ESG and Sustainability
The rise of ESG factors in investment decision making will have a dramatic impact on returns and opportunities in the 21st century. A recent survey by LGT Capital Partners and Mercer showed that 57% of respondents believe that incorporating ESG standards into investment decisions will raise returns. Just 9% argued they reduce returns on investment.
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Revaia, Europe’s largest female-founded venture capital firm, has successfully raised €150 million ($160 million) for its second fund, Revaia Growth II. The funding was secured from sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and institutional investors across Europe, with support from existing partners like Bpifrance and new backers such as mutual insurer Carac and the European Investment Fund.
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More Stories on ESG and Sustainability
Alternative Investments/ESG: NTZO, A New Climate ETF From Impact Shares, Will Donate Fees To A UN Fund
Rockefeller Foundation backed, non-profit ETF sponsor Impact Shares has launched the Impact Shares MSCI Global Climate Select ETF (NYSEArca: NTZO) in collaboration with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). The launch of NTZO was announced November 3 in Glasgow at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange the same day.
FinTech: Eco-Friendly Debit Card From London-based ekko
London-based, sustainability focused fintech ekko has launched a debit card, an app, and ecosystem that enable users to make a contribution every time they use the products. While using everyday services such as shopping and banking, they can get comfort from the fact that the company will take climate-friendly actions on their behalf.
Venture Capital: Brazilian Meat Substitute Startup Future Farm Raises $58M
Future Farm, a Brazilian startup that makes plant-based protein having the taste and texture of real meat, has raised $58 million in a Series C funding round co-led by BTG and Rage Capital. Existing investors also participated, including Monashees, Go4It Capital, Turim MFO and Enfini Ventures, along with new investor XP Inc.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Schwab Launches Small And Midcap ESG ETF
A new ETF from Schwab Asset Management will start trading from November 16, 2021. The Schwab Ariel ESG ETF offers investors exposure to small and mid cap stocks that have been screened for ESG factors. The actively managed, semi-transparent ETF has an operating expense ratio of 0.59%.
Venture Capital: ClearFlame, Which Enables Low Carbon Fuels In Diesel Engines, Raises $17M
Geneva, Ill.,-based ClearFlame Engine Technologies announced last week its $17 million Series A funding led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures with participation from Mercuria, John Deere and Clean Energy Ventures. ClearFlame has developed engine technology to enable low-carbon and carbon-negative fuels to be integrated into existing diesel engine platforms, offering a more sustainable and cost-effective solution than diesel fuel.
Alternative Investments/ESG: VanEck’s Lineup Of Moat Investing ETFs Now Has An ESG Version
VanEck launched in October the VanEck Morningstar ESG Moat ETF (CBOE: MOTE), a sustainable addition to its lineup of “moat” investing ETFs. Investors can hope to get exposure to US companies that have the advantages of being attractively priced, have competitive moats, and are screened for ESG risks.
Digital Assets: Canadian Fintech Mogo Launches World’s First Net-Green Bitcoin
Canadian fintech Mogo Inc (NASDAQ:MOGO) pioneered MogoCard, the Mogo Visa Platinum Prepaid Card that is climate-friendly because everytime the card is used, a carbon-sucking tree gets planted for free. The company is extending that concept to transforming bitcoin, a cryptocurrency noted for its emission-intensive ‘mining’ process, into “green,” or carbon-positive bitcoin, a world-first.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Bloomberg and Goldman Sachs Create New Clean Energy Index
Bloomberg and Goldman Sachs asset Management have launched a new clean energy index. The Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Global Clean Energy Index was jointly developed by Bloomberg and Goldman Sachs Asset Management and identifies companies that have a significant business exposure to the clean energy sector.
Venture Capital: Plant-Based Meats Producer Impossible Foods To Raise $500M
Impossible Foods, which makes climate-friendly meats from plants that are nutritious and as good to taste as the real thing, is in discussions for a $500 million raise at a potential valuation of $7 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Alternative Investments/ESG: On The Eve Of COP26, Hedge Funds Ambivalent On ESG (Survey)
The results of a poll of hedge fund managers conducted by Hedge Fund Research showed that 53% of them (687 managers) incorporated ESG factors and sustainability metrics into their investment processes. However, 47% (609 managers) said they did not do so. The results are significant, coming as they do ahead of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow this weekend.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Invesco Launches Two New Nasdaq-100 ESG ETFs
Global asset management firm Invesco Ltd (NYSE: IVZ) announced today the launch of trading of Invesco ESG NASDAQ 100 ETF (NASDAQ: QQMG) and Invesco ESG NASDAQ Next Gen 100 ETF (NASDAQ: QQJG). The new ESG ETF offerings expand the number of investment structures in the Invesco QQQ Innovation Suite to six.
Venture Capital: Search Engine Ecosia Floats €350M ‘World Fund’ For Climate Tech Ventures
World Fund, a new climate tech venture capital fund intitiated by search engine Ecosia, announced the launch of a €350 million ($405 million) fund that will invest in climate tech startups targeting decarbonization in sectors such as energy, transport, food and agriculture, manufacturing and buildings. (EU-Startups)
Venture Capital: Blackrock CEO Larry Fink Expects Climate Tech To Nurture The Next 1,000 Unicorns
Speaking at the Middle East Green Initiative Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Larry Fink, the CEO and Chairman of Blackrock (NYSE: BLK), said he expected the next 1,000 unicorns (startups valued over $1 billion) to emerge from climate tech areas such as green hydrogen, green agriculture, green steel, and green cement.
Venture Capital: Civil Rights Watchdog NAACP Buys Stake In Hello Alice To Help Build Black Wealth
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced last week its acquisition of a stake in Hello Alice, an online platform that helps business with resources to launch and grow, and focuses on underrepresented entrepreneurs. Two white women, Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore, founded venture-backed Hello Alice. NAACP’s investment will advance the startup’s goal to achieve economic equality for Black communities.
Digital Assets: Russian Energy Firms Seek Go-Ahead To Use Flared Gas For Mining Crypto
Russia’s crypto mining industry is in expansion mode after China’s clampdown on its crypto miners. Also wanting to join the party are Russian oil and gas companies that flare, or burn off, the natural gas released from their drilling operations. Known as “associated petroleum gas,” this is burnt if it cannot conveniently or economically be piped to a utility. The drillers want to use this flared gas, also a source of emissions, as an energy source for crypto mining data centers.
Alternative Investments/ESG: New York Life Floats ETFs For Gender Equality, Clean Oceans, Cleaner Transport
The three thematic ETFs meet investor demand for ESG approaches. IndexIQ, the New York Life Investments company, announced Wednesday the launch of three new ETFs. The IQ Engender Equality ETF (EQUL), IQ Clean Oceans ETF (OCEN), and IQ Cleaner Transport ETF (CLNR) represent an expansion of IndexIQ’s Dual Impact family of thematic investment strategies. (ETF…
Venture Capital: Flock Freight, Which Uses AI To Pool Shipments, Nabs $215M
Flock Freight uses AI algorithms to optimize shipments, routes and vehicles. Its FlockDirect cloud-based product guarantees shippers shared space on a truckload by combining multiple shipments that are moving along the same route into one shared truckload. The system bypasses the inefficient Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) hub and spoke system. The company raised $215 million in a Series D that valued it at $1.3 billion and was led by existing investor Soft Bank Vision Fund 2.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Alpha Architect Mulls ETF For Companies Led By High-Character CEOs
If you like CEO’s that have high character, a clean non-controversial record, and achieved solid financial returns for their company’s shareholders with a focus on ESG, you’re in luck. You can now invest in companies led by such CEOs though Alpha Architect’s Return on Character ETF.
FinTech: Virgin Money Offers Free ESG-Tracking App And Sustainability Loans To UK Businesses
The Virgin Money Sustainability Business Coach is a free app available to all UK businesses, not just Virgin Money customers, designed to help them with sustainability goals by measuring, tracking, and offering guidance on improving their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) credentials.
Venture Capital: TPG Rise Climate And ADQ To Invest $1B In Indian Group Tatas’ EV Unit
Tata Motors (NSE: TATAMOTORS), the automobile company of the Tatas, the Indian salt-to-airlines business conglomerate, will receive an investment of approximately $1 billion from TPG’s Rise Climate Fund and Abu Dhabi state holding company ADQ in a new EV entity. Tata Motors will invest over $2 billion in the unit.
Digital Assets: MintGreen’s Bitcoin Mining To Heat The City Of North Vancouver
MintGreen, a Canadian cleantech cryptocurrency miner, will supply 2022 its proprietary digital boilers to Lonsdale Energy Corporation, North Vancouver’s district energy utility. These boilers recover more than 96% of the electricity used for bitcoin mining in the form of heat energy. This heat would be delivered to the 100 residential and commercial buildings in North Vancouver, a city that is on a mission to decarbonize and transit away from natural gas.
Artificial Intelligence: IBM Launches Environmental Intelligence Suite
IBM (NYSE: IBM) has launched an Environmental Intelligence Suite, software that is a combination of AI, weather data, climate risk analytics, and carbon accounting capabilities. The suite helps organizations assess the climate impact of their own operations, assists in regulatory compliance, and to monitor for severe weather, wildfires, and air quality.
Venture Capital: Five Seasons Ventures, A European Impact Venture Fund, Raises €180M For Foodtech
Five Seasons Ventures, the European venture capital firm seeking to finance foodtech startups that have a quantifiable, beneficial impact on the planet and/or human health, announced the close of a a €180 million Fund II.
Alternative Investments/ESG: A Hydrogen-Themed ETF Lists On The ASX
ETF Securities, the Australian fund manager that brought the first physically-backed gold ETF to the world in 2003, has launched a thematic equity ETF to target the world’s leading hydrogen companies. The ETFS Hydrogen ETF (ASX: HGEN) tracks the Solactive Global Hydrogen ESG Index.