TotalEnergies selected Aster for the divestment after a competitive process.

Aster, a venture capital firm based in Paris, has completed its first private equity secondary market transaction. The company acquired a portfolio of minority stakes in about twenty companies from TotalEnergies Ventures, the CVC arm of TotalEnergies. This acquisition strengthens Aster’s position in the Climate Tech innovation financing market and demonstrates its international experience and expertise in technologies contributing to carbon neutrality.

As part of the transaction, Aster has raised a new fund – Fonds Professionnel de Capital Investissement – dedicated to monitoring and financing the portfolio companies involved in the fight against climate change.

In addition to TotalEnergies, North Sky Capital has also become an investor in the newly created fund to support the portfolio companies’ future financing needs. Aster aims to provide tailor-made support to meet the expectations of sellers and offers liquidity and support solutions for venture capital players in need of repositioning or liquidity in their CVC activities and investment portfolios.

“This announcement is a concrete step towards the building of a broader approach to support players interested in transferring and monitoring their venture capital investments,” Aster said in a statement.

The company aims to energize the secondary market with a constructive and customized approach, adapted to the strategic changes of large corporates, particularly industrial ones.

Beyond asset buyouts, Aster offers various approaches, such as audits, management takeovers, or sales, to cater to the specific needs of players looking to reorient or exit their venture capital initiatives.

Overall, Aster is an active venture capital firm specializing in Climate Tech investments, financing startups at various stages of development and supporting entrepreneurs prioritizing the fight against climate change.

Its Aster Fab unit is a new kind of consulting firm unlocking the net zero transformation of hard-to-abate sectors by tapping into the startup ecosystem.

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