Inside Europe's new €120m 'catalytic' impact fund: 'We're backing companies in the missing middle'

The founders of the new fund Dr. Markus Freiburg, Ellinor Schweyer, Christine ter Braak-Forstinger and Pieter-Jan van de Velde. Supplied
10 feb. 2026
17:04
The founders of the new fund Dr. Markus Freiburg, Ellinor Schweyer, Christine ter Braak-Forstinger and Pieter-Jan van de Velde. Supplied
Two European impact investment firms have merged to launch a new catalytic venture fund aimed at backing climate and social impact companies – but the goal isn't to build unicorns.

Switzerland-based Chi Impact Capital and German impact investor FASE have teamed up to launch the European Catalytic Impact Investing Fund II (ECIIF II), targeting €80m with a hard cap of €120m.

The new fund, structured as a SFDR Article 9 vehicle, will invest in early-stage European companies – typically pre-Series A to Series A – spanning climate tech, circular economy, food systems, and services such as care and education.

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