Doug Rubin's startup, Northwind Climate, has raised $1.05 million in pre-seed funding to help companies better understand and target climate-conscious consumers. The startup's innovative approach to consumer segmentation has identified five distinct groups, including "climate doers" who prioritize climate-friendly purchases, and "climate deniers" who are skeptical of climate change.

Rubin, who comes from a background in politics, recognized the importance of surveys in understanding public sentiment and identifying likely voters. He applied this expertise to the consumer space, developing a platform that analyzes survey responses for behavioral clues to classify consumers. This approach allows companies to move beyond traditional demographic segmentation and instead target consumers based on their values and behaviors.

The startup's database consists of 20,000 survey respondents across eight surveys, growing by 2,500 respondents per month. Every three months, Northwind runs an industry-specific survey to capture deeper insights for different customers. Companies that subscribe to the service, which costs $10,000 per quarter or $40,000 per year, can add up to four of their own questions every quarter, providing valuable insights into consumer behavior.

One of the most surprising findings from Northwind's research is that "climate doers" are also frequent fast food consumers, and 30% of them are Republicans. This challenges traditional stereotypes and highlights the complexity of consumer behavior. By understanding these nuances, companies can develop targeted marketing strategies that resonate with their target audience.

Northwind's platform provides customers with access to the data, questions, and basic analyses like cross-tabulations. The startup is also developing a chatbot that will allow users to ask for more specific analyses using plain language queries. Additionally, Northwind is building a virtual focus group, an AI model trained on survey responses, that can analyze a company's marketing materials and provide feedback, similar to a human focus group.

Rubin is confident that companies have been missing opportunities to connect with climate-conscious consumers. "If you look at the data and where consumers are — and it's across the board, it's not just Democrats or independents — they really want this, and they will reward companies who are willing to be smart about it," he said. With Northwind Climate's innovative approach, companies can tap into this growing market and develop effective strategies to appeal to climate-conscious consumers.

The pre-seed funding round, which included participation from angel investors such as Tom Steyer, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, and Alexander Hoffman of Susty Ventures, will help Northwind Climate expand its platform and continue to develop new features and tools for its customers. As the startup continues to grow, it's clear that its innovative approach to consumer segmentation will have a significant impact on the way companies approach climate-conscious consumers.