At Terra Impact Ventures, we empower ambitious startups to reach their full potential.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and global inequality are among the most pressing challenges of our century. At Terra Impact Ventures, we believe that innovation is the key to addressing these issues.

We are a team of entrepreneurs and impact investors. We help promising companies to scale and multiply their impact.

Our offer for investors:

  • Due diligence for your new investments
  • Screening and assessing your existing portfolio of investments
  • ESG / carbon / impact fund advisory
  • Identifying growth potential, market assessment, strategy development
  • Interim management; chairman / board / advisory roles 

Our offer for startups:

  • Product-market fit assessments 
  • Strategy development, competitive landscape assessment
  • Team structuring, incentive schemes, skills gap assessment 
  • Team culture / motivation
  • Crisis management
  • Fundraising

Founded by four partners who were integral in building South Pole into a climate unicorn, we bring a wealth of experience in founding, growing, and scaling impact-driven companies. We’re passionate about entrepreneurship and partner with ventures to accelerate their journey, helping them navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities to create long-lasting impact.

Meet our team

We are four entrepreneurs and pioneers in the field of sustainability and climate change. We have worked together for 18 years, assuming many different roles and responsibilities, always driving positive impact.

Renat Heuberger

CEO & Co-Founder

Renat Heuberger is a serial entrepreneur in sustainability and climate action. He co-founded and led the myclimate foundation and South Pole,  is chairman of MPower and serves on various boards. Renat was named Social Entrepreneur by the World Economic Forum’s Schwab Foundation, is an elected member of the Innovation Council for the Swiss government, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, and a YPO Global Impact Award winner. He holds a master’s in environmental science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and has completed executive education programs at INSEAD and the Harvard Kennedy School.

Dr. Christoph Grobbel

CFO, Chairman & Co-Founder

Christoph is member of the Stewards’ Circle at For Good Leaders, Board Director of South Pole Holding, and Executive Chairman of the Advisory Board at AIRMO. As Co-Founder of South Pole, he assumed key positions including Chairman of the Board, CFO, Chief Sales Officer, and Manager of the Swiss Technology Fund.
Before the foundation of South Pole Christoph worked at McKinsey & Company for over 12 years as Senior Expert for Emissions Trading and Electric Power & Natural Gas and led key projects such as the review of the European Emissions Trading Scheme for the EU Commission in 2005 and 2006. Christoph holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, an MSc in Energy Management & Policy (EMP) from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, an MSc in EMP from IFP School, Paris, and a doctoral degree in Economics from Oldenburg University.

Marco Hirsbrunner

COO & Co-Founder

Marco Hirsbrunner is a Co-Founder of South Pole, where he served as Chief Operating Officer, guiding operations, technology, and executive leadership functions. Marco established South Pole’s Beijing office, spearheaded climate projects across China, Vietnam, and Thailand, and led the global project and consultancy portfolio. He developed a key project management software now integral to South Pole’s operations that became instrumental in managing over 1,000 projects and several thousand consultancy initiatives. Marco also served on the board of South Pole Carbon Asset Management Ltd. He holds an MA in Media & Communications and Chinese Studies from the University of Zurich and completed executive education at the University of St. Gallen.

Christian Dannecker

CTO & Co-Founder

Christian is a Co-Founder of South Pole, where he worked in multiple positions, latest as Executive Director Global Projects, and beforehand in roles as diverse as Director Latin America, Global Director of project sourcing and Sales Director for the FMCG sector. As part of his work at South Pole, he succeeded in growing Climate Friendly Pty, Australia, from a carbon trader to a leading project developer; and co-founded and served as member of the board in NatureRe Capital, a Swiss financier and developer of carbon removal projects. He also founded and directs Fundación Magnolios, a Colombian conservation focused NGO. Christian holds a masters degree in environmental science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.