Private equity

The global asset management company’s fund will focus on innovative technologies in the areas of clean energy, circular economy, natural resources, agritech and smart cities.

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.

The fund will provide unitranche funding to French and European SMEs, while encouraging the companies they finance to take account of environmental and social concerns.

This is the third climate tech fund by the Dutch investment platform which has seen assets under management jump 80% in a year.

From our ‘Impact Investing and the Just Transition’ report: There was a lull in private equity impact fund raising in 2023 following a banner 2022. But there are now signs that normality is returning to the market.

The private equity fund will invest in fast-growing SMEs, mainly in North Africa. At least a quarter of the fund’s invested capital is earmarked for women-owned or led businesses.

Private equity firm Mentha has launched what is says is the first impact buy-out fund to target the Benelux region, announcing a first close of €100m.

Mirova’s new fund will invest in European companies that are trying to address many of society’s more interconnected problems like climate change and growing inequity, according to the firm.

Private equity funds remain the biggest contributor of impact capital, with €158bn committed between 2015 and 2023, despite a tough market environment.

Jacqueline van den Ende, co-founder and chief executive officer of Carbon Equity, talks to Impact Investor about growing investor appetite for all things climate tech.