We are an impact multiplier for climate action

Our Origins

Subak was founded in 2020 to revolutionise how we respond to climate change.

The name Subak comes from 9th century Indonesia. Subak is a cooperative system developed by rice farmers for sharing water, which allowed them to grow and thrive despite difficult environmental conditions. At Subak, we apply this ethos to data. By collectivising resources and infrastructure, we enable organisations to collaborate to speed progress.

Our Approach

  • We increase the volume and effectiveness of climate funding.

  • We support early-stage not-for-profits to scale and influence.

  • We increase data sharing & generation to solve climate issues at speed.

Why?

  • There is a mismatch between funding and climate impact.

    The vast majority of climate funding prioritises profit over impact. The overfocus on a narrow set of fashionable or profitable cause areas and certain geographies neglects many other levers with high impact potential.

  • Not enough climate not-for-profits create impact at scale.

    Out of the 100 most well-funded not-for-profits in 2021, none were exclusively focused on climate mitigation.

  • Data is not utilised effectively to solve climate issues.

    Currently, silo mentalities slow progress and increase costs. Certain climate topics and geographies disproportionately suffer from data gaps. At worst, poorly evidenced policies and poor risk modelling can cost lives.

Since 2020

  • £1.2m

    of support delivered through our Accelerator & Fellowship programmes

  • 20

    individuals working on climate data projects around the world funded through our Fellowship programme

  • 25,100+

    climate-related datasets mapped in the Subak Data Catalogue

  • £10m

    follow-on funding raised since members have graduated from our Accelerator programme

  • 15

    early-stage climate organisations across the world supported through our Accelerator programme

  • 2000+

    users of the Subak Data Catalogue

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Team 🇬🇧

 

Pranuthi Chander

  • Pranuthi has over 15 years experience as a co-founder and operations leader, building and growing technology teams and startups from idea stage to fully operationalised Series A startups. She has worked with a diverse range of industries including transportation, healthcare and AI and uses systems and design thinking to underpin her approach.

Elodie Read

  • Elodie has an MPhil in Development Studies from Oxford University. She has experience working on sustainability, gender equality, and refugee rights programmes at NGOs in the UK, Spain, Indonesia and Kenya.

Will Andrews Tipper

  • Will has spent nearly 20 years as a climate and environmental policy maker and influencer, in the UK and Brussels. He has worked across a range of organisations and sectors including three years as a civil servant, six years at an environmental think tank, and most recently as Head of Policy for a recycling and waste management company.

Jake Verma

  • Jake started off as technology strategy graduate in the telecoms sector but found his niche in data architecture and database development in a major telecoms network expansion programme. After a short time freelancing, Jake moved into the energy sector and joined Energy Systems Catapult in 2019. Jake is a specialist in bridging the gap between technical and non-technical domains.

 

Joanna Chan

  • Joanna has a background in partnership development, advisory and operations. Her most recent role was at Techstars, working closely with corporate partners to build accelerator programs and partner with startups.

Chris Briggs

  • Chris has worked in software engineering for over 15 years and is reading a PhD at Keele University focused on privacy-preserving machine learning applied to smart energy applications. He also consults on projects related to data science for good.

Joshua Pernell

  • Joshua studied Graphic Design at University working on campaigns for change including ocean pollution and sweatshop labour. He then worked in Operations across industries such as events and transportation before moving into a healthcare startup with a focus on process optimisation and scaleability.

Justine White

  • Justine is a recent graduate of the University of Edinburgh with experience in climate activism working with Amnesty International UK. Their dissertation was the first of its kind to create a measure for how inclusive Westminster's climate policy was of marginalised social groups, setting a baseline for future years.

 

Team 🇦🇺

 

Chris Wilson

  • Chris has over 25 years of management consulting and advisory experience, focused on capital markets, climate change, business strategy and the use of technology and data to make change happen. He advises companies in and around the climate change and sustainability space, helping them to scale and grow.

Rockyath Adechoubou

  • Rockyath is an entrepreneur, content strategist, and partnership development specialist. She believes in building authentic connections between brands and their audience. Rockyath spent 11 years living and working in South Africa, the United States, and Japan before relocating to Melbourne. Rockyath holds a Master in International Business (MIB) from the University of Melbourne and advocates for social advancement and sustainability.

Louise Denver

  • Having lived and worked as a journalist in London, New York, and the Middle East, Louise most recently enjoyed an 18-year career as a Director of Corporate Affairs & Communications for Deloitte in Sydney. Today she's determined to support others turn their skills to 'do well by doing good'. As a passionate nature lover, that means connecting and supporting those committed to regenerating and protecting the planet. And for Subak that is all about sharing data to accelerate that change and stem climate change.

Lily Harrison

  • Lily has a Bachelor of Science from Melbourne University majoring in Marine Biology. She has spent the past three years working across Australia for various environmental not-for-profits and worked particularly in community engagement as well as building partner relationships.

 Want to join the Subak team? Take a look at our open vacancies

Advisory Boards

 

Gi Fernando MBE

  • Founder of many businesses including Techlightenment and Freeformers. Experienced investor and entrepreneur. Gi holds positions on various boards and has a significant very early stage investment portfolio of both social business and pure commercial.

Baroness Bryony Worthington

  • Environmental campaigner and life peer in the House of Lords. Bryony was the lead author in the team which drafted the UK's 2008 Climate Change Act. In 2008, Bryony launched Sandbag, an NGO that uses data insights to advocate for a swift transition to clean energy.

Michelle You

  • Co-founder and ex-CPO of Songkick. VP at LocalGlobe, focusing on climate and the environment. Product consultant and advisors to various startups.

Phil MacDonald

  • COO at Ember Climate. Previous roles have included campaigning with the Liberal Democrats in the UK and the Democrats in the US. Phil holds an MSc. in Evolution, Ecology & Conservation from Imperial College.

 

Harry Benham

  • 32 years with BP and Shell in oil and gas industry. Strategy advisor at Carbon Tracker, Chairman at Ember Climate, and Director of Operations at New AutoMotive.

Professor Andrew Lowe

  • Prof Andy Lowe is an expert in plants and trees, particularly the management of genetic, biological and ecosystem resources and is Interim Director of the Environment Institute at the University of Adelaide. Andy has helped secure a quarter of a billion dollars’ worth of research funding in his field and is an experienced and respected executive leader, board member and mid-career mentor.

Professor James Watson

  • James is an internationally renowned Professor of Conservation Science who works vigorously championing the importance of protecting the biosphere. James has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers on conservation related matters and currently leads the Green Fire Science group and is the Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Science and Research Initiative.

Cheryl Durrant

  • Cheryl has over 30 years of experience in the national security sector, including specialist Army intelligence and Defence capability and preparedness roles. Cheryl led the Department’s Global Change and Energy Sustainability Initiative from 2013-2016 and established the position of the Australian Defence Force’s Climate and Security Advisor in 2016.

Want to join the team? Visit our careers page