Venture4Good
Our Venture4Good impact-investing programme, in collaboration with Five Arrows, backs commercially viable ventures that tackle social and environmental challenges, reinvesting returns to sustain long-term funding for lasting impact.
The Foundation benefits from the support of a dedicated pro bono network primarily in Paris and London, including colleagues from Global Advisory. They lend their time and expertise to identify and analyse potential companies that could benefit from funds, professional guidance and connections.
An “impact first” investment strategy lies between donating to an association and traditional equity investment in a company. Our objective with the Rothschild & Co Foundation is to support these innovative companies by providing them with the necessary financial resources, advising them, and enabling them to benefit from the Group’s network to help them develop. I am proud to be part of Venture4Good and its ability to foster cross-collaboration, skills development, and networking among our colleagues while driving tangible change toward a sustainable future.
Our investment strategy
Equity investments are set up to support the development of innovative startups and deployed in compliance with several criteria:
- The company needs to have a strong environmental or social impact, part of its core business.
- The start-up must prove highly innovative: technical, technological or methodological.
- The company must show scalability opportunities and growth potential.
Our portfolio
Earthwake
Earthwake is transforming plastic waste into fuel using mobile pyrolysis ovens known as Chrysalis, which are packaged in containers. This innovative approach helps address the problem of plastic pollution while providing a sustainable source of energy. Chrysalis was selected among the Solar Impulse Foundation’s “1000 solutions to change the world”.
Biscornu
Biscornu is a French catering enterprise that proudly embraces social responsibility by providing employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities. Their culinary creations are crafted with a sustainable touch, utilising partially downgraded fruits and vegetables rescued from food waste.
Stokelp
Stokelp is a comprehensive software as a solution (SaaS) dedicated to minimising food waste within the food industry. This innovative platform empowers manufacturers to maximise the value of their surplus food inventory, encompassing a wide range of items such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and more, by facilitating their resale to fellow industry players who require them. Additionally, Stokelp enhances transaction transparency, ensuring a more efficient and accountable food supply chain.
Redemption Roasters
Redemption Roasters is the UK's leading impact-led specialty coffee business with a unique social mission. The social enterprise specialises in coffee roasting and operates as both a wholesaler and coffee chain, training and employing prison residents and leavers to break the stigma associated with hiring individuals with criminal records.
Bloom
Bloom Biorenewables is a Swiss chemical start-up that has developed a unique technology to create cost-competitive bio-based polymers. This technology is the first of its kind and offers an unprecedented alternative for many petroleum-based products. From fragrances to polyurethanes, Bloom is committed to offer tailored solutions to their customers and help companies around the world reduce their carbon footprint.
Solar Cloth
Solar Cloth produces custom flexible solar panels, providing an eco-friendly solution for energy autonomy. Leveraging advanced photovoltaic technology, they offer high-efficiency panels suitable for applications where traditional panels fall short. Their unique, patented technology combines flexibility and durability, making these panels ideal for specialised markets like mobility and construction.
Our ambition to mobilise an additional financial tool, strategically aligning our investment strategy with our primary mission — to empower young people to build a better, fairer future - is an integral extension of the Foundation. Our Venture4Good strategy is a comprehensive and impactful approach that combines financial resources, expertise, and collaborative efforts to create a tangible impact in addressing critical social and environmental challenges.