The Footprint Firm reaches final closing of its EUR 76 million impact venture fund Footprint Fund I

Case News
Danish sustainability advisor and venture capital firm, The Footprint Firm, has completed the final closing of Footprint Fund I, raising a total of EUR 76 million for scalable sustainable innovation. The article 9 fund targets early-stage deep tech and scale-up companies in Northern Europe contributing to the green transition with backing from leading Danish institutional investors and family offices. Plesner's Private Investment Funds team acted as fund counsel to the Footprint Firm on the fundraising.

Founded in 2019, The Footprint Firm is a leading Danish sustainability strategy advisor. The Footprint Fund I, its debut fund as an investment manager, is classified as Article 9 under the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and invests in early-stage deep tech and scale-up ventures across Northern Europe focused on the green transition.

The fund is backed by leading Danish institutional investors and family offices, including the North-East Family Office, EIFO, Realdania, Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker, TryghedsGruppen, Lauritzen Fonden, Nordea-fonden, Novo Holdings, and Velliv Foreningen. 

To date, the Footprint Fund I has already invested in 20 start-ups, including Reel Energy, Kvasir Technologies, Nordic Salt Cycle, FoodOp, and Rock Flour Company.

The fund's distinctive integrated venture model leverages the Footprint Firm's 45-strong specialist team, who work actively with the portfolio companies in areas including commercialization, regulation, scientific validation, scaling, and partnerships. This way, the platform provides early-stage climate companies hands-on support as they scale, integrating capital with deep operational and sustainability expertise.

The successful fundraising underscores continued institutional appetite for Article 9 funds that pair sustainability frameworks with support for early-stage ventures.