Aurum Impact

As 2024 winds down, we’re pausing to reflect on everything this year brought for Aurum Impact. Last week, we gathered our team in Munich—part celebration, part reflection—and left feeling inspired for what’s ahead. ✨ Here’s what we’re especially proud of and thankful for this year: 🔹 Building a motivated, supportive, and diverse team that forms the foundation of our work. 🔹 Adding new direct investments in Cyclize, Paebbl, and one more exciting company (stay tuned for January!), plus doubling down on Voltfang in a follow-on round. 🔹 Screening 96 funds and adding 5 stellar impact funds to our portfolio (details coming in early 2025). We also loved sharing our insights on the process in a fund webinar that sparked invaluable conversations in the impact LP/GP ecosystem. 🔹 Partnering closely with the Goldbeck family and ecosystem: Working with powerhouses like GOLDBECK and GOLDBECK SOLAR Group—alongside amazing collaborators like Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck, Jörg-Uwe Goldbeck, Joachim Goldbeck, Marcus Wattenberg, Fabian Lenz, Michael Six, and Dr. Anne Duncker, as well as Lisa Rosenblatt and her team—has been transformative for building our impact-first platform. 🔹 Collaborating with like-minded organizations: Whether it’s publishing resources on CapEx financing with Planet A Ventures and Celsius Industries, hosting a donation drive for democracy with better ventures, or engaging in initiatives like Toniic, VentureESG, ImpactVC and many others who bring our ecosystem forward—these partnerships make all the difference. A highlight of our Munich gathering was when each team member chose a cause they care about, and together, we pooled donations to support them: Verein für demokratische Diskurskultur e.V. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ejM4Z8AW Hoffnungsträger Stiftung 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eyV2eHSG wellcome 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNttSphs Frauenhauskoordinierung e.V. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e6CuxZK2 FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ebHrruSi If you, like us, have something to spare this holiday season, we encourage you to give to a cause that resonates with you. And finally: Happy holidays from all of us at Aurum Impact 🎄✨ Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey this year. Your support, collaboration, and shared commitment to impact keep us inspired every day. Here’s to an impactful 2025! P.S. Looking to kick off 2025 with a fresh start? 🚀 We’re hiring an intern to join our mission. Apply here by January 12: https://lnkd.in/eqAzWzzU cc: Miki Yokoyama, Marie Wennergren, Kelley Luyken, Jan Hendrik Heihoff, Mats Multhaupt, Zoé Bertrand-Lucas

Who finances impact hardware to scale? 👇   🏗️ Impact hardware startups play a key role in the net zero transition. By 2050, nearly 50% of avoided CO2 emissions will rely on technologies that, as of today, have not yet progressed past the demonstration stage.   🗂️ As the capital stack for impact hardware is maturing, we teamed up with Celsius Industries and Planet A Ventures to create a public CapEx funding database. It is designed as a tool for founders of impact hardware startups to identify the right type of capital while moving from research through development to deployment. The database covers all levels of technology readiness (TRL) and includes equity, debt, and grants.   ⏩ Have a look at our database and the accompanying article via the link in the comments. If you spot any funders we've missed or have feedback to share, please let us know.   A big thank you to everyone who helped us and provided feedback along the way!   cc Kim D., William Earle A'Hern, Jack Holmes, Jan Hendrik Heihoff

We held our first Impact Apéro on Wednesday this week to connect the local impact ecosystem!   🎄 With the end of the year approaching, we enjoyed catching up with familiar faces and making new connections. The evening was filled with enriching discussions ranging from sustainable plant protection to innovations in steel production and nuclear fusion. Great ideas emerged for future collaborations within the impact community. Thank you to everyone who stopped by!   👉 Feel free to reach out if you want to join the next edition in spring.   Photo tags: Lisa Liu; Max Werny, PhD; Mete Polat; Camille Zivre; Kelley Luyken; Niels Schubert; Moritz Vohler; Victor Szabo

🎥 2024 Fund Insights: What we learned and where we're headed   Last week, we hosted a webinar sharing Aurum Impact’s journey and insights from evaluating 96 funds this year. It was fantastic to connect with so many of you and exchange ideas on the challenges and opportunities in impact fund investing.   For those who couldn’t join, here’s a recap of what we discussed:   🛠 What we're looking for in impact funds At Aurum Impact, we evaluate funds against several criteria that reflect our mission to drive measurable and intentional impact:   ➡ Impact Frameworks: We prioritize funds with a strong theory of change and robust impact KPIs. Clear articulation of how impact is embedded into the investment process and portfolio management is critical. ➡ SFDR: While SFDR Article 9 funds are a preference due to their explicit sustainability objectives, we also work with Article 8 and non-EU funds if they meet rigorous impact standards—including signing an impact and ESG side letter to ensure alignment. ➡ ESG Practices: Beyond regulatory classifications, we look for funds that actively integrate ESG considerations throughout the investment process. ESG isn’t just a box-ticking exercise—it’s a foundation for long-term resilience and value creation. ➡ Diversity: Diversity within fund teams and portfolio companies is key to innovation and success. We actively assess how funds embed diversity in their strategy and decision-making processes.   🌱 Outlook: What the ecosystem needs The impact investing ecosystem has tremendous potential, but to unlock it, we see three critical areas for improvement:   ➡ More funds in underinvested themes: Climate investing is well-represented, but we need more funds tackling challenges like biodiversity and social equity. ➡ Regulatory clarity on SFDR: While SFDR is a powerful tool, navigating unclear guidelines and differing interpretations remains a challenge. ➡ Harmonized impact assessment approaches: Consistent methodologies are vital to assess and compare impact effectively across funds.   💡 Advice for GPs & LPs Drawing on our learnings, we shared practical advice to strengthen the ecosystem:   ➡ For GPs: Know your LP and what the LP is looking for, focus on a strong USP, impact excellence, and building a diverse, complementary team to maximize your competitive edge. ➡ For LPs: Commit more capital to impact, support emerging managers, and drive systemic change through collaboration and engaging beyond fund investing alone.   💬 Interested in diving deeper into any of these topics or need help in evaluating an impact fund? We’d love to continue the conversation. Drop us a message or comment below!

🔔 Just a few hours to go! Join us at 10:00 a.m. CET for our webinar on impact fund investing. 🌍 We’ll share insights from reviewing 96 funds this year, explore our priorities as an impact LP, and discuss future needs in the impact ecosystem. There's still time to register: https://lnkd.in/dHRAP8zY We look forward to seeing you there!

Welcome to Part 5 of our behind-the-scenes series at Aurum Impact: Our Managing Director Miki Yokoyama shares her insights on the unique benefits of being part of the GOLDBECK ecosystem and the key elements she prioritizes when making investment decisions. 💡 ➡ What inspired you to take on the challenge of building Aurum Impact? For years, I have been passionate about unlocking more capital to tackle environmental and social challenges. Beyond philanthropy, I’ve been driven by how viable business models and technological innovations can promote social equity and environmental health while attracting greater attention and capital inflow. When I met Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck, I found that his ambitions and ideas closely aligned with my motivations. The opportunity to build an investment platform from the ground up—creating a team, investing in companies and funds, and shaping an ecosystem—with the backing of a strong ally like GOLDBECK, made this an irresistible challenge. Having a construction leader like GOLDBECK as a close partner, alongside people like Fabian Lenz and Dr. Anne Duncker, is simply fantastic. ➡ What are the major benefits of being part of the GOLDBECK ecosystem? Many companies need strong B2B partners to test their products or business models, and GOLDBECK plays a key role in this. For example, our portfolio company Paebbl, specializing in decarbonizing cement, has the chance to test its product within GOLDBECK's production systems, unlocking opportunities to scale to a much broader market. Additionally, GOLDBECK’s innovation unit offers invaluable support for construction-related investments. On top of that, Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck and his brothers are successful entrepreneurs, which attracts like-minded founders and investors. ➡ What is most important for you to see in the startups and funds that you invest in? I love to work with mission-driven founders and fund managers, who are motivated by solving environmental and social challenges. This is the foundation of everything. Without this mindset, no amount of strategy or funding can make a venture impactful. In my opinion, focusing solely on financial returns can limit your ability to overcome the inevitable obstacles that arise. A strong mission keeps you committed and innovative—and impact and financial success will follow naturally. If you’re curious to dive deeper into how we evaluate fund investments: Join us next Tuesday for our fund webinar to learn more about our approach and connect with the team. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/dHRAP8zY Thank you for sharing your story, Miki! It's inspiring to have you as part of the team. 🌱

Join Marie at Slush! 🌟 Today, our very own Marie will take the stage at Slush alongside Felix Hentzen and Jessica Burley to discuss hardware and software investing. Whether you're a founder, investor, or simply curious about impact innovation, this is a session you won't want to miss. 🗓️ When: Nov 20, 11:20 am – 11:45 am 📍 Where: Google booth (next to the Founder’s Stage) Find the link in comments to sign up! 👇

Three Years of SFDR: A Deep Dive into Article 9 with Europe’s Leading Impact Investors 🔍 Since its introduction in March 2021, #SFDR has reshaped the European investment landscape, aiming to drive transparency, prevent greenwashing, and channel capital toward sustainable investments. 🌍 But how has it impacted funds dedicated to impact investing? For our latest article, we spoke with three leading impact investors — Lena Thiede (Planet A Ventures), Dr. Fabian Heilemann (AENU), and Florian Erber (Ananda Impact Ventures) — to explore their experiences as Article 9 funds. They shared insights on the benefits of being classified under Article 9, the challenges of meeting its requirements, and their advice for other funds considering this route. Some key takeaways: 🌱 Impact at the core: For impact investors, classifying as an Article 9 fund is not just about regulatory compliance but about aligning with a core mission of delivering measurable social and environmental impact. 🚀 Competitive edge for impact-driven funds: Article 9 offers an opportunity for funds with robust impact strategies to distinguish themselves in a crowded market and attract institutional investors. 🔧 Need for regulatory reform: While SFDR has boosted transparency, impact investors are calling for clearer definitions and targeted regulatory adjustments. This is especially crucial for smaller impact funds and startups. Curious to dive deeper into the lessons learned over the past three years? Read the full article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ePEEWggP Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! How has SFDR impacted your investment strategy? #ImpactInvesting #SustainableFinance #SFDR #Article9 #ImpactFunds

🔔📢 Webinar announcement: Insights from our fund investment journey   We're excited to invite you to a special webinar where we’ll dive deep into our experiences as an impact LP. This year, we reviewed 96 funds—providing us with a wealth of insights to draw from. Whether you're an LP looking to refine your impact investing strategy, an impact GP seeking to understand LP expectations, or simply curious about the evolving landscape of impact fund investments, this session is for you.   📅 Date: December 3rd, 2024 ⏰ Time: 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CET 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dHRAP8zY   During the session, we will explore:   ➡ Key takeaways from our fund pipeline—insights on impact, ESG integration, and diversity across GPs ➡ Our top priorities as an impact LP, including how we select and evaluate investment targets ➡ Future needs and trends in the impact ecosystem, with a focus on opportunities for collaboration and growth   Join Miki Yokoyama, Marie Wennergren, Kelley Luyken and Zoé Bertrand-Lucas for actionable insights that can sharpen your investment strategies as an LP or elevate your fundraising efforts as a GP. Don't miss out—register now and mark your calendars for December 3rd! #Webinar #ImpactInvesting #FundInvestment

Great to see Prof. Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey on stage at Impact/Week in Barcelona today! 🌍 He shared fascinating insights into how he and The Landbanking Group are redefining how we value and protect our natural ecosystems. In that vein, there's some exciting news to share! 🚀 The Landbanking Group has just launched a game-changing new approach—biodiversity units. This new feature enables land stewards to create measurable, tradable assets that represent the ecological integrity of specific areas. Each biodiversity unit reflects an area’s performance in maintaining or improving its biodiversity, connectivity, and habitat intactness, giving investors a tangible, outcome-driven way to support nature conservation. 🌿 Well done Prof. Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey, Dr. Sonja Stuchtey and team! 👏 We're so proud to support you and The Landbanking Group on this impactful journey. Learn more about biodiversity units and this major step for conservation finance here: https://lnkd.in/d4X3QgTY #ImpactWeek #LandbankingGroup #Biodiversity #ConservationFinance #EcosystemRestoration #NaturalCapital