European VCs investing in impact and sustainability (Part 1)

Europe has become a hotspot for impact and climate tech investing. From pre-seed funds backing bold ideas to growth investors reshaping entire industries, an active ecosystem of venture capital firms is fueling the transition to a more sustainable economy.

This article series maps out the main European VCs focused on impact and sustainability, that are at the forefront of financing the next generation of climate and impact startups:

Ananda Impact Ventures - Investing in pre-seed to series A startups in Healthcare, Sustainability Transformation, Educational Empowerment, Equitable Humanity, from Europe (with a focus on DACH, UK, Benelux and the Nordics). Read our interview with Zoe Peden, Partner at Ananda, here.
GET Fund - Impact VC targeting from early to growth stage startups in energy, food and agriculture, manufacturing, buildings, and mobility. They back entrepreneurs who create value along the “Triple Top Line of economic wealth, environmental prosperity, and social equity”.
GoodTech Ventures - Accelerator + early investor in “tech for good” startups focused on public service, inclusion, and systemic social impact.
Norrsken VC - A leading early-stage impact investor in Europe. It is a venture capital arm of the non-profit Norrsken Foundation and all their investments are tied to at least one of the 17 SDGs.
World Fund - A European VC backing entrepreneurs who build climate tech that can save at least 100Mt CO2e emissions per year. They support startups from early to growth stage, focusing on Energy, Food and Agriculture, Manufacturing, Buildings, and Mobility.
Planet A Ventures - A venture capital fund supporting European green tech startups that have a significant positive impact on our planet. The first European VC with an in-house science team that calculates life cycle assessments to quantify the impact of a startup.
2150 - Investing in urban sustainability, focusing on the built environment, materials, and infrastructure. They are backing future “gigacorns” - companies that can create value for “billions of people, create billions in commercial value and lower gigatons of emissions.”
Systemiq Capital - The VC arm of Systemiq, backing early-stage startups tackling electrification, nature-based solutions, and applied AI for climate.
AENU - An impact fund investing in both climate tech and social well-being startups raising seed & series A rounds, with a focus on DACH, UK and Nordics. They are co-founders of Leaders For Climate Action and ambassadors of Founder’s Pledge.
Better Ventures - Mission-driven VC backing impact-only companies at pre-seed and seed stages.