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.

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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. Where is global venture capital flowing, and why?

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    Where is global venture capital flowing, and why?

    That was the question on the table when our Managing Partner, Patrick Sheehan, joined Deborah Pittet (Forestay Capital SA), Simone Riva Violetta (Partech), and host Madhusmita Das (Leo Capital) at The Bologna Gathering 2026 for the panel “The highways of VC: where and why are global investors going?”

    The Bologna Gathering convenes a curated group of VCs, corporates, founders, LPs, and ecosystem builders for 30 hours immersed in the best of Italian tech. The format is intentionally intimate, bringing investors into close contact with the founders and operators shaping the future of venture capital, technology and innovation.

    A sincere thank you to the organisers and to Patrick’s fellow panellists for a generous, thoughtful conversation focused on driving positive change.

    You can see a few highlights from the session below.

  2. ETF Partners Newsletter – Issue #59

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    April accelerated momentum across ETF Partners. We achieved critical portfolio milestones, deepened engagement with the global sustainable investment community, and reinforced our conviction that environmental technologies are reshaping how capital flows. The team emerged from the month stronger and more aligned on what’s ahead.

    You can read all about the latest updates from our team and across our portfolio in the latest edition of our monthly newsletter.

    Highlights from our team:

    ♻️ Our Managing Partner, Rob Genieser, joined HSBC’s Global Investor Summit in Hong Kong, where sustainability-focused investors from Europe and the US gathered to explore the future of sustainable finance, innovation, and cross-border collaboration.

    ♻️ Venture Partner Mikko Suonenlahti was recognised as the EIC Scaling Club’s “Most In-Demand Mentor” at its Growth Forum, before speaking with The Innovator about what it will take for Europe’s deep tech companies to scale from technical excellence to global leadership.

    Highlights from our portfolio:

    ♻️ QuantWare closed a $176 million round with new investors Intel Capital and IQT, alongside existing investors including FORWARD.one and Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund, a landmark moment for quantum computing’s role in solving complex environmental challenges.

    ♻️ Beams achieved Certified B Corp status with a score of 83.7, recognising its work in bringing transparency, data-led rigour, and accountability to home renovation.

    ♻️ Hellas Direct co-founders Alexis Pantazis and Emilios Markou were selected for the Endeavour Outliers Class of 2026, placing them among the top 10% of Endeavour’s global portfolio across 50+ markets.

    ♻️ Dexter Energy CEO Luuk Veeken joined Aurora Energy Research’s Energy Unplugged podcast to explore how rising renewable penetration is reshaping power markets and why real-time optimisation is becoming critical for renewable asset operators.

    ♻️ Amber Electric published an analysis of the true cost of EV versus petrol ownership in 2026, showing how smart charging is turning energy flexibility into a real financial advantage for drivers.

    ♻️ Fairly Made® was featured in Les Echos Entrepreneurs’ special edition on the most promising impact startups, recognising its work in bringing greater transparency and sustainability to the fashion industry.

    Read all these stories and more HERE.

  3. Zeelo named one of Boston Business Journal’s 2026 Best Places to Work

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    Warm congratulations to our portfolio company Zeelo on its recognition as one of the Boston Business Journal’s Best Places to Work for 2026.

    At ETF Partners, we have long held that the most enduring sustainability companies are not built on technology alone, but on the strength of the cultures that animate them. Capital can fund a roadmap. Only people can deliver one.

    Zeelo is a compelling case in point. Under the stewardship of co-founder and CEO Sam Ryan, the team has cultivated something uncommon in growth-stage climate tech: a business in which commercial discipline, environmental ambition, and a genuine regard for its workforce are not competing priorities, but mutually reinforcing ones.

    The numbers tell part of the story:

    🟢 A mission to widen access to opportunity through sustainable shared transport for frontline workers, students, and modern workforces
    🟢 Over 7 million rides delivered in 2024, with every UK journey either fully electric or carbon offset
    🟢 175% year-on-year revenue growth across North America, with Boston now a strategic anchor
    🟢 A recent $23M Series B to scale AI-driven route optimisation and accelerate the path to Net Zero by 2030

    Workplaces of this calibre are not assembled by accident. They are the cumulative product of considered hiring, principled leadership, and a clarity of purpose that gives day-to-day work its meaning. In our experience, this is also the single best leading indicator of durable enterprise value.

    A heartfelt well done to the entire Zeelo team across both sides of the Atlantic!

    Few honours are more deserved than those conferred by the people you work alongside, and by the city that watches you build.

    Read more HERE.

  4. ETF Partners pleased to support QuantWare’s new $176 million round!

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    Our team at ETF Partners is pleased to support QuantWare’s new $176 million round, alongside new investors Intel Capital and IQT, and existing investors including FORWARD.one and Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund.

    As our own Rob Genieser noted: “Quantum computing will enable us to solve some of the most complex environmental challenges facing the world today, and larger scale quantum systems will help us unlock some of the mysteries of the planet, from understanding complex molecular structures at the heart of clean fuels to understanding the building blocks of our natural world. If we want to solve some of the most pressing issues today, we had better take a leap forward in innovation!”

    This landmark round, the largest ever raised by a dedicated quantum processor company, brings together a strong group of international deeptech and impact investors, with the funds used to support QuantWare in accelerating the development of next-generation quantum processors. Already serving more than 50 customers across 20 countries, QuantWare is a key player in the global quantum ecosystem.

    At ETF Partners, we seek to deliver sustainability trough innovation. We believe that great people make great companies, and many thanks to CEO Matthijs (Matt) Rijlaarsdam, the QuantWare team and our co-investors for inviting us along to help on this exciting journey!

    Read more HERE.

  5. Mikko Suonenlahti recognised as the EIC Scaling Club’s “Most In-Demand Mentor”!

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    Europe has no shortage of deep tech ambition. The question is whether we can match it with the capital, governance and commercial discipline required to build companies of global consequence.

    That is the central theme running through two recent pieces featuring ETF Partners’ Venture Partner, Mikko Suonenlahti.

    Following his recognition as the EIC Scaling Club’s “Most In-Demand Mentor” at its Growth Forum, Mikko spoke with Jennifer Schenker for The Innovator about Europe’s deep tech opportunity, and the structural changes needed if more of its most promising companies are to scale from technical excellence to global leadership.

    His perspective is grounded in five decades of working with technology founders, service on 100+ boards across ten countries, and a long record of helping companies navigate fundraising, governance and exits. But what stands out is not simply the track record. It is the clarity of the message: European deep tech companies need to become more disciplined in how they tell their equity story, build their boards and demonstrate measurable value to customers.

    As Mikko argues in the interview, the strongest companies will be those that can translate technical excellence into customer ROI.

    At ETF Partners, this conviction resonates deeply. The companies that will shape the next decade of climate, industry and infrastructure will be those that combine breakthrough innovation with disciplined execution, resilient governance and the ability to win markets at scale.

    Congratulations to Mikko on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you to EIC Scaling Club and The Innovator for spotlighting a conversation Europe urgently needs to have.

    Read more HERE.

  6. Luuk Veeken, CEO and co‑founder of Dexter Energy, featured on the “Energy Unplugged” podcast from Aurora Energy Research

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    We are pleased to see Luuk Veeken, CEO and co‑founder of our portfolio company Dexter Energy, featured as a guest on the “Energy Unplugged” podcast from Aurora Energy Research.

    In conversation with host Claudia Günther, Luuk unpacks how rising renewable penetration is reshaping Europe’s power markets, turning once‑predictable systems into environments defined by short‑term volatility and complex imbalance risks. He explains the shift from subsidy‑backed renewables to weather‑driven, merchant assets, and why falling capture prices, rising imbalance costs, and more frequent price spikes demand an entirely different operating mindset for generators.

    Rather than simply maximising output, successful players now need to optimise value in real time, continuously updating their positions as forecasts evolve. The discussion explores how improved forecasting, intraday trading, and automation can materially reduce imbalance exposure, while also examining the growing role of batteries, evolving market design, and cross‑border balancing in stabilising prices and supporting a more resilient system.

    Against this backdrop, Luuk highlights how Dexter Energy is using AI‑driven forecasting and automated trading to help asset owners and traders navigate volatility, protect revenues, and build the next generation of renewable business models. It is a rigorous and highly insightful look at what it really takes to manage risk and create value in a renewable‑heavy grid.

  7. Petrol vs electric: what does it really cost to own and run a car in 2026?

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    The transition to electric vehicles is often framed through an environmental lens, but in 2026, the financial case is increasingly difficult to ignore.

    Our portfolio company, Amber Electric, has taken a detailed look at the total cost of ownership across petrol and electric vehicles, bringing together the variables that actually shape real-world decisions.

    Fuel price volatility continues to weigh on petrol vehicles, while electricity markets are becoming more dynamic and, for those who engage with them intelligently, more advantageous. Smart charging, in particular, is shifting the equation, giving drivers the ability to actively manage when and how they consume energy rather than passively absorb costs.

    What emerges is a more nuanced picture of the transition. Upfront costs still matter, but they no longer tell the full story. Over time, operational savings, pricing flexibility, and greater control over energy use begin to compound in ways that favour electric vehicles.

    For both households and businesses, this moves the conversation beyond environmental intent. The shift is increasingly grounded in economics, resilience, and long-term value creation.

    Read more HERE.

  8. ETF Partners Newsletter – Issue #58

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    March was a month of momentum and meaningful progress at ETF Partners, with milestone achievements across our portfolio and fresh reflections on the accelerating role of technology in the sustainability transition.

    Our latest monthly newsletter captures this inflection point: a moment where capital, innovation, and ambition converge to redefine what impact looks like at scale.

    From our team:

    ♻️ In the latest episode of Sustainability Talks, Managing Partner, Rob Genieser engages in a wide-ranging conversation with our Venture Partner, Hitoshi Yoshida, exploring how entrepreneurial energy and cross-market insight will shape the next decade of sustainability-driven innovation.

    ♻️ Over on our YouTube channel, Managing Partner, Patrick Sheehan shared an incisive perspective on the true constraint in climate investing today. It is no longer access to capital or ideas, but the speed at which we can deploy, scale, and drive systemic impact.

    Across our portfolio:

    ♻️ Open Cosmos unveiled ConnectedCosmos, a sovereign LEO constellation designed to deliver secure, autonomous satellite connectivity for governments and enterprises seeking greater resilience in critical communications.

    ♻️ Look Up Space CEO and co-founder Michel Friedling joined Charles Gastaud on the RSVP Podcast to discuss the mission of safeguarding orbital space and enabling a sustainable frontier beyond Earth.

    ♻️ Riverlane CEO Steve Brierley attended the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor Reception at 11 Downing Street, contributing to discussions shaping the UK’s innovation-led economic future.

    ♻️ Fairly Made advanced traceability in fashion through a new partnership with E.Leclerc, setting a new precedent for transparency across the French apparel industry.

    ♻️ Hellas Direct’s Safe Roads Project was recognised by the European Road Safety Charter of the European Commission as “Good Practice of the Month”, highlighting how digital innovation can tangibly advance safer mobility.

    Explore these stories and more in our latest newsletter, where sustainability meets ingenuity and progress turns to impact.

    Read more HERE.

  9. Remy de Tonnac, shares why platforms like Tech Tour matter so much to investors

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    Tech Tour through an investor’s lens.

    At ETF Partners, we believe that curated ecosystems are essential to finding and backing the next generation of impact-driven entrepreneurs in Europe.

    In this interview, our Senior Partner, Remy de Tonnac, shares why platforms like Tech Tour matter so much to investors: the ability to meet dozens of high quality companies in a single day, to learn from peers across the continent, and to plug into a community that compounds relationships, insights and opportunities over time.

    What stands out is the combination of efficiency and humanity. Tech Tour brings together the European landscape, and it also feels like an alumni network – reconnecting with old friends, discovering new talent, and building the trust that underpins the best partnerships. It is a powerful way to scout for entrepreneurs building businesses that can help the planet and deliver strong returns.

    Check out the full conversation with Remy HERE at the 3:25 mark.

  10. Look Up Space partnering with Spacedata Inc to build a dedicated SSA data platform in Japan

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    Space is getting crowded. Fast.

    That makes space situational awareness not just a technical challenge, but a prerequisite for the long-term viability of the entire orbital economy.

    Against that backdrop, ETF Partners’ portfolio company Look Up Space is partnering with Spacedata Inc to build a dedicated SSA data platform in Japan, one of the most active and strategically important space markets.

    The collaboration brings together high-fidelity radar tracking and orbital analytics with a local technology platform, strengthening the infrastructure needed to monitor, manage and ultimately safeguard increasingly congested orbits.

    This is the kind of foundational capability that underpins sustainable growth in space, and one that will only become more critical as activity scales.

    You can read more about this groundbreaking partnership HERE.

  12. Open Cosmos launching ConnectedCosmos – sovereign LEO constellation

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    The next phase of space infrastructure will be defined by sovereignty, security, and control over critical data flows.

    That’s why Open Cosmos’ launch of ConnectedCosmos matters.

    By building a sovereign LEO constellation, the team is addressing a structural gap in Europe’s communications architecture enabling governments and organisations to access secure, resilient satellite connectivity on their own terms.

    This is not just a product milestone, but a signal of where the market is heading: towards more distributed, autonomous, and strategically aligned space capabilities.

    Congratulations to Rafel Jorda Siquier and the Open Cosmos team on an important step forward.

    You can read more about this milestone HERE.