From seed to factory: Axeleo Capital aims to be a catalyst for new European green industries
Axeleo Capital, a French venture capital firm specializing in seed funding, has announced the first close of €125 million for its fund “Axeleo Green Tech Industry I” (GTI I), dedicated to the GreenTech industry in Europe. With a final goal of €250 million, this fund aims to finance the first factories of European industrial startups committed to ecological transition, a sector that lacks the resources to support the industrialization of green innovations.
GTI I focuses on strategic areas such as energy, green chemistry, sustainable agriculture, and decarbonized mobility, offering investment tickets from €3 million to €10 million. This fund is backed by leading institutional investors, including Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, Bpifrance, and the Veolia group, which invested €30 million, enhancing GTI I’s potential to finance green industrial projects in Europe.
The fund has already made its first investment by financing Sweetch Energy, a Brittany-based startup specializing in osmotic energy. This technology harnesses the salinity difference between freshwater and seawater to produce renewable, continuous, and competitive electricity. Sweetch Energy, in collaboration with the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR), launched a demonstration project in the Rhône delta using INOD technology, which relies on nanometric membranes capable of converting osmotic energy into a green and reliable electricity source, meeting the need for energy decarbonization.
Led by Guillaume Sarlat, venture partner in London, and Marc Lechantre, partner in Paris, the GTI I team combines unique industrial and financial expertise essential for supporting large-scale projects. Sandra Dubos, Investment Director, joined the team with over 15 years of experience in tech and venture, particularly in deeptech and chemistry. With this expertise, GTI I aims to make between 15 and 20 investments across Europe in sectors such as:
- Energy: New renewable energies and storage solutions
- Chemistry and materials: Biomaterials and plastic recycling
- Agriculture and food: Bio-based fertilizers and pesticides
- Mobility: Electric engines and decarbonization solutions for air and maritime transport
“After the success of our B2B Software strategies, the launch of GTI I marks a major step in the growth of our management company. This fund enables us to address a field of major innovations around decarbonization, green technologies, and the revival of industrial sectors in Europe,” said Eric Burdier and Mathieu Viallard, co-founders of Axeleo Capital. Guillaume Sarlat and Marc Lechantre added, “With the entire Axeleo Capital team, we are thrilled about this first close, allowing us to take action immediately. The support from our sponsors and investors strengthens our collective ambition to contribute to the emergence of tomorrow’s European and green industrial sectors.”
