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Josefina Sallén
Expert cirkulära affärsmodeller
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Episode 4: What about the money in a circular economy?
In the fourth episode of Business with Impact, we dive into the financing aspects of circular business models, such as Platform as a Service (PaaS). Our hosts Gunnar and Josefina talk to Tomas Zimmerman from Swedbank and Ann-Charlotte Mellquist from RISE.
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About this episode
How to finance it? This is the question that keeps coming up when talking about circular business models.
There is no straighforward route to go. In this episode we go deeper into different aspects of financing circular business models.
Ann-Charlotte Mellquist clarifies various financial actors’ roles and risk levels in financing circular and innovative business models.
We learn about the possibilities for new banking products within existing credit models to manage risks associated with circular financing. Listen to insights on Dutch banks that have successfully created meeting places for companies aiming for transformation, where banks learn about the companies’ needs.
Towards the end, Ann-Charlotte and Tomas also discuss what is required for a transition and who will succeed best.
Tomas Zimmerman conclude that the traditional way to find your best external financing also applies for circular business models:
- Develop your risk and reward profile
- Find the investors who match this profile
- Engage with them and understand them
- Go home and create your pitch
- Get started and find your funding
About our guests
Tomas Zimmerman, Swedbank
Tomas has 17 years of professional experience working end-to-end in corporate sustainability across multiple sectors, from strategy formulation to external assurance of disclosures on sustainability performance. He is passionate about leveraging organizations’ core competencies and assets to profitably address key societal needs in their markets, with an emphasis on the Circular Economy. As Senior Advisor to Group Sustainability at Swedbank Tomas focuses on accelerating transition to sustainable finance in the Nordics and Baltics through strengthening Swedbank’s business capabilities in sustainable banking
Ann-Charlotte Mellquist, RISE
Ann-Charlotte Mellquist is a senior researcher in the field of circular business models and circular finance at RISE. She is also Director of the unit Sustainability Analytics. Her research in circular finance has focused on identifying barriers and opportunities for financing the scale-up of circular business, especially product-as-a-service. Both in research and practice, she has worked to identify different solutions so that different types of capital and financial actors (such as banks, venture capital and funds) can be matched with the needs of the circular entrepreneurs. In 2023, Ann-Charlotte led the work to develop a Nordic roadmap for circular finance.
