SUI in the Venture Readiness Framework

SUI in the Venture Readiness Framework

The CleantechHUB Venture Readiness Framework (VRF) is the structured assessment and acceleration programme through which CTH evaluates, supports, and connects climate startups to capital. The SUI framework is embedded in the VRF as a mandatory component for startups seeking access to CTH's investor network and blended finance facilitation services.

VRF Overview

The VRF assesses startups across five readiness dimensions:

Dimension	What it assesses	SUI Relevance
1. Technology Readiness	TRL level, IP protection, scalability of the core technology	SUI specificity criterion — is the application event technically reproducible?
2. Market Readiness	Market size, customer discovery, go-to-market traction	SUI scalability criterion — does the market allow repeated SUI application events?
3. Team Readiness	Founder-market fit, team completeness, advisory board	SUI quantifiability — does the team have data science / measurement competency?
4. Financial Readiness	Financial model, funding history, use of funds clarity	SUI-WACC linkage — has the team mapped SUI verification to financing pathway?
5. Impact Readiness	SUI definition, SSOT status, verification plan, MDB alignment	The SUI framework is the primary tool for assessing Impact Readiness

Impact Readiness: The SUI Component

Impact Readiness is scored on a 0–100 scale, with the following sub-components:

Sub-component	Weight	What Earns Points
SUI Definition Quality	25%	All five criteria met (Specificity, Attribution, Quantifiability, Verifiability, Scalability); taxonomy linkage documented
Baseline Robustness	15%	Official or peer-reviewed baseline source; geographic and temporal specificity; degradation plan
SSOT Maturity	20%	Level 1–3 assessment; data governance documented; verifier access defined
Verification Status	25%	0 pts: no plan; 10 pts: verifier identified; 20 pts: methodology reviewed; 25 pts: full third-party verification complete
MDB/Taxonomy Alignment	15%	AIMM self-score completed; EU Taxonomy or TNFD linkage documented; DFI engagement initiated

VRF Milestones and SUI Requirements

The VRF programme is structured as a 6-month journey with four milestones, each with specific SUI deliverables:

Milestone 1 (Month 1): SUI Definition

Deliverable: Completed SUI Specification Document (all 8 parameters, taxonomy mapping, baseline documentation)

CTH support: Two facilitated workshops with the CTH Impact Team; access to SUI Template and baseline data resources

Gate condition: SUI Specification must score ≥60/100 on the CTH SUI Quality Rubric (see next page)

Milestone 2 (Month 2–3): SSOT Roadmap

Deliverable: SSOT Architecture document (data sources, system design, governance rules, current maturity level assessment)

CTH support: Technical advisory from CTH's data team; introduction to SSOT tooling partners

Gate condition: Clear pathway to SSOT Level 2 within 12 months; data governance policy drafted

Milestone 3 (Month 4): Verification Plan

Deliverable: Signed engagement letter with an independent verifier; verification scope and timeline agreed

CTH support: Warm introductions to CTH's network of certified impact verifiers (ISAE 3000-qualified, sector-experienced)

Gate condition: Verification engagement in place; cost budgeted in financial model

Milestone 4 (Month 5–6): Investor Readiness Package

Deliverable: Complete impact readiness package for investor distribution: SUI Spec + SSOT summary + verification status + AIMM self-score + blended finance opportunity map

CTH support: Facilitated investor introductions; pitch coaching on impact narrative

Gate condition: Impact Readiness score ≥75/100; at least one investor or DFI engagement meeting scheduled

SUI in the CTH Investment Thesis

CTH's investment thesis (for ventures in which CTH takes an advisory equity stake) explicitly prioritises startups that meet or are on a clear pathway to meeting SUI verification standards. The rationale:

• Verified SUI increases the probability of blended finance access, reducing the startup's equity dilution requirement and protecting CTH's advisory equity value
• SSOT systems produce the data quality that CTH's own impact reporting to its funders (P4G, AFCIA, SDC, Energy Catalyst) requires — a verified portfolio startup is a reportable result
• Startups with verified SUIs are more fundable, reducing the time-to-investment and increasing the success rate of CTH-facilitated fundraises — the primary metric of CTH's programme effectiveness

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Next: Scoring Rubric for SUI Assessment — the detailed scoring criteria used in VRF evaluations.