Right-to-Repair Meets ESG: Unlocking New Supply-Chain Value
The convergence of Right-to-Repair Meets ESG is reshaping global supply chains. July 2025 amendments to India’s E-waste Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy and international Right-to-Repair regulations now compel original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to extend product life cycles. This shift is not just about regulatory risk; it is a chance for start-ups to build profitable, sustainability-aligned solutions. ERP Global reports that over 60% of OEMs expect operational changes to comply with lifecycle and e-waste mandates. Keev Capital sees this as a defining opportunity for environmental-tech ventures focused on circularity and repair intelligence. How Right-to-Repair and ESG Converge Right-to-Repair policies require OEMs to provide spare parts, repair manuals, and diagnostic tools to third-party vendors and consumers. Combined with ESG mandates, companies must now demonstrate responsible product stewardship and reduced environmental impact. In India, stricter e-waste EPR rules demand collection, recycling, and reporting, aligning with global efforts led by the Environmental Protection Agency and ERP Global. This intersection of sustainability and compliance is accelerating demand for start-ups in smart logistics, predictive repair analytics, and circular marketplaces. Keev-backed consumer goods innovators are well-positioned to help OEMs meet regulatory expectations while unlocking new revenue streams. Supply-Chain Opportunities for Start-ups The tightening of Right-to-Repair and ESG rules is turning regulatory compliance into a market differentiator. Start-ups that integrate data-driven repair solutions can help OEMs reduce warranty costs, extend product lifecycles, and improve ESG scores. As compliance shifts from a reactive burden to a proactive strategy, the window for innovation has never been wider. Key opportunities include: Predictive Repair and Analytics AI-driven repair analytics allow companies to anticipate component failures and schedule proactive maintenance. These solutions align with Keev’s focus on vertical AI applications that combine operational efficiency with sustainability. Predictive models can be trained on device performance data to optimize part usage, reduce waste, and extend hardware value. Circular Logistics and Reverse Supply Chains Enhanced EPR laws are fueling the growth of reverse logistics networks. Start-ups facilitating the collection, refurbishment, and recycling of components provide measurable ESG impact while lowering OEM liabilities. Incorporating blockchain for traceability in reverse flows can also satisfy audit requirements and increase consumer trust in reused components. Smart Spares and Marketplace Platforms The emergence of digital marketplaces for spare parts enables both compliance and monetization. Health-tech and consumer-tech products, sectors supported by Keev’s healthcare investments, benefit from readily available, certified spares that extend device lifecycles. These platforms not only support repairs but also empower local repair ecosystems, creating decentralized economic impact while fulfilling ESG mandates. By addressing these areas, start-ups position themselves as indispensable partners in a new era of sustainable, compliant supply chains. ESG as a Competitive Moat Aligning with ESG and Right-to-Repair rules is more than regulatory hygiene—it creates defensible market advantages. OEMs with strong sustainability profiles attract environmentally conscious consumers and qualify for institutional capital that prioritizes ESG-compliant portfolios. For start-ups, embedding ESG into repair and supply-chain models offers long-term stickiness with enterprise clients and regulators alike. The ESG-driven supply chain also strengthens cross-border opportunities. As European and North American markets adopt similar mandates, Indian start-ups that are early movers will have an exportable compliance advantage. Keev Capital supports this transition by funding climate-aligned ventures that design solutions from predictive repair to digital EPR reporting. Conclusion and Call to Action The era where Right-to-Repair Meets ESG has begun, redefining how manufacturers and start-ups collaborate in a compliance-first, sustainability-driven market. By leveraging predictive repair tools, circular logistics, and smart spares marketplaces, start-ups not only fulfill regulatory obligations but also transform them into revenue and investment opportunities. Companies that embrace this shift early will emerge as trusted partners for OEMs navigating stricter e-waste and product stewardship laws. Keev Capital actively partners with environmental and consumer-focused innovators, driving circular supply-chain solutions. As regulatory momentum builds, investors and corporates alike are prioritizing ventures that merge sustainability with profitability. Founders looking to turn ESG compliance into a growth strategy can explore Keev’s expertise in vertical AI and climate-aligned investments. Our team is available to support start-ups building scalable solutions that power the next generation of responsible supply chains.
Navigating ESG vs. Impact Investing: A Framework for Startup Fundraising
For early-stage founders, the terms ESG and impact investing often sound interchangeable—but they’re not. While both emphasize responsible practices and sustainability, they diverge significantly in intent, strategy, and measurement. Understanding ESG vs impact investing is crucial for startups seeking aligned capital and building a compelling narrative for fundraising. At Keev Capital, we support ventures in sectors like environmental tech and education that create measurable outcomes while delivering competitive returns. What is ESG Investing? ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing focuses on how companies manage risks and operate responsibly. ESG criteria are often used by institutional investors to evaluate how well a business adheres to best practices around environmental impact, diversity and inclusion, labor standards, data privacy, and governance policies. ESG is fundamentally about reducing harm and improving risk-adjusted returns. For instance, a company in the consumer goods space may apply ESG standards by reducing plastic packaging or improving labor transparency—but its core business may not directly address social or environmental issues. ESG investing, therefore, is a risk lens applied across portfolios. What is Impact Investing? Impact investing goes a step further. It’s not just about avoiding harm—it’s about actively creating measurable, positive outcomes. According to the Global Impact Investing Network, impact investors seek investments that generate social or environmental benefit alongside financial return, and they require transparent reporting on those outcomes (GIIN). For startups in healthcare or fintech, this might mean improving access to care, expanding financial inclusion, or building tools that reduce inequality. Unlike ESG, which can apply to any business, impact investing demands intentionality. At Keev Capital, we actively seek founders whose core product or service is designed to solve a real-world challenge—whether that’s vertical AI in medicine or climate resilience in agriculture. Framework for Founders: How to Position Your Startup Navigating ESG vs impact investing begins with founder clarity. Ask these questions: If the answers are yes, your startup is more likely to appeal to impact-driven funds like Keev Capital. If your business is focused on improving internal sustainability practices while scaling, ESG-minded investors may be a better fit. This distinction also helps clarify pitch decks, investor materials, and KPIs. Impact funds typically look for pre-built metrics and logic models, which founders can align with tools like IRIS+ or the IMP framework. These models are often used in our review process when evaluating vertical AI solutions that operate in regulated or high-impact sectors. Avoiding “Impact Washing” and Building Credibility One danger for startups today is impact washing—claiming to do good without the metrics to back it up. In fact, 58% of institutional investors believe impact washing is one of the greatest risks to the space (Harvard Business Review). To avoid this, founders should anchor their claims with baseline data, expected outcomes, and third-party measurement tools. Real credibility comes from consistent reporting. Impact-focused ventures in education or healthcare often use both qualitative and quantitative methods, such as stakeholder interviews and community-level data. Conclusion: Match Your Mission With the Right Capital Choosing between ESG and impact investing isn’t about labels—it’s about finding capital that understands your mission, metrics, and market. For early-stage startups, knowing the difference ensures you’re speaking the right language to the right audience. Keev Capital backs founders whose business models are designed for both growth and good—those building scalable solutions with measurable outcomes. If you’re preparing to raise and want clarity on how to position your venture, get in touch with us to start a conversation. In today’s funding landscape, alignment matters more than ever. Whether your path is ESG-focused or fully impact-driven, understanding how investors assess your business will shape everything from strategy to storytelling—and determine the capital partners who come with you on the journey.
AI Observability and Governance: The Plumbing Every Vertical-AI Startup Needs Before Series A
As vertical AI systems move deeper into regulated sectors—healthcare, finance, energy, education—founders can no longer treat infrastructure as an afterthought. AI observability and governance is now mission-critical, not optional. Keev Capital sees this shift as a new investment frontier: the tooling layer that ensures vertical AI models are compliant, traceable, bias-audited, and safe at scale. Founders who want to raise a strong Series A must show more than product-market fit—they must show infrastructure readiness. This article outlines what Keev’s deal team looks for and how startups can build trust into their AI stack. Regulated AI Demands More Than Accuracy The EU AI Act, the U.S. NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and India’s emerging digital regulation frameworks are converging around one central idea: AI must be explainable, auditable, and accountable. In healthcare and fintech, where vertical AI startups often operate, regulators require transparency about model training, input data lineage, performance drift, and fairness metrics. This governance obligation is why Keev prioritizes AI ventures with built-in observability stacks, especially those serving high-risk use cases like diagnostics, underwriting, or environmental assessments. What Is AI Observability—and Why It’s Different From DevOps AI observability refers to the tooling and metrics used to monitor the health, fairness, and performance of machine learning models in production. This includes data lineage tracking, model drift detection, bias analysis, explanation logs, and version control. Unlike DevOps, where uptime and speed dominate, AI observability centers on accountability and ethical outcomes. For example, a vertical AI startup in healthcare must log not just that a model predicted a disease, but why, and whether that decision shifted over time. Keev’s Governance Checklist: What We Ask Before Series A Our investment team uses a robust AI governance checklist before backing any vertical AI company. Here are the key items we evaluate: These indicators give Keev a window into whether the startup is equipped to scale responsibly and survive vendor due diligence in enterprise or public-sector sales. Infrastructure as Differentiation: Vertical AI Must Earn Trust Vertical AI startups compete not only on performance but on trust. Clients in education or consumer goods expect robust logging and controls before AI touches student records or user behavior data. In environmental tech, investors want proof that emissions models are verifiable. Founders who treat governance as product, offering user-facing dashboards, regulatory plug-ins, or policy presets—are better positioned to scale and exit. The Emerging Tooling Layer Is Investable The rise of tools like Arize AI, WhyLabs, and Truera shows there’s massive venture interest in AI governance as a service. Keev is monitoring startups building observability for vertical AI, from synthetic test generation to sector-specific compliance templates. These tools are not just defensive—they are strategic infrastructure that can unlock access to new markets and reduce technical debt. Our vertical AI thesis sees this tooling stack as essential, not peripheral. Conclusion: Strong Governance Builds Scalable AI As AI eats the enterprise stack, infrastructure will determine who earns the right to scale. AI observability and governance is no longer just for compliance teams—it’s the foundation that supports explainability, defensibility, and investor confidence. Keev Capital sees this shift as both a red flag filter and a value creation lever. Founders building vertical AI systems must prioritize infrastructure that’s visible, verifiable, and ethical. If you’re architecting trust into your AI stack and ready to scale across regulated sectors, Keev Capital wants to hear from you. Review our vertical AI focus or contact our investment team to explore how we can help you prepare for Series A and beyond.
Global EdTech Market to Hit $404 Billion by 2027 with 16.3% CAGR
The global EdTech market is poised for unprecedented growth, projected to reach $404 billion by 2027, driven by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3%.
AI in Healthcare: Reducing Diagnostic Errors by 40% and Saving $150 Billion by 2026
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing healthcare by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, personalizing treatment plans, and saving billions in costs. By 2026, AI is expected to reduce diagnostic errors by 40%, potentially saving the healthcare industry $150 billion annually. This article explores AI’s transformative impact on healthcare, its economic benefits, and Keev Capital’s role in advancing AI-powered healthcare solutions. The Role of AI in Healthcare AI is transforming healthcare by improving diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatment plans, and enhancing patient care across all medical domains. 1. AI in Diagnostics 2. Predictive Analytics 3. Personalized Medicine Reducing Diagnostic Errors and Saving $150 Billion Annually A. Tackling Diagnostic Errors B. Cost Savings Keev Capital’s Impact on AI in Healthcare Keev Capital recognizes the transformative potential of AI in healthcare and actively invests in innovative startups that are reshaping the industry. Key Areas of Focus: Keev Capital’s Commitment:Our investments accelerate the adoption of AI in healthcare, enabling better diagnostics, faster treatments, and greater efficiency. By partnering with visionary startups, we contribute to advancements that improve patient outcomes and healthcare quality. Conclusion: The Future of AI in Healthcare AI is poised to transform global healthcare by reducing diagnostic errors, cutting costs, and improving patient care. With projected annual savings of $150 billion by 2026, AI offers immense value to healthcare systems worldwide. Keev Capital is dedicated to supporting AI-driven healthcare innovations, empowering startups to lead this transformation and improve lives globally. Explore how Keev Capital can help you become part of the AI revolution in healthcare. Together, we can shape the future of medical innovation.