In 2017, while living in Singapore, I launched Positive Energy Ltd with a bold vision:
Transform how sustainable energy projects are financed — by building a digital marketplace that bridges renewable project developers and institutional investors.
I began by gathering experts from the INSEAD network to validate the idea through no-code prototypes. I then recruited a high-caliber team, including a co-founder expert in energy project financing, scaling to 9 full-time employees. We implemented strong governance structures and operated with lean startup principles, determined to bring our mission to life.
After 10 man-years of engineering with teams in New York and Kiev, we launched a robust, institutional-grade marketplace offering:
With commercial teams in India and Vietnam, we quickly became a leading player in Asia-Pacific’s sustainable finance landscape.
Despite strong traction and a sound business model, our platform required significant working capital to scale. We raised $300K in early rounds and weathered market instability, but COVID-19 severely limited our ability to raise a full seed round. Public support was absent, and operations ceased in 2022.
In 2021, I relocated to Amsterdam and co-developed GreenEU, a €175M impact investment fund. Built in partnership with a European asset manager, the fund’s operations, impact framework, and strategy were designed to enhance and extend the Positive Energy platform’s legacy in Europe.
We also joined Hong Kong’s largest startup accelerator and received international awards for climate finance innovation.
“From a bold vision in Singapore to a fully operational digital platform spanning 36 countries, Positive Energy Ltd was built with grit, clarity, and ambition. Even if the market wasn’t ready to scale it then, the experience proved how digital tools can reshape climate finance — and why execution, capital, and timing must align to succeed.” — Nicolas Payen
Though operations were paused, the Positive Energy DNA lives on in its source code, its various playbooks, its philosophy — and in the broader mission to build scalable, impact-driven ventures that bridge finance and technology.