Podcast
Sustainable Times - Profit Meets Purpose
Hosted by Sustainable Times · EN
Welcome to Profit Meets Purpose, a podcast brought to you by Sustainable Times. Here, we connect a dynamic community of founders and investors who believe in redefining how business is done. Join us as we dive into a world of sustainable investments, where profit and purpose go hand in hand. Each episode, we’ll bring you inspiring conversations with visionary founders, savvy investors, and industry leaders, uncovering fresh insights and actionable ideas on how to build a better, more sustainable future through business.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep.29 Alexandra French, Xampla
Sep 1700:46:16Tap to summarizeThis week on Profit Meets Purpose, Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, explains how a Cambridge spin-out is utilising 15 years of research into plant proteins to create plastic alternatives. Their Moro technology is a plastic-free coating that works like plastic during use, then breaks down naturally once it’s no longer needed. Xampla’s technology has a range of other uses from vitamins to dishwasher tablets.Fresh from raising a $14m Series A, Xampla is now looking to scale internationally. With regulations around plastic tightening and PFAS under fire, Xampla’s drop-in, heat-sealable materials let brands switch without requiring any changes. French explains why Xampla scaled through a licensing business model, partnering with established chemical manufacturers to reach ton-scale fast, and how real-world collaborations with companies like Just Eat and Gousto are already putting Morro into consumers’ hands. Plus, French discusses the impact of the first Plastic Treaty negotiations earlier this year, and provides clarity on what “fully biodegradable” actually means and we dig into the hidden plastics most people miss, from cup linings to PVOH films and fragrance microcapsules. Xampla website: https://xampla.com/Sustainable Times: www.sustainabletimes.co.ukContact: daisy.moll@sustainabletimes.co.uk
Transcribe →
Ep.28 Anthony Rose, Seed Legals
Sep 1000:51:57Tap to summarizeAnthony, co-founder and CEO of SeedLegals, joins Profit Meets Purpose for a candid look at how founders raise, build, and scale. He isn’t a lawyer—he previously led the development of BBC iPlayer and has built multiple startups—and that outsider perspective has helped him see both the product and the customer’s needs more clearly. SeedLegals streamlines legal documentation so founders can focus on what really matters: securing investment, hiring, and growing with fewer mistakes.Anthony shares his obsession with customer-driven development, illustrated by his well-known “Lindt chocolate test”: bribe users with chocolate, watch them struggle, fix the top three issues, and repeat until the product clicks. He argues this rapid feedback loop beats expensive research cycles, and that in startups, “building stuff” is often a sign you haven’t validated enough. Better, he says, to test with low-code tools or even human-in-the-loop processes, discover what people truly want, then automate once demand is proven.He also unpacks current fundraising trends. The market is far tougher than the boom of 2021. Higher interest rates mean safer returns elsewhere, and while AI attracts attention, it also adds noise and uncertainty. Today’s investors expect to see revenue earlier, so Anthony advises founders to raise only what they need, keep operations lean, and build traction before approaching venture capital.
Transcribe →
Ep.27 George Thompson, GT Wings
Sep 300:25:23Tap to summarizeThis week on Profit Meets Purpose George Thompson, founder and CEO of GT Wings, shares how their technology is sailing the shipping industry into a more sustainable future.As shipping braces for tougher climate rules, GT Wings is showing that compact, high-thrust wind tech can turn compliance into competitive advantage.The clean shipping boom has long been promised and is slow to arrive. But if you ask George, the inflection point is in sight and regulation is the accelerant.“The market’s really coming in 2027. That’s when the regulation hits hard,” Thompson says. For shipowners and operators, he adds, “the cost of non-compliance is growing”. Those two forces, looming rules and rising penalties, are reshaping buying decisions at sea, creating space for technologies that deliver verifiable fuel and emissions cuts.Borrowing from high-lift aeronautics, GT Wings uses active flow-control fans that “both suck and blow the air at different places”, maintaining attached flow and generating greater thrust from a smaller device. That extra thrust reduces engine load, and therefore fuel use, by “anywhere between five to 35 percent”, depending on route and weather conditions.Website: www.sustainabletimes.co.ukGT Wings Website: https://gtwings.com/Contact: daisy.moll@sustainabletimes.co.uk
Transcribe →
Ep. 18 Juliette Devillard, Climate Connection
Jun 25, 2025Tap to summarize"We asked founders what they needed, then invited investors, marketers, and sales coaches who could help immediately.”Juliette Devillard is revolutionising the UK’s climate innovation scene through her initiative, Climate Connection, which focuses on creating meaningful spaces for climate professionals to connect, collaborate, and support each other. After relocating from the U.S. to London, Devillard noticed a fragmented climate community. She began with the launch of a small event for 30 professionals, which quickly revealed the strong demand for such spaces. This grew into the UK’s largest regular event for climate innovation, offering in-person meetups, dinners, and curated sessions aimed at fostering quality relationships among founders, funders, and other stakeholders.Devillard also champions gender equality, notably through her Female Founders Dinner, addressing the underfunding of women-led startups. Beyond this, she emphasises the wellbeing of all founders within the startup ecosystem, founding Founders Connect, a series where entrepreneurs discuss the realities of running a business without any investors in the room. She offers valuable insights for founders, coupled with a comprehensive understanding of the future direction of the ecosystem. For instance, we explore the need for innovative financing models that can support startups through their Series A, B, and C rounds, ensuring sustainable growth at each stage.https://hubs.li/Q03sQRSY0
Transcribe →