Novo Holdings, which controls 77% of the votes in what is now Europe’s most valuable company, will invest about 2 billion kroner ($290 million) in a new energy transition fund, expanding its portfolio of assets outside of health care. It’s also taken a 20% stake in the fund manager, Glentra Capital.

The shareholder that controls Novo Nordisk A/S is responding to a downturn in green assets by ratcheting up investments with profits from the obesity drugmaker.

With a total commitment of EUR 443 million (DKK 3.3 billion) from anchor investors Novo Holdings and PKA and several other investors, Glentra Capital (‘Glentra’) announced the first close of its energy transition fund, Glentra Fund I. Based in Copenhagen and London, Glentra is a newly established investment firm with an ambition to accelerate the energy transition for a clean and sustainable future.

Energy transition is the most urgent and complex challenge society faces today. To meet the UN climate goals, investments in renewable energy need to increase substantially, and the way energy is produced, distributed and consumed worldwide must undergo rapid transformation. Glentra Fund I is positioned to leverage this opportunity and identify profitable investments that will benefit its investors and the planet.

Glentra Fund I will invest in and grow great companies that lead in the development and deployment of renewable energy such as offshore and onshore wind, solar, sustainable fuels, energy storage, electric mobility and other related sectors. With a commitment to promote environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures, the fund seeks to drive positive change while delivering attractive returns for its investors.

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Glentra is headed by founding Partners Henrik Tordrup and Lars Villadsen, both of whom will be investing a significant amount of their own wealth into the fund. Henrik Tordrup has a background with Ørsted and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), where he had a leading role in establishing CIP’s global investment platform, and Lars Villadsen has a background with Vestas as part of the senior management team in North America. In addition, Glentra comprises a diverse team of investment and industry professionals with deep experience from the renewable energy and investment industries.

Henrik Tordrup, Managing Partner at Glentra, said: “We are thrilled to announce the first close of Glentra Fund I. This milestone represents a significant step forward in our mission to accelerate the transition towards a future based on sustainable energy sources while creating value for portfolio companies and investors. Only by creating value and attractive risk-adjusted returns are we truly able to accelerate the transformation that is needed. We are grateful for the trust and confidence in this vision that our investors have shown us, and we look forward to partnering with them to make a lasting impact on the energy landscape.”

Partner and co-founder at Glentra, Lars Villadsen, added: “Since our establishment, we have been busy building the team and engaging in conversations with interesting companies that share our vision and clearly see the value in partnering with Glentra by incorporating us in their ownership structure.”  

Novo Holdings and pension fund PKA are pleased to be part of Glentra’s journey and are aligned with Glentra’s vision.

Morten Beck Jørgensen, Managing Partner, Capital Investments, Novo Holdings, said: “We are proud to be a co-founder of Glentra, and a large anchor investor and limited partner in Glentra Fund I. At Novo Holdings, we firmly believe in the importance of investing to accelerate energy transition and promote sustainable development. By supporting Glentra and Glentra Fund I, we aim to drive positive change within the energy sector and contribute to a more sustainable future, which aligns with Novo Holdings’ purpose of improving people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet by generating attractive long-term returns on the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.”

Michael Nellemann Pedersen, Chief Investment Officer at PKA, said: “PKA is determined to continuously play an active role in the global energy transition. We engage in investments that make an impact towards a future relying solely on renewable energy and simultaneously generate a high financial return for our members. Furthermore, PKA is very pleased to be an anchor investor and large limited partner in Glentra Fund I alongside like-minded and professional partners such as Novo Holdings that share our view on the necessity of investing in and contributing to a more sustainable world for generations to come.”

Investing in the global energy transition has evolved from asset-by-asset investments into a growth industry with underlying infrastructure characteristics that provides resilient and predictable revenues. Consequently, Glentra will leverage and scale the experience of the team to support companies operating within energy transition.

The first close of Glentra Fund I marks an important milestone that paves the way for further investments and partnerships within the energy transition space. Glentra Fund I has commitments of approximately 60% of the EUR 750 million target size and is actively engaging with additional investors and expects to hold subsequent closings in the coming months.