumers,and an increase in the number of high-growth companies a

6、iming to provide a positive impact on society and generate financial returns.The number of deals completed by businesses in this area has also surged from 497 in 2013 to over 1,000 in the first three quarters of 2023.Crowdfunding platforms have participated in the greatest number(461)of equity finan