BNP Paribas Solar Impulse Venture Fund Closes at €172 Million, Surpassing Target
24 JAN, 2025
By Jose Luis Palmer from RankiaPro Europe
BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM) has announced the successful final close of its Solar Impulse Venture Fund (BNPP SIVF), raising €172 million, exceeding its initial target. The fund, an SFDR Article 9 and Tibi-labeled vehicle, aims to tackle ecological transition challenges across multiple sectors, including energy, agriculture, mobility, and circular economy.
Key Highlights
- Strategic Partnership: BNPP SIVF is the result of an exclusive partnership between Bertrand Piccard’s Solar Impulse Foundation and BNPP AM.
- Investment Focus: The fund will invest in 15 high-potential growth startups across Europe and North America, targeting transformative solutions for the ecological transition.
- Diverse Investors: A mix of corporates, institutional investors, family offices, and individuals have joined BNPP AM and the Solar Impulse Foundation in contributing capital, with BNP Paribas committing €86 million.
- Portfolio Startups: The fund has already backed five promising companies:
- NatureMetrics (UK): Biodiversity monitoring through environmental DNA.
- Phenix (France): Circular economy platform to reduce food and non-food waste.
- Axioma (France): Bio-solutions for sustainable agriculture addressing hydric stress.
- Hello Watt (France): Energy renovation one-stop shop for homeowners.
- Chemix (US): Next-generation battery design powered by AI technology.
A Mission for Sustainability
The Solar Impulse Venture Fund is dedicated to investing in companies that merge profitability with environmental impact. By targeting sectors like sustainable agriculture, smart cities, and industrial innovation, it accelerates solutions pivotal to addressing climate challenges.
We are thrilled to close on the BNPP Solar Impulse Venture Fund above the initial target size, particularly in such a challenging funding environment, and would like to thank our investors for their trust and support. While fundraising, we have already invested in 5 flagship promising startups. Stay tuned, more to come! Supporting best climate tech companies to accelerate globally the ecological transition is our mandate and the team is eager to continue the deployment of the Fund in the coming years, building bridges between our strong network, the Solar Impulse foundation network and flagship entrepreneurs, with the objective of accelerating their development and significantly changing their impact.
Yann Lagalaye, Managing Partner of the fund.
At the Solar Impulse Foundation, our mission is to identify and support solutions that can protect the environment in a profitable way. The BNP Paribas Solar Impulse Venture Fund embodies this goal, combining environmental leadership with tangible impact and monetary returns. Its success proves that investors are ready to back transformative activities that pave the way for a sustainable future. Private capital has a crucial role to play in accelerating the ecological transition, and we look forward to seeing even more impactful and innovative solutions bloom thanks to this initiative.
Bertrand Piccard, Founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation.
Looking Ahead
With its strong network and collaborative approach, BNPP SIVF aims to foster innovative, impactful solutions while generating tangible monetary returns. More investments are expected soon, underscoring the fund’s commitment to driving sustainable change across industries.
