Berlin-based climate tech and sustainability venture capitalist (VC) firm Planet A has closed its first fund at €160 million (US$172.3 million). Planet A’s fund supports European green-tech startups that have a “positive impact on [the] planet”, and said that its science-based approach to venture capital offers a “science veto power in investment decisions if there is no significant positive impact”. The firm said it wants to “consolidate its position as the leading scientific green-tech VC in Europe” and is the first European with an in-house science team that conducts life cycle assessments as part of its due diligence. In addition to having strong and scalable business models, investments are selected based on the significance of the technology’s positive impact. Planet A has invested in 14 early-stage green-tech startups to date. Investors in the fund include BMW, KfW Capital, REWE, and the Danish state’s investment fund Vaekstfonden.
