Investment Funds

We are Limited Partners in three investment funds, each one dedicated to marine conservation and climate change mitigation.

Blue Ocean

SWEN Capital Partners

The Blue Ocean Fund was launched by SWEN Capital Partners in September 2021 to invest in unlisted, innovative start-up companies working to support Ocean health regeneration.

Since its conception, the fund has made eight investments that contribute to SDG14 (“life under water”) – about a third of its target – in the following innovative start-ups:

  1. Optoscale - A Norwegian based company that has developed a solution for accurate and real time fish biomass measurement based on cameras and computer vision.

  2. Noray - A Norwegian based company which has developed a controlled bacterial culture environment for its shrimp products to thrive with a highly efficient operating and capital expenditure profile.

  3. Nature Metrics - Based in UK, the firm is a leading provider of biodiversity monitoring data, using environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys and metabarcoding.

  4. Spinergie - A French data analytics company which offers a digital solution to reduce fuel consumption and help decarbonize shipping.

  5. Avant - Based in Singapore, Avant produces alternative seafood through the cultivation of fish cells in bioreactors.

  6. STARTUP A - A European company that has developed motorization solutions to make any small to medium boat hybrid.

  7. STARTUP B - A European company that has developed a system to inspect, monitor, clean and collect biofouling on ship hulls.

  8. 900.Care - A French B-Corp company that creates refillable personal care essentials.

Blue Forward Fund

Seventure

With the support of the Banque Populaire banks, long-term equity investor Seventure Partners has created the Blue Forward Fund in an effort to invest in the blue economy and support innovative startups.

Committed to sustainability and ocean preservation, the Blue Forward Fund is set up to invest in companies aiming to provide solutions to problems caused by climate change. More specifically, the fund make and realize direct or indirect investments in companies which operate in the blue economy. The primarily focus are the following sectors:

(i) Sustainable aquaculture and marine by-products;

(ii) Marine based products (notably, without limitation for food or beverage, nutrition, health, cosmetic or feed);

(iii) Industrial products & biomaterials;

(iv)Bioplastics;

(v) Hydrogen and renewable energy;

(vi) Climate and carbon;

(vii) Recycling and reconversion, and

(viii) Digitalization of blue economy.

The fund will invest in approximately 20 innovative companies from seed to late-stage venture, growth and pre-IPO stage, with investments ranging between €500k and €5m per round, or up to €10m per company.

Solar Impulse Venture Fund

BNP Paribas

In line with the Group’s commitment to support young and innovative cleantech companies, BNP Paribas has created the Solar Impulse Venture Fund, a “Solution accelerator” that will invest  €150 M in developing and scaling up high potential startups committed to the ecological transition.

Based throughout Europe and the United States, the startups receiving support will be active in many sectors, such as clean energy, sustainable food and agriculture, and circular economy. Each start up selected by the fund will be evaluated by the ‘Solar Impulse Efficient Solutions’ label. 

BNP Paribas will commit € 75 M to the fund, with the remainder being opened to professional investors sharing the same ambition as BNP Paribas and the Solar Impulse Foundation to support the Ecological Transition and work towards the achievements of 8 UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).