Investor Forum

Investor Forum

Fostering Investment in Sustainable Chemistry Innovations

The annual ISC3 Investor Forum (IF) unites founders, investors, scientists and decision-makers from industry and politics in a discussion on the role of financing mechanisms to secure the innovation pipeline, and the very specific dynamics of the Sustainable Chemistry innovation eco-system. ISC3 IF panel discussions are matched by pitching sessions and innovation showcases of cutting-edge entrepreneurs, as well as speed dating and networking opportunities with international investors. The Investor Forum also hosts the award ceremony and presentations of the finalists of the global ISC3 Innovation Challenge.

Investor Forum 2024


Impact Festival 2024 has successfully taken place and featured the ISC3 Investor Forum 2024 including our live Innovation Challenge Award Ceremony on October 31st, at Forum Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

The event promoted networking and dialogue between innovators, investors and experts in the field of sustainable chemistry and textiles.

On the first day (October 30th) our 10 amazing start-ups presented their ideas in a live pitch.

On the second day, ISC3 was hosting an informative panel discussion on the topic of “Financing Innovation in Sustainable Chemistry and Textiles", where four experts elaborated on the challenges and opportunities for innovation and investment in this field, giving valuable insight to both parties.

Finally, the winners of the Innovation Challenge were honoured on stage.

The main Innovation Challenge Award (15.000 €) was secured by Dimpora AG from Switzerland. Dimpora® is a revolutionary PFAS-free textile membrane that makes fabrics completely waterproof and breathable without harming the environment, thanks to a scientifically based and patented CoreLayer technology.

One Special Impact Award (5.000€) was given to POLYBION (Mexico), that uses locally produced agro-industrial fruit waste as raw material to craft forward-thinking biomaterials such as Celium™- Premium Cultivated Cellulose. Celium™ can be dyed, embossed and tanned using existing infrastructure, resulting in a lower negative environmental impact than traditional fabrics.

The other Special Impact Award (5.000€) went to Renasens AB (Sweden). Renasens contribute to accelerating the transition to a circular economy by developing a waterless & clean technology to recycle agricultural and blended textile wastes to new resources without fibers´ depolymerisation or degradation.

Theseus Development (Ghana) won the Audience Award for their pitch presenting an innovative technology that uses an abundant, natural material to produce an alternative to cement-based concrete called "geopolymers", which can be used as thermo- and cost-efficient building blocks for the building industry. The start-up aims to accelerate the transition to a green built environment by empowering builders to create sustainable communities with geopolymer concrete.

In the end, a masterclass with the title "What dimensions of sustainability does your start-up impact?" hosted by ISC3 allowed participants to gain insights into the practice of sustainable chemistry through interactive exercises and case studies.

The event concluded with the announcement of the next Innovation Challenge 2025.

We congratulate the winners, applaud all great innovative start-ups and thank everyone for witnessing this event!

View our full press release here


five experts or the panel on "financing innovation" sitting on a stage
Panel discussion of the ISC3 Investor Forum 2024 at Impact Festival.
Winners of the Innovation Challenge 2024 (4 men, 1 woman) with their awards infront of ISC3 booth
Winners of the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2024 and Audience Award winner at the ISC3 booth at Impact Festival.

The ISC3 Investor Forum 2024 was our 6th edition. The next Investor Forum will most likely take place in autumn 2025. To find out more about our previous Investor Forums, please see below.


Contact person: Astrid Ewaz, Project Manager Events, ISC3 Innovation Hub: astrid.ewaz@isc3.org

Past Investor Forums

Discover the topics of and key facts about the Investor Forums of the past years!


Investor Forum 2023

The fifth edition of the Investor Forum 2023 was held as part of the 5th World Chemicals Conference ICCM5 in Bonn on September 28th, 2023.

Facts & Figures:

  • Panel discussion on “private and public funding mechanisms for securing the innovation pipeline and the unique dynamics of the Sustainable Chemistry innovation ecosystem
  • 18 live pitches from innovative start-ups
  • 30 more start-up showcases online
  • Award Ceremony for the winners of the Innovation Challenge, themed “Agriculture” (10 finalists)

Read more about Investor Forum 2023 here.


Investor Forum 2022

Due to the on-going pandemic, this edition of the Investor Forum was held virtually on November 9th to November 10th, 2022.

Facts & Figures:

  • Attendants: 121 registered guests
  • 2 panel discussions, featuring international experts from diverse sectors:

    • Day 1: Sustainability criteria of start-ups and the significance of investment impact from both investors’ and founders’ perspectives
    • Day 2: Financial and regulatory framework for Sustainable Chemistry innovations in West Africa
  • 19 virtual pitches from innovative start-ups
  • 40 more start-up showcases online
  • Award Ceremony for the winners of the Innovation Challenge, themed “Waste: Prevention, Valorisation & Management” (10 finalists)

Read more about Investor Forum 2022 here.


Investor Forum 2021

The virtual Investor Forum took place as part of the first-ever “Global Sustainable Chemistry Week (GSCW)”, hosted by the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) on November 9th to November 11th, 2021.

Facts & Figures:

  • Attendants: 170 international guests
  • 3 panel discussions, featuring international experts from diverse sectors:

    • Day 1: Alternative and sustainable business models
    • Day 2: Finance and Sustainability, with an introduction to Taxonomy Discussion
    • Day 3: The role of Sustainable Chemistry in the Energy Transition
  • 20 virtual pitches from innovative start-ups
  • 20 more start-up showcases on a separate meeting platform
  • Award Ceremony for the winners of the Innovation Challenge, themed “Renewable Energy” (5 finalists)

Read more about Investor Forum 2021 here.


Investor Forum 2019/2020

The 2nd edition of the Investor Forum was held virtually for the first time, due to the global pandemic on October 21st to October 23rd, 2020. The event was co-hosted by the Think Beyond Plastic™ Innovation Accelerator and the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3).

Facts & Figures:

  • Attendants: 150 international guests
  • 2 panel discussions, featuring international experts from diverse sectors:

    • Day 1: The role of sustainable chemistry in achieving the SDGs, frontier capital, and blended financing mechanisms
    • Day 2: Insights from an investor on cleantech sector profitability and the impact of investments on the circular economy
  • 15 virtual pitches from innovative start-ups
  • 40 start-up showcases on a separate digital investor booklet
  • Award Ceremony for the winners of the Innovation Challenge, themed “Sustainable Building and Living” (5 finalists)


Investor Forum 2018

The first New Plastics Economy Investor Forum was hosted by the circular economy platform Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the innovation accelerator Think Beyond Plastic and the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) on December 7th, 2018. This event was the first of its kind organised by the ISC3 Innovation Hub in the frames of its ISC3 Global Start-up Service and addressed the critical topic of plastic pollution.

Facts & Figures:

  • Attendants: 150 international guests
  • 2 panel discussions, featuring international experts from diverse sectors:

    • 1st panel: Needs and investment opportunities
    • 2nd panel: Concept of a tipping point from various perspectives, and the path to get there
    • 3rd panel: Innovator journey, unique needs and pains; pivoting
  • 10 live pitches from innovative start-ups
  • 1-on-1 ‘Speed Dating’ session