Connecting
the good

ScaleUpNation view social challenges as entrepreneurial opportunities — but know only initiatives that can scale will have impact. So they’re on a mission to help socially conscious impact organisations in the Netherlands master the art of scaling.

ScaleUpNation came to Starlings with the question, “When only 0.4% of start-ups scale, what drives scale-up success and can we increase those odds?”  What began as a research project, quickly evolved into a fully-fledged and funded research lab dedicated to cracking the code of scaling for impact.

Agathos is a private equity fund founded by William de Laszlo supporting small UK-trading businesses through times of transition. They help passionate local companies to be the best they can be — in business and their communities.

In 2016 Agathos commissioned Starlings to independently evaluate the social impact of their investments. We worked with evaluation expert Professor Paul Montgomery (University of Oxford and a Cross Whitehall Trial Advisor). Our insights motivated Agathos to double down on their efforts to bring social considerations into all their investments.

Nick Mathiason and Ted Jeory run a small operation in London that punches above its weight – increasing the quality and quantity of illicit finance media coverage such as the Panama Papers and Gupta Leaks.

They had a credible proof of concept supported by some large donors but craved the space and confidence to grow. With the help of Nathalie van der Ploeg (experienced media entrepreneur), we stepped out of day-to-day work and comfort zones to develop a clear strategy to strengthen, position and organically grow their organisation.

A circular economy is a framework for an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design. Pioneers Circle Economy became big news in 2018. Overwhelmed with opportunities to collaborate with others who shared a mission to accelerate circular economies across the globe, they reached out to Starlings.

We helped create a scalable model to support potential partners. Building relationships was as important as practical technical content. We ran a process to test and iterate, allowing the team to pilot the service within four months.

The iconic Dutch brand Nomad was founded by Bob Kooijmans in 1978 and is well loved for getting people out into the great outdoors. In 2014 a family tragedy meant Bob’s daughter Anouk became responsible for the business and its loyal employees.

With the support of family members and a team of trusted advisors including Starlings, Anouk worked skilfully through the company’s options. We helped her explore and deliver on a sale to a group of long-term investors who committed to nurturing the brand, growing the organisation and staying true to the environmental values the company holds dear.