Avent is Chief Executive Officer at Earth Capital, Board Director and member of the Investment Committee.
Avent is one of the leading water tech investors in the UK and has been recognised by Business Insider and Tribe Capital as one of the top 10 female early stage investors in Europe. She has over 25 years’ experience in venture capital and private equity investing, portfolio management and corporate finance advisory, with a particular focus on high-growth technology businesses.
Prior to joining EC, Avent was a Senior Fund Manager at The FSE Group, an Assistant Director in the London Corporate Finance team at BDO UK and did advisory work with VCT funds and UHNWI's.
Avent leads the investment team and her responsibilities include making new investments with a particular focus on new technologies in the sustainability sector, as well as working with the management teams of our portfolio companies to develop and deliver on their strategic plans.
Richard serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer at Earth Capital, where he also holds a Board Director position. With over 40 years of experience in international banking, Richard brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role.
During his 20-year tenure at ABN Amro, Richard held several key positions, including Head of UK Structured Finance and Corporate Banking, and Global Head of Project Finance. In these roles, he led award-winning business franchises across Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, and Brazil. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the creation of the Equator Principles, a recognised standard for managing environmental and social risk issue in project financing.
As ABN Amro’s Global Head of Sustainability, Richard chaired the group’s Sustainability Council and developed the bank’s strategy on climate change and the carbon markets. His leadership also includes serving as Chair of the UNEP Finance Initiative, a Steering Committee member of the Renewable Energy Networks for the 21st Century and an external board member of Forest Trends.
Richard’s commitment to sustainability is further demonstrated by his current fellowship at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He holds a BA and MBA from Durham University and a Masters in Social Innovation from Cambridge University. He also serves as an Independent Non-Exec Director of Triodos Bank UK and a Senior Adviser to the Earth Security Group.
Liza joined Earth Capital in January 2024 and supports the investment team's activities.
Prior to EC, Liza was a professional engineer with an expertise in design, project management, and implementation of water infrastructure in ultra-urban centres. In her career as an engineer in the United States, she worked with many public utility clients on water infrastructure projects and masterplans, focusing on climate change resiliency applications and water reuse. She has also recently interned in the energy industry at GlassPoint and Vattenfall focused on offshore wind business development.
Liza is currently completing an MBA at London Business School, focusing on sustainability in business and finance. She has also received a BSc in Earth and Environmental Engineering from Columbia University, as well as Professional Engineering (PE) licenses issued from the states of California and New York, USA.
Ewan is a dedicated Sustainability Analyst at Earth Capital, a role he has held since July 2023. As part of the Sustainability Team, Ewan applies his deep understanding of climate change, management, and finance to contribute to the firm’s sustainability research and processes. His work is instrumental in helping the firm navigate the complexities of sustainable investment and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Before joining Earth Capital, Ewan gained valuable experience as a research assistant, where he focused on critical environmental issues such as Greenwashing, Greenhouse Gases, and Fixed Income. This experience has given him a unique insight into the intersection of finance and sustainability.
Ewan holds an MSc in Climate Change, Management and Finance from Imperial College London, and a BSc in Economics and Sociology from University College Dublin.
Bradley joined the Investment Team at Earth Capital in September 2022 and leads on deal origination and value creation.
Prior to joining EC, he was Equity Portfolio Manager at The FSE Group, Corporate Finance Manager at Grant Thornton and is an experienced investor.
Bradley has received a Business Management degree from the University of the West of England and a Certificate in Investment Management from the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).
Stephen was co-founder of the private client business Hargreaves Lansdown (HL), the UK’s largest independent private client brokerage, and a FTSE100 constituent. He co-founded Earth Capital Holdings with Gordon Power in 2008 to focus on sustainable technology investments and stepped down as executive director of HL in 2010.
Kay is a seasoned finance professional with a background in private equity and communications; and a proven track record of delivering results and upholding the highest standards of financial integrity. Since September 2022, she has been leading the finance and compliance functions at Earth Capital, with a focus on strategic financial management and compliance oversight.
Prior to joining Earth Capital, Kay spent a decade at KKR as a Senior Finance Manager. Following this, she transitioned to a Financial Controller position at a boutique telecoms firm, where she was instrumental in streamlining financial processes and improving fiscal reporting mechanisms.
Kay’s expertise is underpinned by a strong professional foundation. She is a certified Global Finance Compliance professional, accredited by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI). Her commitment to excellence in accounting and finance is recognised by her status as a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a testament to her knowledge and dedication to the field.
Gordon is a Director and Co-Founder of Earth Capital Holdings.
With over 35 years’ of venture capital and private equity experience, Gordon founded private equity business ProVen Private Equity (now re-named Beringea) and led its buy-out from Guinness Mahon. As CEO of ProVen from 1984 until 2004, he spearheaded the creation and marketing of funds and the investment and exit of deals as head of the investment committee. Not only has Gordon been a successful investor in his own right during this time he mentored several members of his management team who have gone onto create their own funds under management of c£9bn.
Alongside his co-founder, Stephen Lansdown, he has developed interests in the ownership of several fund management groups in the sustainable technology sector that manage approximately $3bn of assets across the developed energy efficiency markets and emerging markets renewable energy sectors. Gordon either sits on the boards or investment committees of these businesses assisting local management with their investment decisions, access to capital allocators and providing mentoring services to those management teams.
In addition, Gordon is a Director & Investment Committee member at Berkeley Energy Ltd and Director of Sustainable Development Capital Ltd.
Sacha joined Earth Capital in June 2023 and supports the Investment team’s activities.
Prior to EC, Sacha worked in early-stage climate technology incubation. He has received an MSc in Climate Change, Management, and Finance from Imperial College London and an MSc in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. Sacha has also completed the CFA Certificate in ESG investing.
The Earth Capital Limited team invests capital, time and expertise in sustainable businesses across the energy, food and water sectors. With over 30 years of sustainable investment track record they back strong and innovative management teams who require active support and long term growth capital.
