FAQ
Introduction to SFF
Who’s behind Shared Future Fund?
Shared Future Fund is created and administered by Collab Fund with the support of a diverse group of partners committed to addressing the climate crisis, including Sweetgreen, Goldhirsh Foundation, and Banff Advisors.
Who is eligible to apply for funding?
We fund all types of climate-related startups working across a wide range of verticals. Our goal is to provide early, quick, and catalytic capital along with access to a unique network of founders and advisors.
Today, we back climate startups that have earned a place among some of the world’s leading accelerators and fellowships.
We are actively seeking to expand the application pool by partnering with additional hubs of climate talent. If you are interested in partnering with Collaborative, please shoot us a note.
If you are a startup looking for funding but don’t meet the SFF criteria, you can still get in touch with Collaborative’s early-stage team.
What are the terms of funding?
We offer a $100,000 investment based on standard YC SAFEs (Simple Agreement for Future Equity), generally with an MFN or a discount. If you’re looking to understand what standard YC SAFEs typically look like, see here.
Are there benefits beyond the $100,000?
We are excited to build a vibrant community with and for the world’s top climate founders. SFF aspires to foster meaningful connections, creating a forum to ask for and receive advice.
In addition, we offer a range of benefits that founders can access at any time, including regular office hours, ad hoc counsel from our investor team, and access to advice from SFF partners (Sweetgreen, Goldhirsh Foundation, and Banff Advisors).
How many companies will be funded by SFF?
We fund up to 100 companies each year.
How does SFF decide who receives funding?
Our long-term goal is to make Shared Future Fund truly programmatic, whereby if an applicant meets our core criteria, then they automatically qualify for funding.
As we build towards that ambitious vision, we are starting with a handful of partnerships with a few hubs of climate talent. This model allows us to learn and iterate quickly, enabling us to scale even faster. Soon, we hope that any climate founder can apply, regardless of location and previous funding.
Founders who have been selected to participate in a leading accelerator or startup fellowship only need to fill out a quick application, which will be reviewed by our team. We aim to fund startups within 10-20 days of receiving and approving the application.
SFF reserves the right to decline any application that it determines, in its sole discretion, does not meet our core criteria or that creates additional concerns (e.g., legal, regulatory, tax, capital, or reputational).
How can funding be used?
100% at the applicant’s discretion.
What is the difference between Collaborative’s early-stage fund and SFF?
While both forms of investment come from Collaborative Fund, they are handled separately.
SFF provides a blanket offer of $100K (in an uncapped SAFE) for all climate-focused companies that meet the program’s criteria. This program is meant to provide quick and simple access to additional capital without friction.
Separately, we selectively make larger investments by following a more traditional process—whereby you pitch members of our team and we potentially invest a much larger amount. These investments have different mandates and operate with different criteria.
I got funded by SFF, will Collaborative’s early-stage team invest, too? Does getting funded by SFF increase the likelihood of such an investment?
SFF and our early-stage funds are separate investment vehicles. As a result, qualifying for SFF neither guarantees nor increases the likelihood of receiving an investment from Collaborative’s early-stage fund.
Will SFF invest in companies tackling the same problem?
Because SFF is designed to be programmatic and to help as many climate startups as possible, SFF may end up funding companies tackling similar challenges or working on closely related solutions. However, Collaborative Fund has policies in place to maintain the confidentiality of all confidential or proprietary information. In fact, our hope is that founders benefit from the SFF founder network and can lean on one another to overcome the inevitable challenges of building a climate company.
Participating in SFF
Are there any reporting requirements?
While there are no formal reporting requirements, we would appreciate receiving email updates that you send your investors.
I am a SFF founder and I’d like to connect with other founders or advisors in the program. How do I get an introduction?
Please reach out to us and we’d be happy to connect you! Alternatively, you can send a note directly using the SFF directory or our WhatsApp group.
How much interaction will I have with Collaborative’s investor team and partner organizations?
We are proud to have a coalition of partners that are eager to help SFF companies. We can help with anything from fundraising advice and introductions to operating advice and hiring to PR strategy and more. If you are just looking for someone to hear you out, reach out to us too!
We host regular office hours and would love to have you join! If those times don’t work, shoot us a note.