Switzerland has a new ESG-focused fund in Una Terra

We can chalk another ESG-focused fund in the Switzerland column (or is it Luxembourg? Wherever the taxman smiles the broadest), as Una Terra is now officially in the game. The fund will target companies active in the sustainable energy, property, mobility, food, and/or finance sectors as well as working with circular economy tech. Una Terra aims to issue Series A or later tickets in the neighbourhood of €10 million to European startups.

Set up by what appear to be some seasoned veterans, with backgrounds stuffed full of keywords including Fortune 100, FTSE100, Accenture, perhaps most notably, Marcela Navarro, is listed as chief impact officer with the firm. Navarro is also the co-founder of Project X, a WWF-backed venture that helps organisations adopt sustainable innovations in their supply chains. A rather nice card to have in your deck at the deal flow table, to be certain.

Not missing a brushstroke, Una Terra has a pending certification of Article 9 by PWC, a pending B Corp certification, and reports, ‘investing 1% profit for the planet.’

According to Una Terra, it’s ‘well on its way to achieving its first closing at €50 million in June,’ although no backing parties were listed in the announcement, and Una Terra declined to comment as to its investors. Regardless, the firm has already invested in five companies, two of Swiss origin, Beauty Disrupted and PIO, and three UK-based businesses, iClima, Tumelo, and GreyParrot.

While registered in Switzerland, Una Terra is domiciled in Luxembourg and has additional management offices in London, the Hague, and Stockholm.

“I am extremely proud and excited about the launch of Una Terra Venture Capital Fund. Not only does it bring together a diverse founding partner team of very accomplished professionals and friends, but also allows us to bring to fruition our proven commercial, financial and operational capabilities to accelerate the profitable growth of ESG scale-ups and transform entire industries that have an impact on climate change mitigation and biodiversity restoration,” commented CEO Luca A. Zerbini. "For a couple of years, we prepared for this moment – listening to the advice of LPs and investors, creating the best possible Luxembourg-based fund, investing in various start-ups, assembling the best possible team, creating strong connections with impressive founders across Europe. Una Terra will be the platform to invest in sustainable innovation, and truly have an impact for our only planet and our children.”

If any of this is sounding remotely familiar, if I could step four to five years into the future and hop back to right now, I think I'd still be asking myself if this is what Summa Equity looked like with their first five investments? Only time will tell, but the team is putting all the right pieces together, has an ace up its sleeve at the deal flow table, an established and deep network, and are seemingly ready to be active investors and truly open otherwise unopenable doors for their portfolio companies. And save the planet and humanity at the same time.