Meet our members: Helping Kuppa finance & fix the UK’s broken housing stock

Meet portfolio company and SV members Kuppa, who are on a mission to transform millions of UK homes into energy-efficient, low-carbon spaces. Kuppa joined the Sustainable Ventures community as part of our investment portfolio but has since become fully embedded in our support ecosystem—working in our London workspace and taking part in programmes designed to help them scale.

With homes accounting for around 20% of the UK’s carbon emissions, improving domestic energy efficiency is a critical step toward achieving net zero. Yet, the scale of the challenge is daunting: by 2030, the UK needs to deliver over 75 million home upgrades—from installing solar panels to replacing gas boilers with heat pumps and improving insulation.

Innovative technology like Kuppa offers huge potential in the fight against climate change, but the challenge lies in rapidly transforming these solutions into commercial offerings ready for market adoption. We caught up with Kuppa to hear more about their journey so far and how they’ve navigated hurdles on the path to scale.

The Kuppa Story

Kuppa began, fittingly, over a conversation between its co-founders, which inspired the name. From day one, their vision was clear: to make the transition to greener, more energy-efficient homes accessible, straightforward, and achievable for everyone.

Initially, Kuppa operated as a direct-to-consumer business, working one-on-one with homeowners to help them explore their options. However, the team quickly realised that if they wanted to scale their impact, they’d need to take a different approach.

By partnering with banks, lenders, utilities, and energy retailers—organisations that already have access to millions of UK households—Kuppa could accelerate its mission and reach far more people. This strategic pivot marked a turning point in their journey, setting them on a path to scale their impact and drive real transformation in the housing sector.

Helping Kuppa to Scale

Kuppa’s partnership with Sustainable Ventures began with investment, but our support has gone far beyond funding. As co-founder Kirsty explains, “One of the things about being based at Sustainable Ventures and in this ecosystem is that you have access to a whole range of talented climate tech enthusiasts and specialists.”

It was through the Sustainable Ventures community that Kuppa found their energy modelling lead, a key hire that helped them build the foundations of their innovative platform. This is just one of the many advantages of being part of a thriving climate tech hub: access to potential hires, collaborative partners, and a powerful network of like-minded individuals all working toward a greener future.

Through our network, Kuppa has also connected with key customers and partners. For example, they participated in the Lambeth Innovation Challenge, which gave them access to a major energy contractor. This partnership led to a successful summer pilot project, which Kuppa now hopes to scale further.

Reflecting on the importance of being part of an ecosystem like Sustainable Ventures, Kirsty remarks: “The founder journey is filled with highs and lows, and having people here who really get that and want to support you has been really valuable.”

What’s Next for Kuppa?

Since joining the Sustainable Ventures community, Kuppa has grown from a founding team of two to a team of eight. Looking ahead, Kuppa is poised to scale their impact even further, working with new partners and expanding their reach to help more homeowners across the UK transition to energy-efficient, low-carbon solutions. Their journey highlights the power of innovation, collaboration, and community in tackling the climate crisis.

Hear more about Kuppa’s journey in our interview with Kirsty: