Smart green VCs you should know
Here’s our list of smart green VCs in Europe that back startups in energy, mobility, cities, climate tech, advanced materials, food and circular economy to generate impact as well as environmental, financial and strategic returns for their fund investors. In the VC food chain, early stage investors prefer to invest, at lower valuations and higher risk, in the Seed and Series A financing rounds of young startups working on product market fit and traction (customers, revenues). Afterwards, late stage VCs join startup cap tables from Series B onwards, expecting more than €5M revenues, experienced management teams, positive unit economics and fast growth. Facing climate change, technology revolution and global competition, the majority of corporates are active in corporate venturing and open innovation to invest and cooperate with startups. As a result, VCs follow different investment strategies to build their portfolios that startups should know before pitching.
Read moreAlantra’s new Klima fund invests in Mainspring
Smart green energy startups in Europe raising Series B or later rounds now have one more financial VC to go to in Madrid. The new late stage VC fund is called Klima (climate in German), focuses on hardware and software startups accelerating the energy transition and achieved its first closing at €80M on 7 June 2021. Klima’s capital is committed by powerful Spanish LPs including the listed investment bank and asset manager Alantra (€18M commitment), the gas corporate Enagás (€30M), the state-owned bank Instituto de Crédito Oficial (€15M), the renewable energy developer Capital Energy (€2M), the German family office Blueworld Group and other undisclosed institutional investors. On 12 July 2021, Klima announced its first investment in Sillicon Valley-based Mainspring, expanding their $95M Series D to $108M together with other investors entering the massive round at the last minute. GP Lucille Bonnet will pitch Klima at Ecosummit Berlin 8-9 September 2021.
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