Funds

L’Oréal is backing the Circular Innovation Fund, managed by investment managers Demeter and Cycle Capital. The fund invests in circular economy growth-stage SMEs and funds across Europe, North America and Asia

Triodos Investment Management’s new fund will invest in companies providing solutions to improve children’s wellbeing and development in five areas: health and wellbeing, education, equal opportunity, access to basic services, and safety

Carbon Equity is trying to remove the barriers preventing young, affluent investors to access impact-driven private equity investments, a market which offers huge growth opportunities

Pensioenfonds Detailhandel and Pensioenfonds PostNL are among the growing list of Dutch pension funds increasing exposure to impact investments, allocating €100m and €400m, respectively, to SDG-aligned strategies

A study by the UK’s Pensions for Purpose platform found that 92% of active managers don’t use climate indices to benchmark their carbon metrics, despite their funds being marked as ‘climate focused’

The European Circular Bioeconomy fund, which invests in late-stage, bio-based circular economy companies, has beaten expectations with a final close of €300m, exceeding its target by €50m

Private equity funds account for more than half of all impact funds, according to the latest report on the sector by Phenix Capital. A total of €136 billion has been committed to impact-focused private equity funds since 2015

Infinity Recycling aims to create a circular economy for plastics. Its new fund has landed Dutch investment agency Invest-NL as a cornerstone investor, and will invest in companies offering advanced recycling technologies

Protix, which produces commercially viable insect-based food ingredients, eyes internationally expansion after securing backing from new and existing impact investors in its latest fundraising round

Blue Ocean Fund, managed by Paris-based SWEN Capital Partners, is on track to reach its €120m fundraise target, as more investors turn their attention to science-led investments in startups offering solutions for regenerating our oceans