• BNP Paribas Solar Impulse Venture Fund (BNPP SIVF) reaches €150M target to drive ecological innovation.
• Investments focus on climate tech, sustainable agriculture, circular economy, and more.
• Fund aims for €200M cap, inviting like-minded partners to join the ecological mission.

BNP Paribas Accelerates Ecological Transition with €150M Fund

BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM) announced that the BNP Paribas Solar Impulse Venture Fund (BNPP SIVF) has successfully raised its minimum target of €150 million as of July 2024. The fund, developed in collaboration with Bertrand Piccard’s Solar Impulse Foundation, is designed to accelerate the ecological transition by investing in high-potential startups across Europe and North America.

The BNPP SIVF, managed by the Private Assets division within BNPP AM, plans to make 15-20 strategic investments focusing on sectors like energy transition, sustainable agriculture, the circular economy, and sustainable mobility. Yann Lagalaye, Managing Partner of the BNPP Solar Impulse Venture Fund, emphasized the importance of supporting climate tech companies:

“Supporting the best climate tech companies to accelerate ecological transition is our mandate,” Lagalaye stated. “The team is eager to grow this activity within BNP Paribas Asset Management, building bridges between our strong network and entrepreneurs.”

Initial investments by the fund include NatureMetrics, a UK-based startup that utilizes environmental DNA for biodiversity monitoring, and Phenix, a French company that reduces food and non-food waste through circular economy practices. Other investments include Axioma, Hello Watt, and Chemix, each contributing to ecological and technological advancements in their respective fields.

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David Bouchoucha, Head of Private Assets at BNP Paribas Asset Management, highlighted the fund’s alignment with BNP Paribas’s commitment to combating climate change:

“BNPP SIVF’s successful closing is evidence of the strong interest of our client investors to actively contribute to tackling climate change,” Bouchoucha commented. “We will continue, along with the Solar Impulse Foundation, to identify and support game-changer companies for the ecological transition.”

With a hard cap of €200 million, the BNPP SIVF aims to attract additional Limited Partners who are committed to advancing the ecological transition alongside BNP Paribas and the Solar Impulse Foundation.