New European Circular Bioeconomy Fund is ready to invest in Europe’s transition to a more sustainable economy

• Launch of the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF), the first venture fund exclusively dedicated to the bioeconomy and the circular bioeconomy in Europe
• The ECBF closes its first round with €82 million in commitments from EIB, PreZero, Corbion, and the Hettich family office, to provide financing to innovative growth-stage companies and projects
• First investments made: PeelPioneers B.V. is valorising orange peel, whereas Prolupin GmbH is focused on plant-based protein and dairy-alternatives.

Bonn (Germany), October 1st, 2020 – ECBF Management GmbH today announces the first closing of the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF). ECBF is the first venture fund exclusively focused on the bioeconomy and the circular bioeconomy in Europe. With a target size of €250 million, to which the European Investment Bank (EIB) has committed €100 million, ECBF will be an important financial instrument in achieving the European Green Deal goals of making Europe climate neutral by 2050.

ECBF starts operation today with € 82 million from its cornerstone investor EIB and three private investors: PreZero International GmbH, which operates in waste and recycling;  Corbion NV, a global market leader in bio-based chemicals and polymers; and Hettich Beteiligungen GmbH, a successful investor in sustainable business and services. ECBF’s shared public-private investor base is a testament to the opportunities in the European bioeconomy.

ECBF is also pleased to report the first two investments in two innovative growth-stage companies, PeelPioneers BV and Prolupin GmbH. Both investments will support the growth and expansion of the respective businesses in Europe, thereby encouraging Europe’s transition towards a more sustainable economy. PeelPioneers uses pioneering technology to provide a one hundred per cent circular solution for orange peel, turning it into products like orange oils, dietary fibres, and animal feed. From regionally grown Lupines, Prolupin produces high-quality plant-based proteins, which are being formulated into non-dairy alternatives being marketed on the European market under the brand “Made with LUVE”.

The ECBF’s primary objective is to stimulate additional private and public capital investment to scale up innovative bio-based companies and projects. More specifically, ECBF provides equity investment to growth-stage bioeconomy and circular bioeconomy companies with high potential for innovation, favourable returns, and sustainable impact. ECBF is based in Luxembourg and managed by Hauck & Aufhäuser Fund Services S.A.