Munich-based VC Ananda Impact Ventures has secured €73 million in the first close of its fifth Core Impact Fund, well above its €50 million target and securing the largest first close in the firm’s 16-year history.
Returning and new investors include the European Investment Fund (EIF), NRW.BANK, Investcorp-Tages, Mercator Foundation, and over 40 family offices across Europe.
“From the earliest stages, Ananda V invests in the frontier technologies that will define the next generation of impact unicorns across Europe,” said Ananda Impact Ventures.
“At a time when many investors are retreating from impact, Ananda is doing the opposite: doubling down on European founders building companies indispensable for the future of people and planet, such as OroraTech (leader in global wildfire intelligence), IESO (pioneer of AI-driven mental health technology) and NatureMetrics (global market leader in Biodiversity data).”
Ananda Impact Ventures Co-Founder Johannes Weber said: “We went out with the thesis that we should reflect the values of our founders – anti-consensus, anti-group think.
“We have seen venture capital follow the geopolitical zeitgeist into isolationism, division, and defence – simply by staying true to our core values, we become differentiated in the market.
“We become outliers. This is Impact Investing 3.0 – the era when impact ceases to be a word of convenience, and starts to be a word of conviction.”
Christian Mueller, Member of the Board of the Mercator Foundation Switzerland, said: “The Mercator Foundation Switzerland supports democracy, education, diversity, and climate.
“We were looking for established VC impact funds that are deeply committed to driving systemic change within our areas of work, realising both financial returns and real social and ecological impact. Ananda was a perfect match.
“We were especially impressed by the team’s ability to spot emerging trends and their balance of rigorous analysis with a deep investment in the people behind the companies.”
Manuela Cedarmas, Head of ESG and Impact Strategies at Investcorp-Tages, said: “We are LPs in Ananda IV and we committed again to Ananda V because of the team. Ananda has cultivated something exceptional in European venture capital – a calibre of drive and ambition commensurate with both the magnitude of the impact they seek to achieve and the potential of the companies they want to back.”