ESG is under fire. Some say it’s “good for the brand” but not foundational to the strategy. Others call it flat-out fraud.
So I wanted to find out:
Is ESG in venture capital just a PR exercise, or can it actually create value?
To unpack this complex topic, I invited Damien Didier, Head of ESG at Daphni, a French VC firm with over €500M AUM and one of the funds that truly walks the talk.
And I’ll be honest: I used to see ESG as a box-ticking exercise.
But after this conversation, I left convinced that when done right, ESG can improve startup performance, strengthen returns, and unlock real impact.
We covered:
What ESG really means in VC (and why most people get it wrong)
Their framework to assess ESG in early-stage startups
Why asking for too much ESG data too early is a mistake
How ESG ties into margins, exit premiums, and long-term value
…and more!
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References:
Daphni - https://www.daphni.com/
Damien Didier - https://www.linkedin.com/in/damien-didier/
ESG Toolbox - The ESG Toolbox by daphni
Time4 - A New Fund to Change the Game!
Les Déterminés - https://www.lesdetermines.fr/
Live4Good - https://www.live-for-good.org/
Included VC - https://www.included.vc/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:41) ESG in Venture?
(10:24) Is ESG relevant at pre-seed?
(13:14) The S of ESG
(23:04) Implementing ESG
(28:55) The Future of ESG in VC
(31:50) Fire Questions 🔥
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What’s next?👀
This was the last episode before we launch a new format and brand. Stay tuned! 👋
***
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