Environmental issues have long been among the most discussed topics worldwide, with many companies transitioning to renewable energy or promoting green initiatives. The startup Pyrpose helps such companies attract funding for growth — through its platform, private investors can support promising environmental projects. Viktoriia Yatsenko, Product Manager at Pyrpose, shares how the product was built, which growth strategies proved most effective, and what helped Pyrpose earn user trust and secure its first investments.
Viktoriia, you joined Pyrpose when the team only had a product concept. Where did you begin — what did the process of transforming an idea into a real strategy and platform look like?
Many investors want to allocate funds not just to promising ventures, but to startups that genuinely make a positive impact. Pyrpose helps them do exactly that by offering investment opportunities in various environmental initiatives. According to our research, 93% of Europeans are concerned about ecological issues, but only 14% invest in solving them. Pyrpose has helped make climate investments more accessible and transparent for individuals — for instance, during our first fundraising round, we secured around $1 million.
The idea behind the project was strong and appealing, but before I joined, it wasn’t resonating with clients or investors. My task was to study the market, rethink the concept, and make it compelling for the target audience. I carried out extensive research on competitors and user needs, reshaped the company’s vision and strategy, developed a new website, and created a client-facing app. I had a lot of raw data that needed to be organised and presented in a way that would strengthen user loyalty. As a result, I fully rebuilt the company’s strategy and shifted our development focus toward more promising investment projects.
We released a beta version three months after I joined, and the media started writing about us. The hardest part was motivating users to actually make an investment. We ran experiments with advertising that explained our mission and environmental impact—we tested different CTAs and landing pages to get meaningful results. It took time, but in the end, we found an optimal solution that allowed us to attract our first investments.
So you worked to make complex climate and financial mechanisms understandable for the users. Which approaches and UX decisions helped make the platform friendly and accessible for a non-technical audience?
The key challenge is that people often don’t realise how strongly they influence the environment—whether by driving a car or consuming certain products. That’s why one of our most effective UX solutions was an online calculator that allowed users to estimate their approximate annual CO₂ emissions and compare them with average figures from different countries. The calculator became a motivation trigger, encouraging users to choose a new path and support green initiatives.
To make the tool as effective as possible, we prepared multiple versions and ran A/B tests. We also tried various ad formats, changing creatives and messaging. Our goal was to ensure that at the final step of the flow, users felt compelled to invest in environmental projects immediately. From the calculator page, users could easily register on the platform and explore where their money could be invested, when funds would reach a selected company, and how exactly they would impact the environment.
I also carried out extensive UX work on the website. It needed to build user trust—which meant providing comprehensive information about the platform, founders, listed companies, and the investment process. Users had to clearly understand that their money would reach the intended recipients and generate real environmental impact. This work allowed us to increase conversion rates within the first three months after I joined.
Tell us more about the conversion growth, what onboarding and communication changes made it possible to achieve these results so quickly?
Conversion grew primarily thanks to well-structured product marketing and improved advertising efforts. I introduced new types of creative media — not just static images but also videos that explained the environmental problems and demonstrated the platform’s positive impact in greater depth. This helped users better understand how they could reduce their CO₂ emissions through Pyrpose.
We also redesigned the entire user flow. We tested different strategies — for example, directing users first to a page with company information, or sending them straight to the calculator. We experimented with various ads and observed which approach worked best. Eventually, we discovered that driving traffic to the calculator and presenting clear information about how invested funds would work delivered the strongest results.
One of your key decisions was shifting the focus from charitable climate projects in Africa to investments in local green projects in Switzerland. What drove this pivot, and how did you justify it to the team and investors?
During our experiments, we realised the conversion issue wasn’t primarily in the funnel—but in the end goal. Initially, the platform offered investments in African projects, but users strongly associated Africa with charity. Meanwhile, our clients ultimately wanted returns on their investments. So we decided to look for new companies to invest in.
Our target audience consisted of Europeans and Americans interested in supporting meaningful, socially beneficial projects—including environmental ones. Naturally, they were more likely to invest in projects closer to home with tangible potential. This would allow investors to see the impact in real life — for example, by observing the development of a company that they had invested in and even purchasing its products. We also aimed to attract substantial funding, so we needed companies capable of operating with larger capital flows.
Our pivot focused on larger, more promising companies in Europe and the U.S. I researched the market and competitors, engaged with customers, and developed an Ideal Customer Profile. To justify the pivot internally and externally, I presented the new ICP, explained our users’ interests and behaviors, shared competitor analysis, and defined our unique value proposition.
I suggested starting with smaller projects to test the hypothesis—for example, choosing companies that could benefit from 5–10 medium-size investments. That led us to Swiss green projects. The new strategy proved successful, and we attracted investor attention in the first round.
What is the most challenging aspect of being a product manager when you must simultaneously build trust among three groups — users, investors, and your own team?
In my view, the hardest part is motivating users. First, we identified a promising Swiss company worth investing in. We prepared a detailed description of the project and its business model—the company planned to install solar panels on warehouse facilities to generate clean energy and then lease out those properties. My task was to highlight the marketing value of this idea and communicate it to clients.
To understand what users care about, I conducted a series of interviews. During them, it became clear that we were on the right track—some respondents wanted to invest in the project right away.
As for the team, they quickly embraced the concept and supported the pivot. They were genuinely interested in my findings around the ICP and saw the potential of the new strategy. Thanks to the repositioning, we rapidly identified a project we wanted to work with. Overall, the strategy I proposed helped secure investments and increase the average investment size.
And what do you personally enjoy most about working on a product?
I love that product management involves such a wide range of tasks — from calculating unit economics and conducting research, to identifying ICPs, communicating with teams and investors, and analysing metrics. The tasks evolve with the company’s maturity — and you grow together with it. Some even say a product manager is a mini-CEO, and I completely agree.
Climate fintech is gaining momentum in Europe today. How do you see companies like Pyrpose fitting into this ecosystem, and what trends will shape the sector’s future?
According to our research, investments in environmental initiatives are growing. More and more people want to allocate funds to projects that truly benefit the planet — and this trend is likely to continue in Europe, the U.S., and potentially beyond. As a result, more companies like Pyrpose will emerge, offering private investors access to promising “green” businesses.
Since we are already showing strong results in our niche, Pyrpose’s position will only strengthen in the future — and I see significant potential in the project.
