How an Austrian Startup Created a Tool to Tackle the Climate Crisis
The Sigma Squared Society unites and empowers the world’s most ambitious entrepreneurs under 26 to rethink broken industries and tackle society’s greatest challenges. Karim, one of those change-makers, is helping to make your life climate positive through an impact-driven subscription-based startup.
Born and raised in Vienna, Karim started his entrepreneurial adventure with his fellow classmates while still in school, prompted by an issue they first learned about in their geography classes — climate change. A group of then-teenagers built a subscription service to manage and offset the carbon footprint of individuals and companies, that is now used by thousands all over the world.
Where did the idea for TeamClimate come from?
“We founded the company six years ago in school when we were about 16 years old. It was 2015 and we had just learned about the climate crisis in our class, and I thought ‘Hey, that’s such a big problem, and yet nobody is talking about it. Nobody is tackling this huge issue’. We were quite frustrated at this time because there really weren’t as many initiatives as they are today. And since nobody was doing anything about it, we decided to build something. We were super naive, as we didn’t know anything about starting a company or building a product. We did some customer interviews with sustainable companies and quickly found out that they didn’t have any clue about how big their carbon footprint is, and what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint — which was shocking. The companies told us that if we build a product that would help them manage their carbon footprint, they’d be our first customers. So we did. In the next two years, we developed our product and business and officially founded the company when we were all just 18 years old. The founding team still stayed the same after all these years.”
How do you help individuals and how do you help businesses?
“TeamClimate helps companies and individuals measure their carbon footprint and reduce it with the help of customised recommendations. And the unavoidable emissions are offset by certified climate protection projects (which are certified by the United Nations and by the University of Agricultural Sciences in Vienna). We certify companies as climate-positive and individuals can live a climate-positive life with us.
We’re a subscription service to manage and offset your carbon footprint. At first, we were owning the B2B side, but in the last two years, we got a really strong market push from the B2C side. We got a lot of emails and Instagram messages asking if it’s possible for people to calculate their own carbon footprint and to offset their unavoidable emissions. And then we thought ‘OK, let’s build the product for B2C!’. Now we’re focusing around 90 percent of our time and effort on the B2C model.
We developed a web app that has three steps. First, we built a Scientific Carbon Footprint calculator, which measures your carbon footprint based on your inputs. There are 35 questions about all aspects of your life, including your diet, your mobility — all relevant to your emissions. Second, we developed an algorithm that can provide you with individual recommendations on how to further reduce your carbon footprint. And the third part is and there are emissions, which you can’t avoid, which you offset with our monthly subscription. With TeamClimate you support three certified climate protection projects in Peru, India, and Bangladesh, where you also provide jobs for the local people. For example, in our rainforest protection project, we create local jobs — especially for women — by a Fairtrade Kakao initiative.”
What impact have you had so far?
“When it comes to B2B, over 40 companies have joined us to date, and on the B2C side we have thousands of subscribers from over 35 countries.”
What changes have you observed in the CleanTech startup scene?
“When we started, the word ‘CleanTech’ did not exist yet and now, it’s growing super fast.”
“So many smart and passionate people are now starting ventures in the CleanTech space instead of going into careers in investment banking or consulting firms. Now you can truly see the passion and the urgency in a lot of people who are tackling these important issues.”
How did you find out about Sigma Squared?
“My good friend is an Executive in Austria and got me involved when she started the chapter last year. At first, I didn’t know much about this community but decided to give it a go and apply. I had three interviews with three different founders from the society. I found it very cool that three people were taking the time to chat with me and see if I’m a good fit, which shows you how much they care. The moment it really clicked what an incredible community Sigma Squared is was in Bulgaria last summer. 30 Sigma Fellows spent one week there and this was my ‘Sigma moment’ when I felt so grateful and humbled to be a part of this. I can’t share all my startup challenges with my friends and family because they wouldn’t understand them.”
“It’s different with Sigma because they all get it. The support I get from the Sigma Squared community is just huge.”
What would you advise young people to do who want to tackle the climate crisis?
“Make a step to just start. Once you do, I promise you will figure it out. Just start and good things will come. Tackle a problem that a lot of people have and a problem that you’re personally passionate about. It’s going to make things a lot easier. Build a small MVP and don’t be afraid to launch it fast and talk to as many people as possible. Watch the Y Combinator Startup School — it gives you so much help and guidance. And it’s free content — one of the best free videos I’ve ever seen!
That’s it: Start. Be passionate. Build your MVP fast and test it.”
Karim has been an active member of the Austrian Sigma Squared chapter since 2020. You can follow him on LinkedIn here and read more about TeamClimate here.
