Revealed: 55 European family offices investing in impact funds and startups – and what they’re looking for

Long known for their discretion, Europe’s family offices are emerging as some of the most active – and least visible – backers of impact-focused startups. Sitting outside the traditional venture capital spotlight, many are now deploying significant sums into climate and sustainability-driven businesses.

Until recently, most preferred to invest indirectly via venture funds. That is starting to change. An increasing number are backing companies directly, often spurred by a new generation of family members with a sharper focus on sustainability.

Impact Loop has identified 50 Europe-based family offices currently investing directly in impact startups, with many planning to step up activity in 2026.

Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker

Family: Augustinus

Country: Denmark

About: Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker is the investment holding of former Danish tobacco company dating back to 1750. Now it is one of the most active LPs in impact funds, having reportedly committed DKK 1.25bn (€150m) to impact investment vehicles and VCs

Niches: Sustainable funds across impact themes like climate tech, food, agriculture

Selection of portfolio companies: Has invested in 15 impacts funds including The Footprint Fund, 2150, and Pale Blue Dot

Ceniarth

Family: Isenberg

Country: UK

About: London-based single family office founded in 2013 by Diane Isenberg. Backed by wealth from the Isenberg family’s stake in oilfield services group Nabors Industries, Ceniarth manages roughly $1bn across personal assets and a family endowment. It operates with an explicitly impact-first strategy, prioritising social and environmental solutions, particularly in the global south.

Niches: Smallholder agriculture, climate resilience, inclusive supply chains

Selection of portfolio companies: Kheyti, Farmerline, iProcure

Triple Impact Ventures

Family: Markus Linder

Country: Austria

About: Vienna-based family office backing early-stage, impact-driven startups tackling climate change, biodiversity, and pollution.

Niches: Climate tech, sustainability, biodiversity, pollution mitigation

Selection of portfolio companies: Hula Earth, repath, kolum.earth, Atmen, Farmless

Volta Circle

Family: Backed by the Lohia family (founders and majority shareholders of Indorama Ventures Ltd.)

Country: United Kingdom

About: London‑based evergreen investment firm blending family‑office patient capital with a venture‑style mindset to back technology‑driven solutions that shift linear economic systems into circular, regenerative models. It focuses on early to growth‑stage startups that prevent pollution, enable closed‑loop consumption, and valorise waste.

Niches: Circular economy, advanced recycling, material innovation, sustainable supply chains, waste valorisation, climate tech solutions.

Selection of portfolio companies: MacroCycle Technologies, Shiru, Clarity Movement, Kukua, Optoro (among others)

Dr. Hans Riegel Holding

Family: Riegel (HARIBO founders)

Country: Germany

About: Bonn‑based family holding company owned by the Riegel family — the dynasty behind confectionery giant HARIBO. The holding manages investments and assets tied to the family’s business interests and has increasingly deployed capital into direct startup and growth investments.

Niches: STEM and impact investing and philanthropy

Recent investments: one.five and Infinite Roots

Aurum Impact

Family: Goldbeck

Country: Germany

About: Impact investing firm backed by the Goldbeck family and part of the Goldbeck Family Office. Aurum Impact targets climate and circular economy ventures driving industrial decarbonisation. Read our interview with Impact lead Kelley Luyken here.

Niches: Energy storage, decarbonisation, circular materials

Selection of portfolio companies: Voltfang, Co-Power, Paebbl

Stella Vermögensverwaltungs

Family: Thiele

Country: Germany

About: Stella Vermögensverwaltungs GmbH is the single‑family office of the Heinz Hermann Thiele Family Foundation and Julia Thiele‑Schürhoff, managing the multigenerational wealth of the Thiele family. The office oversees investments across public and private assets with a long‑term strategy, including committing significant capital to impact‑oriented growth equity in emerging markets.

Niche: Impact investments in emerging markets

Selection of portfolio companies / mandates: Recently backed Blue Earth Capital's €500m secondaries fund and allocated a €200M impact mandate to Switzerland's responsAbility Investments focusing on SDG‑aligned ventures in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Aboa Advest

Family: Ketonen family (founder Timo Ketonen and children)

Country: Finland

About: Turku‑based multi‑family office and investment company focused on impact investing with a long‑term horizon. Aboa Advest backs Finnish and Nordic growth companies mainly via VC and buyout fund commitments, with a particular emphasis on the Blue Economy – the sustainable use of ocean resources for environmental and economic benefits.

Niches: Blue Economy in the Baltics, deeptech, impact

Selection of investments: LP in Redstone, Aether Capital Partners, Voima Ventures, Maki.VC and others

Stratel

Family: Lorentzen

Country: Norway

About: Oslo-based Stratel is a family-owned investment company founded in 1976. It focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage companies, supporting early-stage innovation across Europe. Its climate tech portfolio includes ventures in carbon removal and sustainable technologies.

Niches: Climate tech, early-stage startups, sustainable innovation

Selection of portfolio companies: Inherit, Spacemaker, Otovo

Blink Impact

Family: Anonymous

Country: Netherlands

About: Amsterdam‑based family office investing global capital into businesses and funds that drive measurable social and environmental impact. Blink looks for tech‑enabled solutions and sustainable innovation that shift systems rather than just generate financial returns.

Niches: Impact investing, sustainable tech, climate and environment, regenerative systems

Selection of portfolio companies: Sistema.bio

The Nest Family Office

Family: Els Thermote and her family

Country: Belgium

About: The Nest Family Office in Brussels invests in venture firms and companies that address crucial food system challenges. It partners with founders in food, agriculture, and sustainability with a disciplined, impact‑oriented investment philosophy.

Niches: Resilient food systems, agtech, sustainable agriculture

Selection of investments: The Nest has invested as an LP in several VCs including Agfunder, AquaSpark, Synthesis Capital, and Astanor. It also invests direct, such as bets on Zymofix and Trace Genomics.

Forum Family Office

Family: Munich‑based private family (name not publicly disclosed)

Country: Germany

About: Founded in 1997, Munich’s Forum Family Office manages a single family’s capital with a focus on long‑term equity investments. It exclusively invests in listed and privately held companies, often taking permanent positions to preserve and grow value across generations. The office specialises in family equity, helping sustain and scale mid‑sized businesses while maintaining their identity and culture.

Niches: Family equity, value investing, succession planning for family businesses, long‑term direct investments across Europe.

Selection of portfolio companies / holdings: Investments span 45 operating companies across software, industrial services, healthcare and water management.

Farvatn Venture

Family: Odfjell

Country: Norway

About: Farvatn Venture invests in ventures across the Ocean, Life Science, and Renewable Energy verticals, focusing on long-term sustainability outcomes.

Niches: Blue economy, renewable energy, life sciences

Selection of portfolio companies: Evoy, Desert Control, Ocean Access

Adequita

Family: Adserà

Country: UK

About: Founded by Spanish-British businessman Xavier Adserà, Adequita invests in a range of sectors, with one investment focussed on cleantech.

Niches: Real estate, hospitality, energy

Selection of portfolio companies: Alder Renewables

Gullspång Invest

Family: Brandberg

Country: Sweden

About: The Brandberg family office, managing wealth from the Axis Communications exit, focuses heavily on impact and sustainability from pre-seed to Series A. Since 2021, the office has invested via its venture arm Gullspång Re:food.

Niches: Food tech, energy transition, circular economy

Selection of portfolio companies: Oatly, LUB Foods, Qvantum

North‑East Family Office

Family: Liljeborg / Pandora founders

Country: Denmark (and Singapore operations)

About: North‑East Family Office was established in Copenhagen by the founders of global jewelry brand Pandora and their descendants. It manages family wealth with a focus on long‑term preservation and ethical investment principles, with activities spanning asset management, private equity, and global ventures.

Niches: Wealth allocation, philanthropy, impact investing

Selection of portfolio companies: Not publicly disclosed

Vala Capital

Family: Jasper Smith

Country: UK

About: Founded by British tech entrepreneur and environmentalist Jasper Smith, Vala Capital has a strong focus on impact companies, with dozens of companies in its portfolio.

Niches: Climate tech, clean tech, sustainable biomaterials

Selection of portfolio companies: Pipeline Organics, Switchd, FlexSea

Stephen Industries

Family: Poutiainen

Country: Finland

About: Founded by Finnish entrepreneur Kustaa Poutiainen, Stephen Industries invests in pre-seed to Series B startups in healthtech, deeptech, and climate tech.

Niches: Hydrogen, biotech, thermal energy

Selection of portfolio companies: Hycamite TCD Technologies, TILT Biotherapeutics, Polar Night Energy

UCEA

Family: Paz Teixeira

Country: UK

About: UCEA has spent 15 years investing in various sectors, including a recent push into clean-energy in West Africa, along with a fund for cleantech in India.

Niches: Health, financial inclusion, energy, sustainability

Selection of portfolio companies: Chakra Growth Fund, Pure Drive, Intuition Robotics

Inbox Capital

Family: Wattin

Country: Sweden

About: The Wattin family office, originally founded on proceeds from Enator and MySQL, invests across tech, mobility, and sustainability sectors from seed to Series C.

Niches: Micromobility, circular economy, fintech

Selection of portfolio companies: Voi, Carla, Lysa

Salvia

Family: Helmut Jeggle

Country: Germany

About: A single-family office set up by serial businessman Helmut Jeggle, Salvia describes itself as an investor and ‘sparring partner’ for companies looking to meet novel challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity.

Niches: Energy, deeptech, drones

Selection of portfolio companies: InPlanet, GREENFORCE, Group14 Technologies

Sagitta Ventures

Family: Clausen (Danfoss family)

Country: Denmark

About: Founded by the Clausen family of Danfoss fame, Sagitta Ventures focuses on healthtech, cleantech, and advanced mobility startups.

Niches: Sustainable aviation, healthtech, mobility

Selection of portfolio companies: Heart Aerospace, Awake, Ward24/7

Wirtgen Invest

Family: Wirtgen

Country: Germany

About: The family office for the owners of the famed German construction multinational, Wirtgen Invest boasts proudly how much Co2 has been saved by its investments into renewable energies.

Niches: Wind, solar,

Selection of portfolio companies: N/A, the firm invests directly in solar and wind projects

Evolem

Family: Rousset

Country: France

About: Founded in 1997 by Bruno Rousset, Evolem supports sustainable entrepreneurship and initiatives in employment, education, and the environment.

Niches: Education, sustainability, entrepreneurship

Selection of portfolio companies: UpCycle, Equisafe, Nawa Technologies

Koehler

Family: Köhler

Country: Germany

About: The family office of tech entrepreneur René Marius Köhler has investments in a raft of non-Impact sectors, but one investment in a US-based alternative protein biotech sits firmly in the impact camp.

Niches: Real estate, biotech

Selection of portfolio companies: Perfect Day

Creadev

Family: Mulliez (Auchan Group)

Country: France

About: Creadev is the investment arm of the Mulliez family office, investing in companies that drive sustainable growth and improve people’s lives.

Niches: Food tech, health, sustainability

Selection of portfolio companies: Ÿnsect, Back Market, M2i Life Sciences

Neptunia Invest

Family: Karlsson

Country: Sweden

About: The Karlsson family set up Neptunia in 2014, investing in a broad range of sectors but also with a focus on green innovation.

Niches: Energy, sustainable materials

Selection of portfolio companies: Ekolution, Blykalla, Ligna Energy

Aqton

Family: Quandt

Country: Germany

About: German billionaire Stefan Quandt uses Aqton to pursue investments in a number of sectors, with a notable interest in renewables and smart grids.

Niches: Energy, climate tech

Selection of portfolio companies: Solarwatt, Kiwigrid, Heliatek

Stellar Impact

Family: (Family‑backed impact vehicle managed by Telos Impact)

Country: Belgium

About: Brussels‑based family impact investment vehicle that deploys growth capital to European companies tackling major environmental challenges. It’s run as an evergreen impact fund managed by Telos Impact, a specialist impact advisory and investment team.

Niches: Sustainable agriculture, circular economy, water and pollution solutions, climate tech.

Selection of portfolio companies: Ecorobotix, Ademeure, Kern Tec, Gaiago, nextProtein, Cerafiltec, Noray, among others.

Ponooc

Family: Pon Holdings

Country: Netherlands

About: The investment arm of Pon Holdings, Ponooc focuses on sustainable energy and mobility ventures with ticket sizes between €1–10M.

Niches: Mobility, renewable energy, circular economy

Selection of portfolio companies: Laka, EST-Floattech, Dott

Aqal Capital

Family: Bozesan

Country: Germany

About: Serial angel investor and author Mariana Bozesan uses her single-family office to invest specifically in tech companies which contribute to furthering the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Niches: Green tech, renewables, AI, mobility

Selection of portfolio companies: Kipu Quantum, Proxima Fusion

Korys

Family: Colruyt

Country: Belgium

About: The Colruyts are one of the wealthiest noble families in Belgium (yes, they still have those), and their investment office has a wide range of impact companies for energy transition and wellbeing.

Niches: Energy transition, health

Selection of portfolio companies: Greenely, OroraTech, Virya Energy

OCCIDENT

Family: Schörghuber

Country: Germany / Switzerland

About: OCCIDENT is an owner-managed venture capital investor focusing on science-driven startups that deliver real societal impact, particularly in life sciences and industrial tech.

Niches: Life sciences, deep tech, industrial innovation

Selection of portfolio companies: Lymphatica Medtech, hemotune, Tubulis

Lauritzen Fonden

Family: Lauritzen Country: Denmark

About: Founded in 1945 by the Lauritzen shipping family, Lauritzen Fonden is a commercial foundation that manages long-term investments and supports philanthropic initiatives. It holds controlling stakes in J. Lauritzen A/S and DFDS A/S, while funding programs for children, youth, and cultural projects in Denmark.

Niches: Shipping & logistics, long-term investments, philanthropy, education, culture

Investments: Lauritzen Fonden is an LP in The Footprint Firm's first €76m impact fund which was announced in January.

Alychlo

Family: Couke

Country: Belgium

About: Founded by pharma CEO Marc Coucke – and named for his daughters Alysée and Chloé – Alychlo has a wide range of investments, including two prominent environmental plays.

Niches: Environment, water healthcare, tech

Selection of portfolio companies: Ekopak, EnergyVision

AtlasInvest

Family: Frère

Country: Belgium

About: AtlasInvest is a private investment company focusing primarily on the energy sector and fund-of-funds investments, with a growing sustainability mandate.

Niches: Energy transition, clean tech, circular systems

Selection of portfolio companies: Energy Dome, Sympower, Mainspring Energy

DOB Equity

Family: Tobé

Country: Netherlands

About: DOB describes itself as pursuing ‘conscientious capitalism’ and its holdings reflect that, with a raft of social and environmental impact investments in Africa.

Niches: Clean water, energy, logistics, health

Selection of portfolio companies: Spouts International, PowerGen, Africa Logistics Properties.

Grosvenor

Family: Grosvenor

Country: UK

About: The family office for one of the UK’s richest families, the scion of which is Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, worth around $12bn. The firm describes itself as pursuing the family’s goal to deliver commercial, social, and environmental benefit.

Niches: Agri-Tech, Real Estate

Selection of portfolio companies: Aerofarms, Vytelle, Ostara

Navus Ventures

Family: Lely

Country: Netherlands

About: Linked to the Dutch agri-manufacturers Lely, Navus has a keen interest in making horticulture and food production more efficient and sustainable.

Niches: Energy transition, agritech, foodtech.

Selection of portfolio companies: Agurotech, Cultivated Biosciences, FOTONIQ.

PFC

Family: Marzotto

Country: Italy

About: PFC, spawned from the legendary Marzotto textile empire, does not hide its impact ambitions, with its ethos emblazoned on its website – "A world of social and environmental justice for everyone."

Niches: Environment, water, energy, social impact.

Selection of portfolio companies: ARAG, Landi Renzo, Air Liquide SA

KIMPA – Impact Investing

Family: Multi-family

Country: Switzerland

About: KIMPA invests to tackle global challenges, channeling family office and private wealth into impact-first ventures across climate, food, and inclusion.

Niches: Climate tech, sustainable food, inclusion

Selection of portfolio companies: Notpla, Too Good To Go, MycoWorks

AENU

Family: Brose (Felix & Fabian Brose)

Country: Germany

About: AENU is an evergreen impact fund founded by the Brose family. It focuses on multi-stage, long-term investments in climate-tech and social impact companies across Europe and the US.

Niches: Climate tech, social impact, circular economy

Selection of portfolio companies: Sylvera, Plan A, Quantum Systems

Helvellyn Foundation

Family: Holmes

Country: UK

About: The Helvellyn Foundation is a grant-making foundation co-run by Becky Holmes and her sister Lauren, funded by wealth from their father Bill Holmes, founder of transport software company Radius. Rather than operating as a traditional investment-focused family office, the foundation deploys capital into biodiversity, conservation and environmental advocacy initiatives.

Niches: Biodiversity, conservation, environmental protection

Selection of portfolio organisations: African Wildlife Foundation, Rewilding Britain, Wildlife and Countryside Link

Noria

Family: Guillaume

Country: France

About: Set up by agro-industry veteran Christophe Guillaume and his wife Céline, this family office explicitly looks for investments in the energy transition.

Niches: Energy, climate

Selection of portfolio companies: Kyotherm, WAGA Energy, newHeat

Otium Capital

Family: Stérin

Country: France

About: Founded and run by French billionaire Pierre-Édouard Stérin, Otium has a very large portfolio, within which many environmental impact companies can be found.

Niches: Circular economy, energy, greentech

Selection of portfolio companies: Revibe, BeFC, IB2

Armada

Family: Aegerter

Country: Switzerland

About: The investment office of Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Daniel Aegerter, Armada counts among its portfolio big tech success stories like N26, but also a number of ambitious clean energy companies.

Niches: Climate tech, AI, fintech

Selection of portfolio companies: CarbonCapture, Cerabyte, Oklo

KIRKBI Climate

Family: Kirk Kristiansen

Country: Denmark

About: One of the various branches of the family office behind the famous Lego dynasty, KIRKBI climate focuses specifically on environmental investments, with a lot of money behind it.

Niches: Energy transition, circular materials, land sustainability

Selection of portfolio companies: Adapture, monolith, ambercycle

Boyser

Family: Boyser

Country: Spain

About: The Boyser family office in Barcelona does not have much of a presence online, but records show investments in a few impact companies over the last decade.

Niches: energy, biotech

Selection of portfolio companies: Spacewell Energy, Vytrus Biotech

Franz Haniel & Cie

Family: Haniel

Country: Germany

About: Franz Haniel & Cie is a historic, family-owned German holding company based in Duisburg. Originally active in mining, coal trading, and shipping, the firm has shifted part of its portfolio toward sustainable and climate-focused ventures across Europe.

Niches: Climate tech, renewable energy, sustainable food systems

Selection of portfolio companies: Infarm, 1Komma5, Tomorrow Foods

Zubi Capital

Family: Multi-family

Country: Spain

About: While slightly different to the rest of this list in that it’s a multi-family asset manager, Zubi gets its place for a strong emphasis on investments pursuing the UN SDGs.

Niches: Environment, energy, diversity and inclusion, agri-tech

Selection of portfolio companies: Matteco, Kausal, Tupu

Philian Invest

Family: Persson

Country: Sweden

About: The private office of H&M chairman Karl-Johan Persson – separate from the general Persson family office – is well known in the Nordics for its focus on environmental impact investments.

Niches: Environment, energy, climate tech

Selection of portfolio companies: Supernormal Greens, Epishine, Ljusgårda

Longrun Capital

Family: Ljungberg

Country: Sweden

About: Founded by Cristina Ljungberg, of the famous real estate family, Longrun is explicitly a climate venture, with the goal to make every krona spent count towards practical implementation.

Niches: Climate tech, energy, sustainable housing, water

Selection of portfolio companies: Ekolution, Greeniron, drupps

Sofina

Family: Boël

Country: Belgium

About: Sofina is a publicly listed investment firm backed by Belgium’s Boël family. It takes a long-term approach, investing across consumer, healthcare, education, and technology, with an increasing focus on sustainable and impact-driven opportunities.

Niches: Consumer, healthcare, education, technology, sustainability

Selection of portfolio companies: Back Market, Devialet, Picnic

D11Z

Family: Schwarz

Country: Germany

About: D11Z is a Heilbronn-based single-LP family office and evergreen fund focused on early-stage B2B digital companies in Europe. Operating with a long-term, patient capital model, D11Z backs founders from day one and supports portfolio companies continuously, without fixed fund timelines. The firm positions itself as a data-driven investor, actively using AI and proprietary sourcing tools to identify promising startups early.

Niches: B2B digital solutions, early-stage technology, AI-enabled business models

Selection of portfolio companies: Otark, Eden

Navigare Ventures

Family: Wallenberg

Country: Sweden

About: One of Sweden’s wealthiest families, long known for major investments in industry and financial services, the Wallenbergs have recently expanded into impact investing.

Niches: Sustainability, Energy

Selection of portfolio companies: Nordic Forestry Automation, Ligna Energy, Arevo.

Pictured: Catia Cesari, Jacob Berring, Markus Linder, Diane Isenberg, Anouk Schoors, Griet Aerts, Mariana Bozesan, Céline Guillaume, Hugh Grosvenor, Jose Nistal, Miki Yokoyama, Anupam Bhargava, Julia Thiele-Schürhoff