21 juli 2021
Anouk Blüm, directeur Financieringen voor StartGreen, licht in dit blog toe wat StartGreen als echt groene biomassa beschouwt.
12 juli 2021
Op naar de grande finale waar ik in deze blogserie naartoe heb gewerkt. Nu we weten welke resultaten 7 jaar impact investeren hebben opgeleverd, is het interessant om te kijken naar de belangrijkste lessen die we met het elftal start-ups onderweg naar groei hebben geleerd. Lessen die ik zowel mede-impactinvesteerders als de ondernemers mee wil geven om de kansen op succesvolle opschaling te vergroten
Read More
22 juni 2021
Bij PDENH hebben we een reeks van maar liefst zeven parallelle follow-on investeringen in Q1 2021 kunnen closen. Daarom neem ik jullie in dit tweede blog graag mee in de resultaten van 7 jaar impact investeren en benchmark ik deze met de industrie.
Read More
16 juni 2021
Als je van verandering houdt, is dit je tijd. Onze eigen changemaker Laura Rooseboom was afgelopen maandag te gast bij Future Business Live van Change Inc. om haar visie te geven op het groene actieplan van de EU; de groene taxonomie, de Sustainable Finance Regulation en het aangescherpte Non-financial Reporting Directive. Interessante kost en voer voor wie vandaag de dag zich bezig houdt met impact investing. Kijk hier de compilatie terug en hoor wat Laura hierover te zeggen had.
Wil je meer weten over wat wij als StartGreen Capital voor impact maken? Check het hier in ons Impact Report.
June 10, 2021
we have us Impact Report on 2020 published. In a year that also turned out differently for us, we are proud to announce that StartGreen Capital has been able to achieve considerable results with its funds. It means that StartGreen Capital really functions as a catalyst for sustainable progress.
Since 2006, StartGreen Capital has had sustainable impact for an inclusive and circular economy in its DNA. StartGreen facilitates entrepreneurs who contribute to a sustainable and inclusive society with innovative technologies, products or services. This is the driving force behind all the investments we make. We focus on projects and companies that contribute to at least one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on three themes: energy transition, circularity and diversity & inclusiveness. Our vision is that financial and social returns can go hand in hand.
Despite 2020 being an exceptional year due to COVID-19, StartGreen Capital has invested a total of €71 million during this year through 51 financing to sustainable companies (€70.5 million and 52 companies respectively in 2019). In addition, €23 million in additional capital has been committed (compared to €56 million in 2019) to enable new investments in the transition to a sustainable economy. In addition to the above, a large part of the StartGreen Capital team has committed itself to the assessment of more than 200 applications for the Corona Bridging Loan (COL) in the Province of Noord-Holland. This provides a large number of companies with emergency capital at very short notice. To help sustainable entrepreneurs further through the corona crisis, StartGreen Capital established the StartGreen Fund for Sustainable SME in 2020.
We hope to be able to make many new investments in 2021 and thus continue to contribute to the transition to a sustainable society. Also during this special year, the companies we have provided financing to have made an enormous effort to contribute to a more sustainable and social future. You can read about the impact for 2020 in our Impact Report.
May 19, 2021
With the biggest motivation to do more than just 'deals' - as before in my M&A career - I started working at StartGreen Capital seven years ago. Read More
May 10, 2021
Are you a changemaker who believes in diversity, sustainability and a circular economy? And do you want to contribute to the transition to a sustainable future by financing cool brands such as Van Moof and Mud jeans? Then we are looking for you! Due to our growth, we are looking for talents for our Sustainable Financing traineeship.
June 10, 2021
Impact investing is becoming the new standard
Impact interview with Susan Leerkes from Van Lanschot Kempen
For our impact report 2020 we interviewed a number of our institutional investors. We spoke with Susan Leerkes of Van Lanschot Kempen about sustainable investing, their motivation to invest in Borski Fund and impact investing. Read the entire interview here.
What does Van Lanschot Kempen do and what role do you play in this?
All our investment solutions are sustainable and we contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to the financial return, the impact on people, the environment and society also plays an important role in sustainable investment. As a sustainable investor, you assess companies not only on financial results, but also on the way in which they treat their employees and the environment and how they approach ethical issues. For example, we do not invest in nuclear energy producers, arms manufacturers and companies that are guilty of violating human rights or the working conditions of their employees.
In addition, we believe it is important that private investors can invest more easily in impact investments. That is why Van Lanschot clients can invest in the Kempen Global Impact Pool. This fund aims to make a positive contribution to five of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. For example, the 'pool' contributes to affordable, good health care & financial services, making the food chain more sustainable and affordable and sustainable energy.
Specifically, the Kempen Global Impact Pool makes a positive contribution to:
- Basic needs and well-being: the provision of basic goods and services (such as water, care and well-being) to people in disadvantaged positions;
- SME development and Decent work: the creation of decent jobs based on fair working conditions to eradicate poverty;
- Sustainable consumption and production: to be able to do 'more with less' in a smarter way;
- Climate change and energy transition: the availability of clean energy and reduction of CO₂ emissions.
I am commercial director at Van Lanschot and responsible for our offices in Amsterdam, Hilversum and Laren. I also have my own client portfolio. Among other things, I help our clients and prospects with a unique, appropriate investment solution, taking into account the personal situation, wishes and goals. Responsible investment is our standard, how sustainable is determined by the client.
How is gender diversity anchored in you?
Worldwide, inclusion & diversity have become an increasingly important part of a sustainable business strategy, including at Van Lanschot Kempen. We believe that diversity in the workforce specifically leads to better decision-making, a better working environment and fewer 'blind spots'. In addition, an inclusive and diverse workforce helps drive organizational performance, innovation, agility and resilience, as well as positive social and environmental impact. We also believe it provides access to a much larger talent pool so that meritocracy and diversity can coexist. We believe that the conscious and deliberate pursuit of diversity also leads to a significant reduction in prejudice. An inclusive culture is a precondition for making diversity in the workplace successful. This requires an inclusive 'mindset' from every employee so that everyone at Van Lanschot Kempen feels at home, regardless of your background or the noise you make. This is not only about acceptance, but also about being really seen and heard.
We believe that the best solutions emerge when a challenge is approached from different angles – in short, we believe that cognitive and socio-economic diversity leads to better results. Diversity only makes sense when there is inclusion, so only when different perspectives are actually listened to. Inclusion is part of our culture; a flat meritocratic organization. Diversity is policy during talent recruitment and retention. Gender diversity is part of this policy.
Why has Van Lanschot invested in Borski Fund?
For the financial and social return. There are several reasons to invest. Firstly, as an organization we value the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. This means that you are committed to diversity and equal opportunities for men and women. This fund is a great opportunity, you want to be part of it. It is not without reason that Klaas Knot of the Dutch Central Bank and Queen Máxima were also present at the launch of the Borski Fund. Another important reason is that the fund opens doors for us. In addition to the major banks, various high-net-worth individuals who were present at the closing are investing. This includes, for example, entrepreneurs who have previously sold their business themselves. We had wanted to approach a number of them for a while and we have now succeeded thanks to the launch of this fund. And at fund meetings, we also come into contact with other investors for whom we can play a role in determining their assets or related matters such as a (family) mortgage. This way the knife cuts both ways. In addition, we have a responsibility to our shareholders and each investment must be able to stand on its own two feet. The Borski fund does that. The founders have a proven track record, the fund has access to a broad network of female entrepreneurs and the operational aspects are guaranteed by the infrastructure of StartGreen Capital. All the necessary ingredients are present to achieve the intended return. In addition, as far as we are concerned, the fund contributes to the social return on several fronts. There is negative screening for tobacco, among other things, a sector in which VLK itself does not invest. In addition, the fund contributes to SDGs (3, 5, 8, 12 & 17) that largely overlap with our own policies. Finally, we are happy to support an initiative that, like our own policy, is designed to give the opportunity to a wider range of talents.
What developments in the field of impact investing do you see in the coming years?
In the field of impact investing, we see developments on various fronts. First of all, in recent years we have seen a strongly increasing demand for impact investing solutions, especially among the next generation. We expect this demand to continue and impact investing will become the new standard in addition to sustainable investment. We see the same trend in the range of impact solutions, in other words the increase in impact funds that make the impact market accessible to (private) investors. In addition, there is an increasing search for consensus in the field of measuring, managing and reporting impact. The framework of the Impact Management Project (which we ourselves use within our Global Impact Pool) is an example of a step towards standardization in the field of impact measurement and reporting. Companies in general will also increasingly have to demonstrate the extent to which their operations, products and services contribute negatively or positively to the environment, in order to provide real insight into the total value they create in the long term (think of integrated profit loss statements).
And what role does diversity play in this?
The importance of the focus on diversity will only become stronger, also given the effect of COVID-19, which, like any other crisis, is not gender neutral. Globally, women have been hit hard by the pandemic, women tend to earn less, have less savings and are disproportionately represented in the informal economy. They have less access to social protection and are more burdened with unpaid care and domestic work, often requiring them to stop working. If we look at impact solutions, then in addition to the focus on creating decent jobs with a fair wage, diversity also plays a role (think of the number of jobs created for women; the number of female entrepreneurs supported; diversity in a broad sense). within the company in which investments are made).
Do you have any advice or wish for StartGreen Capital? What should we do more or less?
Continue to work with us, especially with our impact and sustainable investing specialists. For us it is a great opportunity to increase our knowledge and experience in the field of impact investing.
Is there something we didn't ask you but would like to share here?
Yes, congratulations on the first year of the Boski Fund and the great investments you have made so far. And it's great to see Simone Brummelhuis, director of the Borski Fund, named one of the 10 most influential women in European start-ups. Tribute!
May 3, 2021
Recently the FD headlined that the government no longer has a role to invest in start-ups, there is enough money for all young companies. In this speech, the investment gap was briefly forgotten ... Read More
April 20, 2021
Creating opportunities and taking advantage of opportunities, that is what entrepreneurs are particularly good at.
Read More
English (UK) 
Nederlands 
