London, UK (June 12, 2026) — Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), and its partner Village Capital have awarded eight grants totalling USD 190K to entrepreneurs from the second cohort of the Sage Impact Entrepreneurship program, powered by Sage Foundation.
The grants were awarded at the Sage Impact Entrepreneurship Summit, a four-day gathering held across Atlanta and London that brought together founders, investors, mentors, and ecosystem leaders to accelerate the growth of impact-driven businesses.
The 25 startups that form the programme's second core cohort are drawn from across the US, UK, and Europe, representing a growing generation of founders using business models to address challenges ranging from waste reduction and circular consumption to sustainable food systems and community resilience. Together, they reflect the increasing role entrepreneurship is playing in developing practical, scalable solutions to environmental and social challenges.
Throughout the summit, founders presented their businesses, impact models, and growth strategies. Grant recipients were selected using Village Capital's peer-selection methodology, which puts entrepreneurs at the center of investment decision-making. By evaluating one another against shared business and impact criteria, founders surface high-potential ventures that may be overlooked by traditional funding systems.
CIRT (US), a circular economy software platform keeping valuable materials in circulation and out of landfills, the environment, and oceans, and Recovolt (UK), which develops infrastructure to safely neutralise end-of-life EV batteries and enable scalable reuse and recycling, emerged as the top peer-selected companies in the programme, each receiving a USD 50K grant.
WattAir (US), a climate technology company turning low-grade heat and air into clean water, and METzero (UK), a wastewater technology company retrofitting treatment sites with a solution that cuts pollution and energy use, followed closely, each receiving USD 25K grants.
Sage Foundation also awarded four USD 10K grants to audience-selected businesses:
All startups were assessed on key investment criteria including team, product, value proposition, market, and scale.
Joseph Mooney, Co-founder at WattAir, one of the grant winners, said: "The Village Capital – Sage Impact Entrepreneurship Program was exactly what I needed as a founder. It brought together a deeply supportive cohort, world-class industrial experts, investors, founders, and a team that pushed us to be ready for our next major milestone. More than anything, being surrounded by such an inspiring group of founders made the highs more meaningful and the lows much easier to navigate."
Helen Devanny, Vice President of Sage Foundation, said: "When we first launched the Sage Impact Entrepreneurship Program, we wanted to show that Sage was serious about supporting businesses working at the intersection of sustainability and social impact. Cohort 1 showed us exactly what that could look like in practice, with six businesses receiving grants, all of them continuing to grow with our support. With Cohort 2, we've gone further — backing 57 businesses tackling social, environmental and economic challenges around the world. What excites me most isn't the number of businesses we've supported; it's the depth of what they're building, and the communities they're already changing."
Reflecting on the role of programmes like Sage Impact Entrepreneurship in helping founders grow, Kelly Bryan, Regional Director of the Americas and Europe at Village Capital, said: “Entrepreneurs understand firsthand what it takes to build and grow a company. They recognize the resilience, execution, and potential behind a business in ways that aren’t always visible on paper. The founders selected by their peers have already demonstrated strong momentum, and at this stage, grant funding can help them strengthen their foundations, deepen customer adoption, and prepare for their next phase of growth.”
Over the next two years, Sage and Village Capital will continue working alongside founders through mentorship, training, and strategic guidance designed to help them refine their models, accelerate growth, and create real impact in their communities. The programme now supports 111 startups, marking significant progress towards its goal of backing 165 high-impact startups.
Applications for the third cohort will open later this year. Learn more about the current US and UK & Europe cohorts on Village Capital's website:
About Sage Foundation
Sage Foundation has been knocking down barriers in our communities since 2015. By mobilising our colleagues, partners, and customers through impactful programmes, Sage Foundation is helping underrepresented entrepreneurs to grow their businesses while equipping the entrepreneurs of tomorrow with the skills they need to succeed.
About Sage
Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of small- and mid-sized businesses served by us, our partners, and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR, and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology, and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality, and the climate crisis.
About Village Capital
Village Capital is a global leader in impact investing, helping early-stage startups access the type of social and financial capital they need to grow – reshaping the supply and demand sides of capital flows as a result.
Since 2009, Village Capital has directly supported more than 2,100 impact startups in 70 countries. Together, these founders have raised over $9.6B across economic mobility, environmental sustainability, and access to essential services. It has made 116 investments through its various affiliated funds, including Vilcap Investments, which has invested in 91 peer-selected companies. Additionally, 26,000 entrepreneurs have used its Abaca web app to take at least one assessment, helping them expand their access to financial capital. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital.
