My Startup World speaks with Marco Chillon, General Manager for Europe at Razer about the recently launched USD50 million Razer Green Fund created specially to invest in startups working towards green causes and developing innovations that can preserve nature and protect the environment

Congratulations for starting such a fantastic initiative, please describe in details how did you ponder upon this idea of starting an $50 million Razer Green Fund and what kind of impact do you foresee with fund on our environment?
We saw us morphing into a company with global responsibilities, and we began to rethink our relationship with the world, especially when it comes to sustainability and climate change. Knowing that a large number of our community cares about sustainability and the environment.

We felt we needed to do more than just announce a sustainability plan, so the fund, called Razer Green Fund, emerges into Razer’s 10-year plan to “preserve nature and protect the environment” through renewable energy and carbon-neutral projects. Over time, Razer, plans to make gamers worldwide “contribute to green causes”.

In your view, what role can technology play in achieving sustainability development goals?
Razer is proud to be part of an ecosystem that is characterized by inclusivity and solidarity. We are empowering and encouraging both our staff and the community to contribute and support the global green movement

Razer places a great emphasis on our people and culture. As Razer believes that working as one team will enable us to achieve our goals, we aim to encourage employees and business partners to adopt a green mindset to encourage understanding of our conservationist obligations.

Razer will adopt #GoGreenWithRazer as a global corporate social responsibility focus and will be working with external business partners to roll out green initiatives.

What is the prime purpose of this fund and what kind of investments have you made so far since the launch of this green fund?
The US$50M Razer Green Fund seeks to foster a green mindset amongst Razer’s community of youth, millennials, and Gen Z via selective strategic investments. It aims to support sustainability startups and deliver innovative solutions that would help shape the world for future generations.

Our first investment was with The Nurturing Co. an award-winning sustainable products startup. The organization is most notable for creating BAMBOOLOO, one of the world’s first single-use plastic-free, bamboo toilet paper and home care brands.

Apart from investments, what kind of support are you going to lend to the startups funded by the green fund?
Our startups stand to gain far more than just the capital needed to succeed. Razer aims to provide the necessary guidance and resources to help them succeed in several ways:

• We provide expert advice and marketing support to poise their businesses for success, relying on our unparalleled expertise in design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution
• We help them scale their businesses by providing access to key suppliers, OEMs, customers, founders and influencers. Software-related startups can gain access to our 120M+ software users.
• We help them build brand credibility with investors and partners, by tapping on Razer’s global recognition as the leading lifestyle brand for gamers

How is Razer going to identify potential startups and what is the criteria for making investments in a startup?
The Green Fund invests in companies that have a primary focus on sustainability and environmental angles, such as renewable energy, carbon, plastic management, and sustainable forestry. The fund is managed by zVentures, Razer’s corporate ventures arm and an integral part of its strategic investment activities.

At what stage of a startup is the fund going to invest in the enterprise?
zVentures typically invests in Seed and Series A early-stage startups with average ticket sizes ranging from US$100K to US$1M. As these are early-stage startups, they tend to be early in their product development.

Is this green fund limited to any geography or is it open for startups from anywhere in the world to seek funding?
Razer is a global company with 17 offices worldwide, therefore, the Green Fund is open to high potential sustainability startups from all over the world.

How can a potential startup reach you and what is the deadline for startups to be part of this initiative?
Startups can find out more about zVentures and the Green Fund via our website (www.zvntrs.com), where they can submit a pitch deck if they feel their company is a good fit for our investment mandate. As sustainability is a long-term focus for us at Razer, we will review opportunities on an ongoing basis.

What message would you like to give to all the startups that are looking to engage with you and be part of this green initiative?
As the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers with over 120M users, we bring significant value to startups that partner with us.

If you have an invention or an entrepreneurial idea to support projects like renewable energy, carbon management, plastic management, don’t hesitate to contact Razer.