ABN AMRO matches investors with sustainable start-ups

The days when sustainable investment was for niche players only are well and truly over. Gerard Knaack, investment manager at ABN AMRO MeesPierson, sees proof of this every day on the job. He says, “Investors are specifically looking for sustainable projects. And that’s precisely why we bring investors and sustainable start-ups together.”

While the bank is active in this area all year round, it gives sustainable start-ups several opportunities annually to present themselves directly to a group of private investors with a penchant for sustainability. One such event is Money Moves Forward, which ABN AMRO organises jointly with Forward Incubator. Here entrepreneurs with a refugee background are given a chance to pitch to ABN AMRO’s investor network. The bank also organises an annual Sustainability Pitch Day.

Sustainable returns

At the Sustainability Pitch Day, five entrepreneurs present their sustainable business models. The investors, clients of ABN AMRO MeesPierson, listen and ask in-depth questions. The aim of the event is to match as many entrepreneurs as possible with investors for an injection of capital to develop their sustainable initiatives. Investors thus contribute directly to a more sustainable world while potentially enjoying a healthy return on their investment.

To qualify for the Sustainability Pitch Day, a given business needs a sustainable business model and should be looking for anywhere between EUR 100,000 and EUR 2 million in capital. A business model is considered sustainable if social impact, circularity or climate change is a key component. This broad-based definition invariably results in a diverse range of participants.

Soup with seniors

Held on 29 November 2021, the Sustainability Pitch Day featured entrepreneurs pitching everything from a circular platform for used electronics (Valyuu), mobile apps for the visually impaired (Ayes), cooling techniques for data centres (iXora), socially responsible soup (Oma’s Soep) and electric aircraft (Venturi Aviation). Owing to the Covid measures in place, the event was held online.

But the fact that there was no audience in attendance in no way detracted from the event. Gerard says that in their own way, all the pitches sparked the interest of the investors. “Take Oma’s Soep [Grandma’s Soup], for instance,” he says. “This business was born out of an initiative that gets young people and the elderly making soup together to help combat loneliness. The very best recipes have since been collected, and the soups are now sold in hundreds of supermarkets throughout the country.”

Electric aircraft

Venturi Aviation is a completely different story. This young company based in the Dutch town of Delft is working to manufacture electric aircraft to make regional aviation more sustainable. According to its website, these are planes designed specifically for a generation who want to fly but don’t want to pollute the environment. The very first electric aircraft should roll off the production line in 2028.

Companies having participated in previous years include GRO (a producer of sustainable foodstuffs made from oyster mushrooms grown on coffee grounds), Lightyear (the manufacturer of the first family car powered by solar energy) and SeaQurrent (a business that generates energy from tidal streams.

Big goals need big money. Indeed, the Sustainability Pitch Day introduces entrepreneurs to investors with freely disposable capital in excess of EUR 1 million. But these investors bring more than just money to the table.

Sustainable growth

Gerard explains, “In our discussions with investors, we always ask them, why do you want to invest? Obviously, profitability plays a major role, but most investors were once entrepreneurs themselves. They enjoy giving younger entrepreneurs a helping hand.

“That’s why they think it’s important to be really involved in an initiative – as an adviser, for example. They contribute more than capital, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the deal as well. The Sustainability Pitch Day is clearly a driver of sustainable growth and innovation.”

The Sustainability Pitch Day is an initiative of ABN AMRO Informal Investment Services. If you are interested in one of the businesses, have specific questions or would like to join our network of impact and other investors, please check out the website. ABN AMRO has always had an interest in sustainable entrepreneurs of the future. Would you like to get your business involved in the next Sustainability Pitch Day? Contact us at informal.investment@nl.abnamro.com or on +31 (0)20–6293867.