Meet Josh Gregory, founder and CEO of Sugi

Josh Gregory is the founder and CEO of Sugi, a green fintech that delivers personalised climate metrics to retail investors.

Tell us about the founder behind the brand?

I’m Josh Gregory, the Founder and CEO of Sugi. After a decade working in climate finance and conservation projects, I realised that all the focus was on greening up big institutions. Everyday investors and their power was largely ignored. I founded Sugi to change that by providing personalised metrics to show retail investors how green their investments are.

There’s always a lightbulb moment before the beginning of a new venture. What was that moment for you?

The true lightbulb moment was when I came across this genius technology called Open Finance, which automatically pulls data from your own investment platform. I saw how this technology could be used to provide someone with personalised, relevant climate data about their own investments, instead of the generic and confusing ESG jargon that retail investors have put up with for so long.

How do you conquer those moments of doubt that so often affect entrepreneurs or stop many with great ideas - what pushes you through?

A great team is critical. They pull you through the dark moments, with practical support and positive encouragement. But ultimately the responsibility of the business rests with you and it’s tough.

What keeps you motivated, when you hit bumps in the road?

Sometimes the road is all bumps - that’s the life of an entrepreneur. But it keeps things interesting and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Receiving a particularly positive piece of feedback about our platform reminds me that we’re helping people and we’re appreciated.

What routines have you got in place to ensure that you don’t ignore your mental health?

A daily run in my local park is an important part of my routine and keeps me grounded.

What does your business offer its target audience?

Building a green investment portfolio simply cannot be done without the right information - that’s where Sugi comes in. We provide retail investors with objective, reliable data about the impact of their investments. This helps them avoid greenwashing and take action towards building greener portfolios.

How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?

We were the first business to show retail investors the personalised climate impact of their investments. Importantly, we’re independent from the fund management industry and use third party data from leading providers, so our users know they can rely on our metrics.

Any new product launches we should know about?

We just announced an expansion of our data coverage to include fixed income investments, including corporate and government bond ETFs and mutual funds. This is a really exciting development for us and marks a shift in the market to look beyond the impact of equities.

What plans do you have for Sugi over the next two years?

Two years is a really long time for such a young company! Over the next few months we’ll be launching new metrics on our platform and building our B2B offering: working with financial institutions, platforms and advisers across the UK and Europe to help even more retail investors access personalised climate metrics. Watch this space.

What advice would you give someone looking to enter the fintech industry as an entrepreneur? 

Build great partnerships with other fintechs early on. Partnerships are key for a fintech and will help you scale.

What’s the most important question entrepreneurs should be asking themselves?

In my experience, too much questioning leads to indecision and paralysis. Go with your gut instinct; it’s right nine times out of ten.