How Paul Burnett Built & Exited a £50M Energy Scaleup | Startup Scaleup People

Startup and scaleup leadership in the UK energy transition market demands strategy, resilience, and execution. In this episode, Paul Burnett shares how he built Asset Plus into a £37M revenue decarbonisation business before exiting for ~£50M to Johnson Controls. This is a masterclass in energy performance contracting, public sector scaling, and founder leadership. Decarbonising 600+ buildings and delivering 30,000 tons of annual carbon savings, Paul scaled with just 9 employees, leveraging balance sheet strategy, contracted pipeline, and smart market positioning. From managing cash flow pressure to structuring for acquisition, this episode breaks down how to build a high-margin, exit-ready energy scaleup.

Hosted by Mario Rivas

About Startup Scaleup People

Real stories from startup, scaleup & enterprise leaders. From boardrooms to founder garages, we bring you insights on growth, leadership, funding, exits, governance, AI, fintech, SaaS, and business transformation.

New episodes every Friday at 4PM UK time.

Chapters

00:00 From Construction to Energy Transition Leader

03:05 Building Asset Plus from Scratch

06:20 Energy Performance Contracting Explained

09:45 Scaling to £37M with 9 Employees

12:50 Securing Public Sector Contracts

15:20 Preparing for Acquisition & Exit Strategy

18:30 Why Johnson Controls Acquired Asset Plus

21:45 Founder Lessons: Cash Flow & Governance

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