Impact-Driven Narratives: Deep Tech for SDGs

Once Deep Tech startups have aligned scientific innovation with business structure and begin fundraising beyond initial grants, a critical next step is to strategically reframe how they present their value. Participants repeatedly emphasized moving beyond a purely technical narrative, focused on scientific complexity or engineering novelty, toward a more impactful and globally relevant story.

This shift involves positioning Deep Tech as a vehicle for addressing the most pressing global challenges: climate change, the energy transition, and public health. As Cristián Hernández, general manager at Zentynel and author of Catalysts of Change⁴³, argues, the savviest biotech investors don’t merely analyse spreadsheets; they buy into stories.

Facts alone don’t move hearts, or wallets. Investors, regulators, and partners must not only understand the science but also feel the urgency and potential impact of what a company is building.

Cristián Hernández General Manager, Zentynel

That said, Deep Tech investment isn’t merely philanthropy. Participants emphasized that Deep Tech can deliver substantial ROI, with long-term value stemming from its capacity to resolve significant challenges while generating returns. Many investors are drawn to this hybrid appeal, they want more than just financial gain, but are not willing to compromise on performance. Deep Tech, when framed correctly, offers both.

# Recommendations: Deep Tech for SDGs

From the outset, think beyond technology and pure investment. Deep Tech can directly address climate change, inequality, and multiple SDGs. We recommend situating engineering and go-to-market strengths within clear societal outcomes, without slipping into greenwashing. Institutionally, the 2025 UNDP report Global Deep Tech Ecosystems opens with "Why Deep Tech Matters for the Sustainable Development Goals,"⁴⁴ including case studies on solid-state battery technologies. We recommend using these frameworks when pitching and when designing institutional approaches. As the agenda gains legitimacy, startups can leverage their mission as a strategic asset that differentiates them and attracts long-term partners.