We invest in innovative companies that we think can change the world
We bring intelligence, experience, connections and smart financial investment to the table.
We invest in cutting-edge companies across Europe that are changing the world.
We are driven by the belief that innovation offers compelling answers to the most pressing problems facing the world – achieving sustainable prosperity.
Connect with ETF Partners.

We'd love to hear from you. Drop us an email, give us a call or follow us on LinkedIn, Medium or Twitter.
About
We bring intelligence, experience, connections and smart financial investment to the table.
Companies
We invest in cutting-edge companies across Europe that are changing the world.
Team
We are driven by the belief that innovation offers compelling answers to the most pressing problems facing the world – achieving sustainable prosperity.
Contact
Connect with ETF Partners.

We'd love to hear from you. Drop us an email, give us a call or follow us on LinkedIn, Medium or Twitter.
ETF Digest

Author Archives: Aleksandra

  1. ETF Partners – 20th Anniversary Event Video

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    In late June, we celebrated 20 years of ETF Partners with a special evening at London’s iconic Natural History Museum.

    We were joined by some of the most influential voices in sustainability from our portfolio and beyond. It was an inspiring night of reflection, connection, and conversation about the future of sustainable technology and impact investing.

    We captured the evening on film — and we’re excited to kick off a new video series with this highlight reel!

    Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing the interviews we filmed on the night, featuring insights from some of the brilliant minds who joined us – so stay tuned.

    Thank you to everyone who’s been part of our journey. Here’s to the next 20 years of sustainable innovation!

  2. 20 years of backing great entrepreneurs delivering sustainability through innovation!

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    Reflecting on our experience, we have just released our most important white paper yet. It outlines some of the things we’ve learned over the years, how we’ve developed our impact strategy, and why we’ve been honing our investment focus on The Intelligence Layer.

    As Europe’s original sustainability-focused venture capital firm, we’ve witnessed the development of modern infrastructure as industries seek to change. However, what has been missing until recently is the intelligence layer to pull it all together, generating the optimal use of traditional and next-generation networks and systems.

    Key insights from our 20th anniversary whitepaper:
    ➡️ How strong commercial returns can be achieved alongside impact, in a relatively short period

    ➡️ Our focus on the three megatrends defining the next decade: Optimisation, Adaptation, and Abundance

    ➡️ Why “weightless” solutions experience the steepest cost curves compared to “molecule-based” investment, and so have a profound impact

    ➡️ Why AI can now often generate 10%+ savings in efficiency gains in typical real-world situations, rapidly, so it already has to be part of the answer

    Simply put, after two decades of infrastructure development and maturation of deep tech, we’re now entering the “brainwork” phase, where the real leverage lies. This is the most exciting time for venture capitalists, as we seek to make an immediate impact on today’s environmental challenges.

    What do you think will be the biggest game-changer in sustainability innovation over the next decade? Is it the intelligence layer, continued cost reductions in renewables, or something else entirely?

    If these insights resonate with your experience or challenge your thinking, we’d love to hear your perspective. Please share with your networks – these conversations are crucial as we accelerate towards intelligent, scalable environmental solutions.

  3. NR+: AI-friendly connectivity standard for smart metering and beyond

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    The future of energy is efficient, resilient, and intelligent. But a major bottleneck stands in the way of achieving this vision: connectivity.

    AI holds the promise to optimise our grids, cut energy waste, and accelerate the adoption of renewables. But its potential is often throttled by connectivity that can’t deliver the constant, real-time data required for a truly smart grid.

    This is why we invested in our portfolio company, Wirepas. While many focus on the AI applications, Wirepas is building the foundational infrastructure that makes them work at scale.

    This isn’t just about faster data. It’s about tangible, sustainable impact: Cutting energy waste through real-time grid balancing and theft detection.

    Preventing blackouts with networks that heal themselves in minutes, not hours.

    Paving the way for renewables by creating a grid responsive enough to handle intermittent energy sources.

    In their latest piece, Wirepas CEO, Teppo Hemiä explains how next-generation connectivity (NR+) moves beyond simple compliance to become the engine for our energy transition. Purpose-built infrastructure isn’t a cost—it’s the smartest investment we can make for a sustainable future.

    Read the full analysis on how AI-friendly connectivity is unlocking the next wave of energy innovation HERE.

  5. AIPERIA expands into the ultra-fresh food sector through their new partnership with Natsu Group, a major supplier of fresh sushi

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    We’re pleased to see AIPERIA expand into the ultra-fresh food sector through their new partnership with Natsu Group, a major supplier of fresh sushi to over 1,200 locations.

    This partnership showcases AIPERIA’s AI-powered planning platform, addressing one of retail’s most complex challenges: forecasting demand for ultra-fresh products influenced by weather, location, and impulse buying.

    As Jan Paul Meier, Managing Director of Natsu Group, notes: “With planning that takes substitution effects into account, we can significantly improve product availability without increasing the number of returns“.

    This partnership exemplifies why we invested in AIPERIA. Their solution addresses the €13 billion annual loss from retail food waste in Europe, while helping retailers improve margins, delivering both commercial and environmental benefits.

    Congratulations to the AIPERIA team on this significant milestone. We look forward to seeing your continued expansion across the global food retail sector!

    Read more HERE.

  6. ETF Partners Newsletter – Issue #51

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    We’re thrilled to share our latest newsletter, featuring our flagship white paper, “The Intelligence Layer”, which explores why sustainable innovation has reached its inflexion point. Drawing on two decades of experience, we examine how next-generation technologies, such as AI, quantum computing, and deep tech convergence, are creating unprecedented opportunities for environmental impact at scale.

    This month has also been extraordinary for our portfolio.

    AIPERIA is transforming fresh food distribution for Natsu Foods Polska Sp. z o.o. across 1,200 retail locations, using AI to optimise perishable product mix and reduce food waste. HUBCYCLE partnered with Sparkfood to revolutionise circular food systems, while Open Cosmos secured a £5.15M UK Ministry of Defence contract for space security. These successes demonstrate that environmental solutions are not only necessary but also profitable and are scaling rapidly.

    After twenty years of backing entrepreneurs who merge impact with commercial success, the most exciting phase is just beginning. The intelligence layer is here, transforming how we address environmental challenges.

    Read more HERE.

  7. 20 years of ETF Partners at the Natural History Museum!

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    What a night! Last Thursday, we celebrated 20 years of ETF Partners at the Natural History Museum – and we couldn’t think of a more fitting venue to mark this milestone! 🦕✨

    Surrounded by millions of years of natural history, we reflected on two decades of backing the innovators who are writing the next chapter of our planet’s story. From that first pioneering environmental tech fund in 2005 to tonight’s room filled with founders, investors, and changemakers – it’s been an incredible journey.

    The energy in the room was electric with new partnerships forming over a glass of wine. This is what happens when purpose-driven people come together.

    But here’s what struck us most: the optimism. Yes, the environmental challenges are immense. But the solutions? They’re here. They’re scaling. And they’re commercially viable.

    The founders in that room last night aren’t just building companies – they’re building the sustainable economy of tomorrow. And we’re just getting started.

    Thank you to everyone who joined us, from our earliest backers to our newest portfolio companies. Your belief in sustainability through innovation is what makes nights like this possible.

    Here’s to the next 20 years of backing brilliant minds who prove that saving the planet and building successful businesses aren’t mutually exclusive. 🌍

  9. 20 years of sustainability through innovation and ETF Partners is just getting started!

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    🎉 20 years of sustainability through innovation – and ETF Partners is just getting started! 🚀

    Today we’re proud to share our anniversary video celebrating two decades of backing entrepreneurs who prove that environmental impact and commercial success go hand-in-hand.

    Back in 2005, when venture capital was fixated on consumer tech, we took a different path. We launched Europe’s first environmental technologies fund before the market even had a name for what we were doing.

    Climate change isn’t a distant threat – it’s today’s reality demanding urgent innovation. The environmental challenges we face have never been more pressing, but neither has our capacity to solve them. Because the need is still the opportunity.

    Now? The intelligence layer is here. The infrastructure has been built. The deep tech has matured. And the most exciting phase is just beginning.
    From our pioneering first fund to today’s portfolio of game-changers cutting emissions, revolutionising energy, and building tomorrow’s sustainable economy – this is what happens when purpose meets progress.

    Watch our story. Share it with your network. Because the next revolution in sustainable innovation needs all of us.

    Here’s to the founders who dare to build differently. Here’s to the investors who back them. Here’s to the next 20 years of sustainable innovation and impact. 🌍

  10. ETF Partners joins 100 impact leaders at the House of Lords for London Climate Action Week!

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    🌍 Proud to join 100 impact leaders at the House of Lords for London Climate Action Week!

    Our founder, Patrick Sheehan, delivered a keynote on leadership in sustainable finance at yesterday’s impactful roundtable hosted by Baroness Manzila Uddin and organised by impowe at the House of Lord’s.

    Patrick shared insights from ETF Partners – The Environmental Technologies Fund 20-year journey as Europe’s original sustainability-focused VC, discussing how the “intelligence layer” is now enabling unprecedented environmental impact at scale.

    The discussions reinforced what we’ve seen at ETF Partners for two decades: the next revolution in sustainable innovation is already underway. The leaders gathered yesterday – from global banks to impact investors to climate innovators – demonstrate that addressing environmental challenges and building successful businesses aren’t mutually exclusive, they’re mutually reinforcing. This shared conviction across the room showed why now is the moment for ventures that deliver both commercial success and lasting positive impact.

    Thank you to Sunny Jiang and the impowe network for bringing together leaders from Citi, HSBC, J.P. Morgan, The Earthshot Prize, MSCI Inc., S&P Global, and many others committed to transforming wealth and power into measurable impact.

    As we mark our 20th anniversary this week, we remain committed to backing founders who marry profit with purpose. The intelligence layer that enables modern infrastructure isn’t just the future – it’s happening now.

  11. ETF Partners leads Look Up’s €50 million fundraising round!

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    We’re delighted to share the news that we have led Look Up’s €50 million fundraising round alongside Leadwind Global Pvt Ltd, Kfund’s early growth fund, the EIC Fund, as well as MIG Capital, Karista and Expansion.

    This new round represents one of the top 3 largest Series A rounds in European SpaceTech! 🚀

    The company’s globally deployed radar network, with the first unit already operational in Lozère, provides highly accurate data on all objects in orbit, including active and defunct satellites, upper rocket bodies, and hundreds of thousands of pieces of debris just a few centimetres in size.

    This comprehensive monitoring capability is essential for creating a sustainable space environment, supporting advanced services such as precise collision risk prediction, manoeuvre recommendations, and detection of abnormal activity or threats—all critical for enabling the peaceful and long-term sustainable use of space.

    Look Up’s innovative end-to-end approach to space safety combines its global ground-based radar network with real-time orbital analysis to address one of the most pressing sustainability challenges facing the space industry today: ensuring orbital environments remain viable for future generations whilst supporting the growing space economy.

    As Remy de Tonnac, Senior Partner at ETF Partners, notes: “We firmly believe that to enable a sustainable earth, we must ensure a sustainable space. By addressing the increasing risks of collisions and debris management, Look Up is creating a more secure orbital environment where satellites can safely operate and become insurable assets. This is a critical foundation for a sustainable space economy, balancing environmental responsibility and technological progress.”

    Congratulations to Michel Friedling (Gen. R.), Juan Carlos Dolado Pérez, Alban de Crémiers and the entire Look Up team on this significant milestone!

    Read more HERE.

  12. Shippeo joins the French Tech 120, the government’s annual selection of the fastest-growing and most promising tech companies in France

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    We’re delighted to congratulate our portfolio company, Shippeo, on securing a place in this year’s French Tech 120 cohort. This significant milestone highlights their remarkable journey in transforming global supply chain visibility.

    This recognition highlights the company’s impressive growth in the real-time transportation visibility sector. Founded in Paris in 2014, the company now tracks shipments in over 150 countries across USA, EMEA, APAC and LatAm, establishing itself as a world leader in supply chain visibility.

    Lucien Besse, COO and Co-Founder of Shippeo shared his thoughts, stating: “Being recognised by the French government’s French Tech programme is a great testament to our continued growth. Shippeo is now firmly established as a world leader, with shipments tracked from the USA to EMEA and from APAC to LatAm. La French Tech’s support will definitely help accelerate that growth even further.”

    We’re proud to support Shippeo’s mission to bring transparency and sustainable impact to the global logistics sector and look forward to their continued success!

    Read more HERE.