Thomas Panton

Thomas is a founder-operator turned climate tech VC investor. He built and led Canopey (a materials comparison database and vetted impact consumer marketplace), founded Festovers (an early circular economy solution for leftover waste at festivals), has raised multiple rounds of capital, including participating in Techstars accelerator. Whilst he now builds a third startup in stealth, he is focusing on investing in and advising early stage startups. techstars+3

He is an active mentor and ecosystem builder: a regular mentor and advisor for Techstars, Virgin StartUp, Undaunted and university programmes (Queen Mary Social Venture Fund), and a bookable expert on platforms such as Hubble - focusing on fundraising, commercial strategy, sustainability and founder wellbeing. intro+2

Thomas’s campaigning and grassroots credibility stems from early career roles in face-to-face fundraising and events with Greenpeace, shaping his understanding of public engagement, behavioural change and impact measurement - experience carried into building mission-aligned products and community-focused ventures. thomaspanton+1

As a public communicator and speaker, he frequently speaks and writes on climate, AI, fundraising and founder mental health - appearing on podcasts, international events, and as a London Speaker Bureau speaker. co+2

His discipline and resilience from sport come from an early elite and international youth swimming background, underpinning a pattern of high discipline, team leadership and sustained public-facing campaigning since his teens. balancethegrind+1