The challenge

Impact founders building before pre-seed face a structural gap. They work on markets that need systemic change, with long sales cycles, complex regulations, and early investors who demand traction first. That leaves them needing time, support, and capital well before their first funding round.

These are exactly the moments where early-stage capital is hardest to find, and where the climate, social, and demographic transitions hit the most vulnerable segments of the population. The founders working on these problems rarely have the backing to turn an idea into a first product.

The solution

Maze x was built to be the first check in an impact startup's cap table. Over its investment period it deployed €1M across 10 pre-seed startups, using a SAFE set at a 20% discount with a €5M cap. Simple, founder-friendly, and fast, the instrument let maze x move at pre-seed and gave founders room to grow without immediate dilution pressure.

Each company joined a 12-week acceleration built around four sprints, covering value proposition, go-to-market, fundraising, product, HR, and impact measurement. Founders had a dedicated programme lead for six to eight hours a week, alongside expert and mentor sessions, with the goal of condensing years of founder learning into a single, intense cohort.

The portfolio

The final portfolio spans three verticals: sustainability (including circular economy and climate), education and the future of work, and health and wellbeing.

• Root Sustainability (Netherlands): universal access to high-quality product carbon footprints, helping companies measure and report their environmental impact.
• Beans (France): saves unsold inventory from brands by reselling it on an e-commerce platform at discounted prices, tackling waste at the supply-chain level.
• Kidsie (United Kingdom): a green recommerce platform for children's gear, keeping products in circulation and out of landfill.
• Parastruct (Austria): technology that recycles waste materials into usable fillers and binders for construction, cutting CO2 emissions and landfill costs.
• Cloov (Italy): a white-label solution helping fashion brands run circular strategies like rental, resale, and repair, with no development work on the client side.
• CoGrader (United States): generative AI that helps educators streamline grading, giving teachers meaningful time back in the classroom.
• Blend (United Kingdom): a micro-learning platform delivering bite-sized accredited courses to deskless workers that traditional training does not reach.
• Easy Bites (United Kingdom): practical, evidence-based tools that help parents support their children's nutrition.
• Coobi (Germany): digital support for addiction therapy, helping clinics and patients access structured, evidence-based care.
• Miinta (Spain): emotional support and mental wellbeing for young people, working directly with schools and families.

The outcomes

• 10 startups backed across 8 countries
• €1M deployed at pre-seed, with €6M+ in follow-on investment raised by the portfolio
• 23 founders supported, 39% women founders
• 200+ expert network introductions made
• 9.25 out of 10 average founder rating on overall experience

Maze x's approach to impact follows the IMP framework used across all Maze investments: every company sets impact targets at entry, tracks KPIs through the programme, and reports post-investment. Early results are already visible in the portfolio: CoGrader has helped 6,000 teachers with grading and correcting assignments, Miinta has supported 4,745 students and families, and Kidsie has kept 45 tons of gear out of landfill.

The investment period is now closed and the portfolio is in ongoing management. The returns case is still playing out, but the impact is already showing up in classrooms, clinics, warehouses, and landfill data.

What we know now

1. One size does not fit all. What founders needed most was support built around their specific challenges, not a fixed curriculum delivered to everyone at the same stage. The programme worked best when it adapted to the company.
2. Impact ventures need more early backers. Most of the founders we backed had strong ideas and early traction but struggled to find investors willing to move at pre-seed. Being the first check in the cap table often made the next raise possible.
3. Access to the right people compounds faster than capital. The right conversation at the right moment, with an expert, a partner, or a founder who had hit the same wall, often moved things further than the investment itself. For early-stage impact companies, who you can reach matters as much as what you can deploy.

Testimonials

Maze has a unique tailored approach where they consult your actual needs (vs. dumping you with startup content you don't need right now). Gil - CoGrader founder

The maze x program played a pivotal role in laying the foundation and preparation for Kidsie's growth. Jennifer - Kidsie founder

Maze network is incredible. It was extremely helpful to connect to so many great founders, investors and experts! Paul - Coobi founder

By supporting gritty founders and leveraging their network, Maze is driving real change, and I am proud to be a part of this journey. Martin Kelly - Maze x holder

How this could apply to you

Backing founders at day 0 is how the impact ecosystem builds the pipeline the market needs. For corporates, foundations, and investors, maze x shows what it looks like to be the first check in a company built for impact, and to stay close as it grows.

With venture capital, growth programmes, and advisory, maze is ready to sit down with you and co-create the vehicle that fits your impact goals.