My name is Tyler Christie and I am a serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of technology, sustainability, public policy and business. A key theme throughout my career has been making environmental data more useful and accessible to support better decision making. I have a BA in Geography from Middlebury College in Vermont, USA and an MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania.

What inspired you to create Amee and you remember where you were at the time?

The inspiration for creating Amee is the fact that climate change and sustainability represent the greatest challenge of our generation and likely our children’s as well. As the growing influence of the internet unlocks opportunities to gather data, collaborate and innovate we have an unprecedented opportunity to address these challenges in new ways. Making environmental data more accessible and useful in the way Amee is doing will be critical to mitigating and adapting the climate change and other sustainability challenges.

Who are your competitors?

We operate in a very complex and niche industry, and one that’s not been cracked by anyone yet, so we have no direct competitors. However, some consultancies (PWC, Accenture), software firms in sustainability and supply chain areas, (Ecovadis, SAP, Enablon, Bravo Solutions), and data companies are also active in this area.

How have you funded Amee so far?

We have raised funding from a range of angel investors and 3 top tier venture capital funds Union Square Ventures, O’Reilly Alph-Tech Ventures, and Amadeus Capital Partners.

What do you enjoy the most about running your own business?

The thing I enjoy most is seeing the value we create for our users and clients. It has been very rewarding to see our original, unique concept come to life and have such a positive impact on so many people.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far?

It’s all about people. Understanding, engaging and empathising with people matters most and should be every entrepreneur’s top priority. Building a team, engaging partners, and working with clients are critical skills necessary for any business to succeed.

Think back to when you’d just started out – what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?

The priority is placing people at the centre of your business focus.

What feedback did you receive when you first launched Amee onto the market?

We saw a lot of excitement with over 1 million visitors to our site in just the first months of our launch. We also had great customer validation from leading organisations including SSE, The Carlyle Group, and the UK Government. 

Sell Amee in once sentence..

AMEE is the most efficient, scalable way for businesses to address the mission critical risks and opportunities associated with climate change.

What is your best marketing tip?

Get your customers to do your marketing for you. Find a way to build that into your product. People are much more likely to believe them than you.

If you could be a chocolate bar, what one would you be and why?

Snickers, of course. An entrepreneur has to be ready for all types of situations and wear lots of hats. The chocolate, nut and caramel combo of snickers makes it good any time!

What advice stuck with you until now?

Never stop experimenting and learning. In such a dynamic company and market we need to constantly try new things while reinforcing learning as part of our company DNA. I think that is one of the key factors that separates the losers from the winners.

Where do you see Amee in the next 12 months?

I see AMEE continuing on our current track of double-digit revenue growth and expanding our team. In 12 months AMEE will be known as a leader in the space of sustainability and supply chain performance serving hundreds of thousands of users and many more blue chip clients.