Junction Growth Investors closes first Fund at €115M

Junction Growth Investors has closed its first fund at €115 million. 

The Belgium firm was founded in the summer of 2022 by a group of award-winning entrepreneurs, CEOs Bruno Vanderschueren (ex-Lampiris) and Pieter-Jan Mermans (ex-REstore), complemented by seasoned investment professionals Dirk Dewals (ex-Gimv) and Vincent Gregoir (ex-Inven Capital). 

Since its inception, the team, now comprising eight investment professionals, has deployed capital into seven investments across energy transition verticals, including grid-enhancing technologies, B2B installers, sustainable buildings, (home) energy management systems and decarbonisation of industry, with equity tickets ranging up to €15 million per deal. 

With Ampacimon (BE) and Eneida (PT), the fund holds two truly international investments in high- and low-voltage grid-enhancing technologies enabling low-capex grid expansion and further adoption of renewables and distributed assets. 

These investments are complemented by Eturnity (CH), which provides software solutions for increasing efficiency and digitalisation of installers, wholesalers, and manufacturers active in renewable energy systems and EET (AT), which offers an easy-to-use smart plug-in battery solution to apartments and renters looking for savings on their energy bill, enabling this underserved segment to play their part in the energy transition.

According to Dirk Dewals, Managing Partner at Junction, the energy transition is not solely about combating climate change. It also presents a pivotal opportunity for Europe to reduce its dependence on geopolitically sensitive carbon fuels and to build a couple of European technology leaders with global reach such as Ampacimon, which has 50 per cent of its order book in the USA. 

“We firmly believe that electrification, particularly in the B2B sector, will play a crucial role in driving this shift, and we are actively seeking enablers to accelerate this revolution.”

The fund is backed by a series of large family offices, including some of the owners of AB-Inbev, and Umicore, as well as the European Investment Fund (EIF), BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity, PMV, Belgian Growth Fund, and technology entrepreneurs, Jan-Willem Rombouts, Gregoire de Streel and Jean-Guillaume Zurstrassen amongst others, and fund-of-funds Keeling Capital. 

Lead image: Junction Growth Investors’ team now comprises of eight investment professionals (left to right): Barbara Coussée, Bruno Vanderschueren, Vincent Gregoir, Pieter-Jan Mermans, William Van Mael, Ruben Lorer, Dirk Dewals and Daan Van Parys. Photo: uncredited.