The Birth of Unibloom: United by Our Climate & Social Mission and Cutting-Edge predictive Financial Models
Join me on a journey that begins with hands on experiences from inefficiency in the business system and old practices and tools. I'm Anna, the CEO, and I'm excited to share how Unibloom was born long before it actually was born, fuelled much later by mine and Vineet’s unwavering commitment to tackling this critical challenge of our time, to help businesses make a just sustainable transition to hit the Paris Agreement and keep the world below 1.5 C increase. We realised we could leverage a cutting-edge approach to complex predictive scenarios, calculations and insights, to solve a big piece of this crisis.
Let me take you on a journey that begins with my own experiences and observations.
My Parents: A Tale of Contrasting Methods
The story starts with my parents, who were both entrepreneurs and CEOs. My mother, CEO of a bigger retailer, and a master of sales forecasting, had an unconventional approach. She preferred her trusty calculator and paper over the innovative Excel. Her meticulous calculations were a daily evening ritual, and I often wondered why she resisted modern tools on the computer.
On the other hand, my father was a car salesman, and I spent my spare time at his dealership from a young age. At just 13, I was helping him count cash at the end of the day and bring it in a bag (!) to the bank. I couldn't help but question why he insisted on cash transactions when the innovation of internet transfers were readily available. His explanation was simple: he wanted to see the physical evidence of his day's work on a piece of paper, allowing him to plan for the future.
Growing Up with Inefficiency
As I grew older, I became increasingly aware of the inefficiency in my parents' business practices. It was challenging to reconcile their success as entrepreneurs with their resistance to modern technology. By the time I turned 15, I was determined to find a way to bridge this gap.
Entering the World of Finance and Innovation
My journey led me to explore the world of finance, where I encountered the shift from offline to online trading in a pioneering start-up, ORC Software, in Sweden, at the age of 16. I delved into the complexities of predicting pricing trends and market dynamics and sold the early version of the system to traders across Europe, while pursuing my studies and continued to explore the world of mechanical engineering and finance during university. It was during this time that I was truly inspired by the potential of predictive and complex modelling software solutions which solved problems in minutes - or seconds- without any manual work.
These tools promised accuracy, collaboration, and rapid decision-making. I envisioned a future where such innovations could transform businesses, streamlining operations and enabling better outcomes.
The Seeds of Unibloom
Little did I know that these early experiences and aspirations would set the stage for Unibloom. Mine and Vineet’s passion for innovation, collaboration and efficiency became the driving force behind Unibloom's mission to revolutionise decision-making processes for businesses in the consumer goods industry (and beyond...).
As I write this, I'm reminded of the journey that brought me here. Unibloom is the culmination of a lifelong quest for more effective, insightful, and impactful decision-making.
Anna and Vineet: Partners in Crime combining Complex Financial Modelling & future proofing Climate & Social Action and Impact
The story continue at Zinc VC, where me & Vineet met at the mission led venture builder in London, less than a year ago. While our backgrounds differed, mine from Sweden & London, with early days in fintech and later days in global consumer goods & Ben & Jerry’s and Vineet from India & New York, deeply into derivatives and integration of complex software in the global banking world of Bloomberg, we shared the passion for sustainable practices for a better future and we had a big concern around in-action in organisations for climate and social change.
This brought us together. We both recognised that addressing the climate and social crisis from a future proof and commercial-financial perspective was paramount, and we were determined to find innovative solutions.
The Climate Mission: Our Shared Vision and Complex Challenges
Our initial conversations, research and over 150 interviews with passionate industry leaders in packaging, innovation, R&D, manufacturing, logistics, marketing and sales in consumer goods, were eye-opening. Vineet and I quickly realised that we had a common vision: to make climate action & sustainable practices in the commercial & financial planning, a top priority. We knew, from almost 30 years of lived experiences from Unilever/Ben & Jerry's & Bloomberg, that businesses could play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable, just & productive world. However, we also recognised that solving complex issues and creating scenarios for the impact of emissions, costs, water, and waste across 1000s of of products, teams and decision makers, required more than traditional methods, spending months or years in spread sheets, power points and e-mails. On top of this additional expensive consultants usually is used, who deliver power points without ownership for future actions, nor give the flexibility to change a scenario when sales turned up side down or a new competitor changed the rules.
Unibloom: Turning Vision into Action with Cutting-Edge Financial Models
Unibloom emerged from our shared commitment to translate our climate-focused vision into tangible solutions. We knew that traditional tools like spreadsheets, PowerPoint, and emails fell short when it came to handling complex calculations and predictive models. To address this inefficiency and enhance decision-making, we integrate advanced financial modelling techniques into our platform to empower the cross functional sustainability teams to move from reporting the past, to really operationalise the insights and scenarios to reach the future targets.
Complex Models: Paving the Way for Confident Decision-Making
Our complex models are our secret weapon. They enable businesses to confidently navigate the intricate landscape of climate & financial-related decisions. Whether it's assessing the environmental impact of a new initiative or predicting future costs and emissions, our models provide the insights needed to make informed choices on a project and product level.
Conclusion: A Climate-Driven Future with Efficient Decision-Making
The Unibloom story demonstrates the power of shared values and a common vision. As we move forward, our dedication to addressing climate change remains unwavering. With our cutting-edge models, we're empowering businesses to succeed while making a positive impact on our people & the planet.
Together with Vineet and our team from UCL, advisors and partners in social and climate, we're working towards a future where businesses can thrive without compromising the environment and the people who live and breath on this planet.
Let's revolutionise business decisions now, to act for a equal triple bottom line of the future!