Mastering Your Monthly Startup Investor Updates: A Ready-to-Use Template

Mastering Your Monthly Startup Investor Updates: A Ready-to-Use Template

Aaron Leaman

 / 

Oct 14, 2024

Aaron Leaman

As a founder working in the climate and impact space, you’re not just building a business—you’re contributing to a better planet. Whether you’re tackling carbon emissions, advancing renewable energy, or working on reforestation, transparency and regular communication with your investors are key to making lasting change.

To help you keep your investors engaged and informed, I’ve created a simple, copy-and-paste monthly investor update template. It’s designed to showcase both your financial health and the impact you’re making.

Copy-and-Paste Monthly Investor Update Template

Investor Update: [Month Year]

Company Overview

  • Company Name: [Your Company Name]
  • Website: [Link to website]
  • Founder: [Your Name]
  • Email: [Founder’s email]

What We Do
Provide a one-liner that summarises your company’s core mission and impact. Whether it’s reducing carbon emissions, driving sustainability in agriculture, or fostering renewable energy, keep it short and impactful.

Highlights & Challenges
Briefly outline your key wins and obstacles for the month. Focus on both the operational and impact aspects of your business.

Example:

  • "We completed the installation of solar panels across 50 schools, which will save 20,000 metric tons of CO2 annually."
  • "We’re facing delays in sourcing eco-friendly materials for our upcoming product launch, but are actively seeking alternatives."

What We Need Help With
This is where you let investors know how they can assist you in driving your impact forward. Limit it to three focused asks.

  • Request #1: "We’re looking for introductions to organisations interested in carbon capture projects."
  • Request #2: "Seeking a new Head of Impact to lead our biodiversity initiatives."
  • Request #3: "We’re preparing for a Series A in Q2 2025—any intros to impact-focused VCs would be valuable."

Financial Snapshot
Give a quick overview of your financial health, including key numbers. If helpful, add a simple chart or graph.

  • Current Cash: $XXX,XXX
  • Monthly Burn: $XX,XXX
  • Runway: X months

Key Impact Metrics
Highlight your most important impact-driven metrics—these numbers should demonstrate the positive change your company is creating.

  • Metric #1: [CO2 offset], [MoM/YoY % change], and how this aligns with your environmental goals.
  • Metric #2: [Renewable energy generated], [MoM/YoY % change], with a brief note on progress.
  • Metric #3: [Hectares of reforested land], [MoM/YoY % change].

Including a graph to illustrate impact over time is highly recommended.

The Good, The Bad, and What’s Next
Investors want a balanced picture of your progress. Be upfront about both the wins and challenges, and outline what comes next for your business.

  • Good: "Our new sustainable packaging saved 100 metric tons of plastic waste this month."
  • Bad: "We are behind schedule on product development due to raw material shortages."
  • Next Steps: "Next month, we’ll focus on launching a new carbon offset initiative and finalising partnerships in renewable energy."

Team Changes
Keep investors updated on new hires or departures, especially as your team plays a critical role in achieving your mission.

  • New Hire: [Name] joined as [Sustainability Lead], bringing experience from [Company], where they implemented large-scale renewable energy projects.
  • Departure: [Name] has left to pursue other opportunities. We’re actively looking for a replacement to head our eco-innovation team.

Shout-Outs & Gratitude
Acknowledge the individuals or organisations who helped you make progress this month.

  • "Thanks to [Name] for the introduction to [Partner], which has opened new doors for our clean energy projects."
  • "Shout out to [Team Member] for their tireless work on our biodiversity impact report."

In The News
If your work has been covered in the media or you’ve launched something new, share the links here.

  • [Media Article on Climate Impact]
  • [Case Study on Social Impact]

Final Thoughts
By providing regular, transparent updates, you not only keep investors informed but also ensure they can offer the support needed to scale your impact. Copy and paste this template to get started on your next investor update!


Facebook sharing IconTwitter sharing IconPinterest sharing IconWhatsApp sharing IconLinkedin sharing Icon

Join our Newsletter.

Want valuable insights from some of the world’s most successful planet-driven founders? Join our Origin Story newsletter. Each one of our Origin Story interviews dives deep into the mind of a planet-driven founder, reveals insights about their company’s DNA, and investigates how they’ve built a successful business.

BY ENTERING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU AGREE TO BE ADDED YOU TO OUR MAILING LIST.

Let’s Tell Your Story.

Book call

Your Vision, Our Mission.

Book call

Investor Spotlight: Carlota Ochoa Neven Du Mont, Extantia Capital

Building a Strong Data Room for Investors & Shareholders

Mastering Your Monthly Startup Investor Updates: A Ready-to-Use Template

Why Many Climate and Impact Startups Fail (And What You Can Do About It)

Branding Is the Strategic Foundation (and Why Marketing Should Come After)‍

How Design by Committee Kills Creativity: Insights for Companies Undergoing Rebranding

How to Drive Growth and Impact Through Storytelling

A Vision Story - Why You Need It and How You Craft It

The Core of Connection: Telling Your Purpose Story

‍Mastering Customer Insights: The Quick-Path Method to Developing Customer Personas

Investor Spotlight: Tim Hoerr, Serra Ventures

Investor Spotlight: Tom Rand, ArcTern Ventures

Investor Spotlight Interview W/ Nick Cooney, Lever VC

Investor Spotlight Interview W/ Danny Brown, MaC Venture Capital

Investor Spotlight Interview W/ Josep Oriol, Okavango Capital

Investor Spotlight Interview W/ Michael Dean, AgFunder

Investor Spotlight Interview W/ Jonny Everett, Marble

The Evolution and Impact of Science Communication

Investor Spotlight Interview W/ Myke Näf, Übermorgen Ventures

Investor Spotlight Series Interview W/ Anthony Chow, Agronomics

Breaking the Mold: Impossible Foods' Bold Approach to Plant-Based Marketing

Investor Spotlight Series w/ Nick Lyth, Green Angel Ventures

Origin Story Interview W/ Manuel Seiffe, MPower

Origin Story Interview W/ Aarav Chavda, INVERSA Leathers

Origin Story Interview W/ Florian Tiller, Ucaneo

Origin Story Interview W/ Richard Hardiman, RanMarine

Origin Story Interview W/ Johnny Drain, Win-Win

A Lesson from Patagonia on Developing Brand Values

Origin Story Interview W/ David Henstrom, Unibio

Origin Story Interview W/ Steffen Gerlach, Eeden

Origin Story Interview W/ Kevin Webb, Superorganism

An Origin Story - Why You Need It And How To Craft It

Origin Story Interview W/ Dustin Bowers, PLAEX

Origin Story Interview W/ John Vermilye, Fair Carbon

Origin Story Interview W/ Thibaut Monfort-Micheo, FlexSea

Origin Story Interview W/ Andrew Behar, As You Sow

Origin Story Interview W/ Ruben Smit, Sunrise

Origin Story Series W/ Deepak Rajmohan, GreenPod Labs

Origin Story Interview W/ Christopher McClure, Loki Foods

Narratives of Change: Crafting Identity through Founder and Organisational Storytelling

Origin Story Interview W/ Emmanuel Briquet, Searen

How to Use an Origin and Vision Story to Attract Investors

The Power of Storytelling: How Climate Activists Drive Meaningful Change

Transforming IPCC Narratives for Global Climate Awareness

Origin Story Interview W/ Hannes Junginger, Carbonfuture

Origin Story Interview W/ David Monnier, Fonto de Vivo

Origin Story Interview W/ Tim Steppich, ClimateU

Origin Story Interview W/ Mark Driscoll, Tasting the Future

Origin Story Interview W/ Kalle Nilvér, GoClimate

Origin Story Interview W/ Marina Schmidt, Red to Green

Origin Story Interview W/ Christoph Pitter, ProteinDistillery

Origin Story Interview W/ Antonella De Lazzari, Naturannova

Origin Story Interview W/ Dijana Galijasevic, Impact Hero

Origin Story Interview W/ Anastasia Kiku, Reusables

Origin Story Interview W/ Nathan Bonnisseau, Plan A

Origin Story Interview W/ Ryan Kushner, Third Derivative

Origin Story Interview W/ Philipp Arbter, Colipi

Origin Story Interview W/ Thibault Sorret, ERS

Origin Story Interview W/ Csaba Hetényi, Plantcraft

Origin Story Interview W/ Rhea Singhal, Ecoware

Origin Story Interview W/ Joel Tasche, CleanHub

Origin Story Interview W/ Jennifer Cote, Opalia

Origin Story Interview W/ Allen Himes, Indigo Energy

Origin Story Interview W/ Emily Taylor, SAGES

Origin Story Interview W/ Aaron Schaller, MeliBio

Origin Story Interview W/ Clover Hogan, Force of Nature

Origin Story Interview W/ Bernard de Wit, Regreener

Origin Story Interview W/ Wolfgang Baum, Fairventures Worldwide gGmbH

Origin Story Interview W/ Anne Therese Gennari, The Climate Optimist

Origin Story Interview W/ Frederique De Clercq, Fred's Mayo

Origin Story Interview W/ Dimitry Gershenson, Enduring Planet

Origin Story Interview W/ David Cutler, Fortuna Cools

Origin Story Interview w/ Auriane Borremans, The Butcher's Daughter & Eatention

Origin Story Interview w/ Will Wiseman, Climatize

Origin Story Interview w/ Todd Khozein, SecondMuse

Origin Story Interview w/ Ryan Hagen, Crowdsourcing Sustainability

Origin Story Interview w/ Noor, Project CECE

Origin Story Interview w/ Shobhita Soor, Legendary Foods

Origin Story Interview W/ Yvonne Jamal, JARO Institute for Sustainability and Digitalization

Origin Story Interview w/ Paul Shapiro, The Better Meat Co.

Origin Story Interview W/ Topher White, Rainforest Connection & Squibbon

Origin Story Interview W/ Felipe Krelling, NewBio

Origin Story Interview W/ Samuel Wines, Co-Labs Australia

Origin Story Interview W/ Mirjam Walser, The Vegan Business School

Origin Story Interview W/ Walid Al Saqqaf, Rebalance Earth

Origin Story Interview W/ Ana Rosa de Lima, Meli Bees

Origin Story Interview W/ Maya Ashkenazi, Maolac

Origin Story Interview W/ Vanessa Westphal, Choosy

Origin Story Interview W/ Leah Bessa, De Novo Dairy

Origin Story Interview W/ Jasmin Shaikh, Axia Foods

Origin Story Interview W/ Roee Nir, Forsea

Origin Story Interview W/ Simone Köchli, Loopi

Origin Story Interview W/ Harald Neidhardt, Futur/io

Origin Story Interview W/ Karsten Hirsch, Plastic Fischer

Origin Story Interview W/ Antoinette Vermilye, Gallifrey Foundation

Origin Story Interview W/ Roman Laus, Mewery

Origin Story Interview W/ Louisa Burman, Sustainability & B Corp Consultant

Origin Story Interview W/ Alfredo Seidemann, Viatu

Origin Story Interview W/ Insa Mohr, Mooji Meats

Origin Story Interview W/ Björn Öste, Oatly & Good Idea Drinks