Paris-headquartered venture capital firm 360 Capital – which has a portfolio of 60 companies including robotics unicorn Exotec and AI-powered wind technology startup GEVI – has announced the first close of its climate tech fund, 360 LIFE II, raising €140 million. Known for its primary focus on the Deep Tech and Climate Tech sectors, 360 Capital has secured a €44 million commitment from CDP Venture Capital as an anchor investor for the new fund. Meanwhile, De Nora has joined as an anchor investor and industrial partner with a commitment of €10 million, while A2A has allocated €40 million, also acting as an anchor investor and industrial partner.
Notably, this development comes at a time when venture capital markets are facing significant challenges, particularly in Europe. However, optimism remains, as demonstrated by London-based venture capital firm Atomico raising $1.24 billion for two new investment funds in September this year. Additionally, investors have shown bullishness towards sectors such as renewable energy, climate-tech in general, gen-AI among others.
Through its new climate fund – ‘360 LIFE II’ – 360 Capital will support emerging startups dedicated to protecting the environment through innovative technologies. The fund’s investments are expected to focus on areas such as renewable energy, hydrogen, and reducing pollution and waste, to create a sustainable and clean future. Founded in 1997, 360 Capital launched its first climate tech-focused fund – 360 LIFE I – in 2020. With the new 360 LIFE II fund, the company now aims to reach a total target of €200 million.
According to data from Sifted.EU, the Climate Tech sector was the most funded vertical this year in European VC scene. During the first half of the year, approximately €7.4 billion was invested. However, in the following six months, funding dropped by 47% to €3.9 billion, bringing the total to €11.3 billion as of December 3. In comparison to both, B2B SaaS (~ €4.9 billion) and HealthTech (~ €4 billion), the climate tech sector has received more funding in the second half of the year. The report suggests that in 2024, around 1,013 funding rounds were recorded in the climate tech sector within the European region, with the median deal size at €3.7 million.
However, only one climate tech deal made it into the top 10 biggest funding rounds. Parisian EV-charging startup Electra raised €304 million in a Series B round, led by Dutch pension fund PGGM. Close behind, Stockholm-based steel maker Stegra secured €300 million.
Coming back to 360 Capital (with a physical presence in France and Italy), it aims to use 360 LIFE II to invest in pan-European Series A and B startups focused on three key areas: energy transition, circular economy, and urban sustainability. The first round of investments will range from €2 million to €10 million, and around 40% of the fund will be allocated for follow-on investments, which could total up to €20 million each.
This development is notable, as it follows closely on the heels of the agreement made at the November COP29 summit to designate $300 billion annually by 2035 for addressing climate change.