Meet our Premium Member Kevin Kyer – CEO and Co-Founder of Pyrpose.io

Please give a brief description of your startup.

We are building pyrpose based on the vision that doing good for the planet and making a return is the model to solve the climate crisis. The platform enables climate-conscious consumers to invest in SME innovators which are cutting carbon emissions.  To date, solutions that help the planet are funded mainly by the wealthy.  We are making climate finance available to the majority and believe this will be transformative. 

We created pyrpose in May 2022 with like-minded individuals across the globe believing in the power of a bottom up approach to tackling climate change.  So far, we are pretty lean with only 7 team members.  

Tell us more about your plans for 2023. What is your long-term vision?

We are currently in private beta and will open up the pyrpose platform this summer.  We are preparing for our seed round and are busy working through our product release. Our vision for the future is that all those that care about the planet can contribute to the solutions that help the planet and make a return.  

Our northstar is users. Getting millions of climate-conscious consumers on the platform will be very powerful for the planet, make them a return on their investments, as well as grow our business.   Anyone can start their climate journey by taking our carbon quiz, which is the first step. You can then sign up for our waitlist, which should be available this summer.

What has been the biggest success that you have achieved in your startup?

We have just raised 1m CHF from business angels across the globe and our first institutional money from CVVC. I’m grateful for the support from the people and companies that share our vision and who have demonstrated their confidence in our strategy.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently? What are your biggest learnings?

It’s hard to pick one thing. This is my 5th startup.  I do look back at some decisions we made about our product design that I wish we would have made decisions faster.  You must learn quickly from your mistakes, not dwell on them and figure out your next move. 

If I had to pick one thing, it would be to get in front of your target customer very early on.  We had a very complicated model at first, and once we got in front of users, we quickly adjusted and pivoted to the model we have today.

What motivates you to continue your business every day?

That’s easy – the planet.  If we don’t have a solution for the world we live in, the rest does not matter.  Yes, education, health and so many other important societal factors need to be solved as well, but at the core, we must take care of the planet.  I’d like to leave it better than I found it.

One piece of advice for someone just starting out with their startup?

Talk to as many people as possible about your product.  You will always learn something that helps you to deliver your vision and your market fit.  You will come across many people that don’t get it, that’s ok, refine your story.  And eventually, you will find your tribe

What does being a member of the Swiss Startup Association mean to you?

Having worked in California, before moving to Switzerland, I am used to being around entrepreneurs.  They inspire you and they challenge the norm.  Being in SSA has connected me to a strong network of people that are challenging the norm here in Switzerland.  It’s good to have a knowledgeable community around you that understands what you are doing so you help each other out. Being able to tap into that experience is invaluable.

Would you recommend joining the Swiss Startup Association? 

I would absolutely recommend SSA!  It’s a fantastic resource to reach out to people and connect, learn and give back. Like every network, the more you put in the more you benefit, and so the challenge for founders is often balancing ‘building’ and ‘being in the community’.

Have you ever visited the events of the Swiss Startup Association? If yes, which ones? Would you recommend them? 

I really wanted to attend Startup Nights, but was out of the country, and have heard from others how great the event was.  I attended a dinner in Fribourg and it was great to learn, share and network.  I am trying to get a Swiss Romande chapter in place so the local community here can meet up on a regular basis.  If you are in the area, please reach out to me!

Is there anything that we haven’t asked you that you would like to share with us/the community?  

Two things come to mind.  First, go to our site and check out what we are up to: https://www.pyrpose.io/.  We are in private beta at the moment, but you can join our waitlist. 

Second, if you are a founder in the area, please do reach out.  It takes a village to get your startup to achieve the vision you have for it, and we can all help each other out!

 

Find Kevin and Pyrpose on LinkedIn