Europe Board Members
Aloe Private Equity
Aloe Private Equity manages a number of Environment Funds which invest in companies that can make a positive contribution to society, both socially and environmentally whilst simultaneously providing high financial returns to our investors. It has a particular interest in companies who have proven products or solutions who wish to leverage our expertise in growing businesses in Greater China and India. It has proven its ability to make venture capital returns by investing in existing and new technologies which enhance the ability of future generations to meet their own economic, environmental and social requirements.
The Aloe management team are experienced serial-entrepreneurs who have founded companies in different industry sectors including the environment, energy, software, information technology, retail and media. It has a strong network in Europe, Greater China and India and a track record of successfully delivering again and again. Its portfolio companies benefit from experience, networks and passion for forming partnership and growing their companies in these fast growth countries. It knows when to interfere and when not to. With focus, ambition, experience, trust in one another and integrity the risks of success for its companies (and hence Aloe) can be greatly enhanced.
Aster Capital
Our first fund, raised in 2003, has successfully invested in20 companies in both Europe and North America and has generated substantial returns for both our portfolio companies and our shareholders. Our latest fund, Aster II, consists of over $120M of committed capital from three cornerstone investors: Schneider Electric, Alstom and Solvay Rhodia and have already made three investments. Our combined expertise and resources make Aster Capital an attractive partner with global reach and provides the fund and its investments with significant advantages. We focus on early to later stage minority investments where we can leverage the skills, assets and experience of our partners to create significant value in promising technologies. Generally acting as a lead or co- lead investor, Aster Capital is highly involved in its investments to enhance their successful growth. Aster Capital is focused on innovative technologies and business models within the fields of Energy and the Environment. Within those fields, topics of interest include clean energy, energy efficiency, sustainable management of resources, human comfort & security, ecological mobility and smarter infrastructures. Aster Capital is managed by eleven seasoned and dedicated multi national professionals and has offices in France, China, Japan, Israel and the United States.
Capricorn Venture Partners
Capricorn Venture Partners NV is an independent pan-European manager of venture capital funds that invest in innovative European companies with technology as competitive advantage. Capricorn has longstanding industrial and venture capital experience in backing entrepreneurs with breakthrough technologies in the cleantech, life sciences, biotechnology, IT and material sciences sectors. Capricorn’s third consecutive venture capital fund, the Capricorn Cleantech Fund, focuses on pan European start up, early and development stage investments in clean technology based growth companies. For us, cleantech embraces a diverse of range of products, services and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, dramatically reduce and optimize the use of natural resources, cut or eliminate pollution and toxic waste and add economic value by significantly lowering cost and improving profitability.
Capricorn currently has over €120 million under management and counts among its investors the European Investment Fund (through the EU’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme), Electrabel/Suez, ParticipatieMaatschappij Vlaanderen, MRBB, Limburgse Reconversie Maatschappij (LRM), Dexia Bank, a number of pension funds and private investors. Successful exits of the past Capricorn venture funds include Omrix BioPharmaceuticals and FillFactory.
Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust help develop and deploy low carbon technologies and solutions, from energy efficiency to renewable power, as well as providing specialist support to help business and the public sector boost business returns by cutting carbon emissions and saving energy.
• We work with a wide range of corporate and government customers internationally on their cleantech innovation activities
• We have catalysed over £100m of private sector co-investment into pre-commercial technologies through focused programmes that de-risk their commercialisation
• We have assessed over 3,500 start-ups, supporting 300 of them, two thirds of whom went on to achieve commercial success
• We support our clients throughout the process of bringing their clean technologies to market
• We invest in ground breaking businesses
• We have directly invested in a portfolio of new businesses, JVs and Partnerships that we have created as well as invested in our venture capital portfolio managed by CT Investment Partners.
Clariant
Clariant is an internationally active specialty chemical company based in Muttenz near Basel. The group owns over 100 companies worldwide and employed approximately 22.100 workers at the end of February 2012. In the financial year 2011, Clariant produced a turnover in excess of 7.4 billion CHF. Clariant is divided into eleven business units: Additives; Catalysis & Energy; Emulsions, Detergents & Intermediates; Functional Materials; Industrial & Consumer Specialties; Leather Services; Masterbatches; Oil & Mining Services; Paper Specialties; Pigments; Textile Chemicals.
Demeter Partners
Demeter Partners is an independent French P.E. Management Company specialized in the management of private equity funds exclusively investing in unlisted SMEs within the eco-industries (water, air and waste treatment, site remediation…) and eco-energies (renewable energies, energy efficiency, green transportation…) sectors. Demeter Partners currently manages € 310 million through two investment funds sponsored by the CDC and the IFP Energies Nouvelles, and subscribed by around twenty French and foreign institutional investors. Demeter Partners has offices in Paris, Madrid and Berlin.
Emerald Technology Ventures
Emerald Technology Ventures is a global leader in cleantech venture capital and operates from offices in Zurich, Switzerland and Toronto, Canada. Founded in 2000, Emerald is a pioneer in this rapidly emerging sector and is focused on innovative technologies in energy, advanced materials and water. Since inception Emerald has managed three venture capital funds and two venture capital portfolio mandates totaling over €300 million (USD 440 million). Emerald is currently investing out of its latest fund and is looking for energetic and passionate entrepreneurs with the vision to build world-class clean technology companies.
ETF (Environmental Technologies Fund)
Environmental Technologies Fund provides entrepreneurs and investors with access to one of the most experienced European venture and growth capital investment teams in Cleantech.
Our business is dedicated to investing in great growth companies with global aspirations that are making a big environmental impact.
We are backed by some of the world’s leading institutional investors and aim to provide them with outstanding returns.
Frog Capital
Frog Capital is a London-based investment investment partner to some of Europe’s most ambitious growth-stage companies. With €100m under management, Frog’s experienced team invests across the European cleantech and IT & digital media sectors, leading or partnering in fundings of €2 million to €20 million. We consider a wide range of ownership structures and funding models, and show equal flexibility in our ongoing support, working with advisors and management teams to help make the leap from an exciting young company to a successful, grown-up business. Frog’s cleantech investments include SiC Processing exited, a global recycler of key fluids that are used in the production of semiconductor and solar wafers; agri.capital (exited), Europe’s largest biogas company; Ostara, a wastewater treatment company that recovers polluting nutrients from sludge and recycles them into an ecologically-friendly fertilizer; Hydrodec, a recycler of valuable industrial oils such as the transformer oils that keep electricity grids running; and Solar Century, the UK’s best-known solar energy company.
Georgieff Capital
Georgieff Capital provides high end financial advisory services to corporate and investor clients from offices in Frankfurt and London. Founded in 2005, the firm provides discreet, independent and objective strategic and financial advice on capital structure, capital markets perception, funding alternatives and individual financial transactions. We advise our clients on M&A related transactions (including the planning, evaluation, structuring and negotiation of investments, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and mergers) and also on delicate ownership issues and defense situations. Our equity capital markets experts advise our clients on the preparation and execution of initial and secondary public offerings, capital increases, including rights issues, and the issuance of equity-linked securities such as convertible bonds.
We provide fund raising advisory services to select private companies, mainly in the clean technology sector, looking to raise capital to grow their businesses. We manage and tailor the fund raising process to ensure our clients successfully raise the capital they need.
Georgieff Capital is also a limited partner in a number of venture capital funds around the world (with a clean technology focus), and selectively makes direct co-investments.
IDInvest Partners
Idinvest Partners is a leading pan-European mid-market private equity firm. With €3Bn under management, Idinvest Partners is active across different segments, including direct investments (growth equity, venture capital, and LBO), mezzanine, secondary transactions, and primary commitments to funds. Founded in 1997, Idinvest Partners was a subsidiary of Allianz until May 2010, when it became independent. Thanks to the support of Idinvest Partners, many companies have been able to grow and succeed globally. Recent success stories include Converteam (sold to General Electric), Zealand Pharmaceuticals (IPO on NASDAQ OMX), Dailymotion (sold to Orange), or Kwik Fit (sold to Itochu Corporation).
Taylor Wessing
Taylor Wessing is a full service law firm with a widely acknowledged strength in industries rich in intellectual property, based primarily in the three largest economies in Europe but also in emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East. Taylor Wessing act for private and public companies, financial institutions, public sector bodies and wealthy individuals.
Clients around the world trust us to deliver success. They turn to Taylor Wessing for constructive and commercial advice, partner-driven service, integrated, tailored solutions and strength in depth.
Taylor Wessing core services underpin the main areas of business activity including: corporate transactions and restructuring, finance, tax, property and construction, intellectual property, commercial contracts, employment and employee benefits as well as dispute resolution.
Taylor Wessing have extensive experience of a number of industries including technology, media, life sciences, climate change, real estate and financial services.
Zouk Ventures
Zouk is at the forefront of investment in clean technology. As clean technology transforms global industries, Zouk leverages its European leadership and its in-depth experience in technology, operations and finance to support visionary entrepreneurs driving this change.
Israel Board Members
Israel Cleantech Ventures
Established in 2006, Israel Cleantech Ventures (ICV) is the leading venture capital fund dedicated to providing value added growth capital to exceptional entrepreneurs building Israel’s energy, water and environmental technology leaders. The firm has over $130M currently under management in two funds and has completed 14 investments across diverse cleantech sectors, including waste water treatment, alternative energy generation, energy storage & efficiency, green building, smart grid and in technologies that enable existing industries to work in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner.
ICV is managed by a team of eight dedicated investment professionals combining significant experience in building technology companies with deep industry understanding gained through decades in senior management positions at Israel’s most prominent cleantech companies. This is coupled with considerable venture capital, IPO and M&A experience. With an extensive network in Israeli and global cleantech and VC communities, ICV provides superior access to the flow of emerging companies as well as the critical tools to help those companies flourish in the global marketplace.
ICV funds are backed by leading institutional investors, multinational corporations and family offices in Europe, the US and Israel.
Terra Venture Partners
Terra Venture Partners is a venture capital fund formed to take advantage of significant investment opportunities created by the urgent global need for clean technologies. Terra has assembled an experienced and entrepreneurial team to identify, nurture and grow Israel’s best seed and early-stage companies in several key environmental sectors. Terra invests in companies that combine high-level entrepreneurs with truly innovative technology and a focused operational plan to build solid, scalable businesses in markets of significant size. Terra usually leads the investments and takes a very active role in supporting the entrepreneurs through all the phases of the growth of the company, bringing much more than capital to the table.