The Footprint Fund I has reached its target size, now ready to fully focus on investing the capital into sustainable projects and businesses.
The Footprint Firm, a Copenhagen-based sustainability investment and advisory company, has completed the final closing of its Footprint Fund I, raising €76 million to support early-stage climate and deep technology startups across Northern Europe.
The fund is expected to back about 30 startups, with 20 already funded so far. The goal is to help companies developing technology that can reduce carbon emissions, improve energy systems, cut waste, or otherwise support the transition to a greener economy.
Footprint Fund I is classified as an Article 9 “dark green” fund, meaning it is officially focused on investments that deliver clear environmental benefits, not just financial returns. Investment amounts typically range from €0.5 million to €2 million, mainly for pre-seed and seed-stage companies.
The fund targets startups working on areas such as:
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Clean energy and energy efficiency
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Circular manufacturing and waste reduction
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Sustainable food and biotech
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Smart climate technology using AI
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Green building and infrastructure
The fund’s strategy is to back companies with strong technology and a clear path to real-world impact and growth not just financially but also through sharing expertise.
DeepTech and climate startups often need more than money to succeed because they must prove their technology works, meet regulations, and scale up production. The Footprint Firm says it supports portfolio companies with a team of about 45 specialists who help with business strategy, scientific validation, regulation, and scaling. This hands-on support is meant to help founders move faster and avoid common early-stage challenges.
Footprint Fund I is backed by a mix of institutional investors and family offices, including Realdania, Novo Holdings, TryghedsGruppen, Nordea-fonden, EIFO, North-East Family Office. These investors bring not only capital but also access to networks and industry expertise.
With the fund now closed to new investors, the Footprint Firm will focus on investing the €76 million into its target companies. The firm aims to help founders build technologies that can have a real impact on climate change while also becoming successful businesses.
According to recent estimations, Europe is home to around 30,000 climate tech startups, roughly twice as many as in the United States, which has recently given up on the Paris Agreement sustainability agenda. This fast-growing segment of the European startup landscape faces numerous difficulties in attracting funding, since to prove they actually reduce emissions or waste requires measurable data, credible scientific validation, and long-term performance tracking. Meanwhile, the development of many climate technologies takes years, during which the startup needs lots of material support. Therefore, climate-focused funds serve as a bloodline for sustainable solutions that might make the world a better place.
