Venture capital

Impact market players say more work needs to be done in terms of education and provision of attractive investment opportunities if a wider group of investors is to be tempted to the impact sphere.

A yeast oil developed by a Dutch biotech firm may transform the food and personal care industries by slashing the carbon footprint of conventional palm oil, which can be found in 60% of supermarket products. 

The Swedish impact investor’s inaugural venture fund was backed by European institutional investors and will back companies developing solutions to address future health and environmental challenges.

Seaya’s founder Beatriz González is optimistic about prospects for the sector, despite the current tough investment environment and political uncertainties surrounding the pace of the energy transition.

The two national promotional institutions have signed up to a new programme funded by the European Investment Fund aimed at boosting female participation in venture capital and private equity.

Analysis from European Women in VC, Founders Forum Group and Tech Nation has highlighted the need for more institutional investment into European venture capital.

Danish impact investors Unconventional Ventures co-led a €4.9m funding round in Cellugy, a biotech startup replacing fossil fuel-based materials in personal care products with naturally-derived cellulose-based solutions.

The fund secured investment from institutions including British Patient Capital and plans to fund impact startups in areas such as energy, transportation, and agriculture.

The fund secured investment from almost 50 investors and plans to fund 30 impact startups in areas such as climate tech, energy, biotech AI and health tech. 

Ocean 14 Capital Fund I, an impact fund investing in the blue economy, has announced it has reached a final close at just over €201m.