10 European VCs raising money in 2026 for a healthier planet

Europe has already warmed by around 2.5°C above pre-industrial levels, making it the fastest-warming continent on Earth, according to the latest European State of the Climate report. Over the past 30 years, temperatures in Europe have risen at roughly twice the global average rate.

Technology alone will not solve the climate crisis, but innovation will have an important hand in shaping what comes next. From cleaner industry and energy systems to water resilience, new materials and more efficient cities, European startups are building tools that could make economies more sustainable and better prepared for a changing climate.

According to our own coverage, 2026 has seen around €938 million in funding for startups in industrial decarbonisation, energy storage, circular materials, recycling and alternative fuels.

Backing those companies takes capital. Here are 10 European investors that announced fresh capital for climate and planet-focused strategies in 2026 – organised from smallest to largest raise.

The Runner Ups

€10 million

Amsterdam-based PureTerra Ventures launched its second WaterTech fund in January with a €10 million cornerstone investment from Dutch national financing and development institution Invest-NL.

Founded in 2017, PureTerra specialises in technologies addressing industrial water challenges, from treatment and reuse to monitoring and resource recovery. Rather than representing a €10 million fund close, the commitment forms part of PureTerra’s ongoing effort to raise €150 million for Fund II. The vehicle is expected to back technologies serving water-intensive sectors such as energy, food, chemicals and semiconductors, building on a first fund that invested in 14 companies.

€18 million

Founded in 2026 by Nathalie Moral and Sophie Lamparter, Zurich and San Francisco-based VitaminºC announced an €18 million first close for its debut climate fund in March.

The female-led VC is targeting startups working across both climate mitigation and human adaptation, while using its presence in Europe and the US to help DeepTech founders expand internationally.

The fund remains in fundraising mode, with more recent material pointing to an expected €43 million ($50 million) final fund size.

€60 million

Copenhagen-based Climentum Capital reached a €60 million first close for its second fund in July, matching the entire size of its predecessor fund in a single milestone.

Founded in 2022, the VC focuses particularly on climate HardTech and companies capable of reducing emissions in sectors that remain difficult to decarbonise. Fund II is targeting €100 million and is expected to invest primarily at Seed and Series A across energy, industry, transport and agriculture.

€62 million

Norrsken Evolve reached a €62 million final close in 2026, above the €40 million originally targeted for the fund. Launched in 2025 as part of the wider Stockholm-founded Norrsken ecosystem, Evolve backs pre-Seed founders working on challenges spanning climate, health and resilience.

That remit makes it one of the broader entries on this list, but also reflects how closely areas such as human health, infrastructure and environmental resilience increasingly overlap. In 2026, Evolve also formalised its presence in the Netherlands through Norrsken House Amsterdam, expanding its reach within the European early-stage ecosystem.

€73 million

Munich-based Ananda Impact Ventures secured a €73 million first close for its fifth Core Impact Fund in January.

Founded in 2009, Ananda is one of the more established impact-focused investors in the European startup ecosystem and backs companies tackling both social and environmental challenges. Its investment themes include climate and biodiversity alongside areas such as healthcare and social inclusion.

The €73 million represents a first close rather than the vehicle’s final size, with Ananda continuing its fundraising towards a later final close.

€76 million

Founded in Copenhagen in 2019, The Footprint Firm completed the €76 million final close of Footprint Fund I in January.

The fund plans to support around 30 early-stage climate and DeepTech companies across Northern Europe and had already invested in 20 startups at the time of the announcement. Its remit extends across biotechnology, energy, AI, circular manufacturing, the built environment, emissions reduction and food systems.

€94.5 million

ClimateTech specialist Clean Growth Fund reached a €94.5 million second close for Fund II in September, as it works towards a €174 million target.

Founded in 2020, the investor backs UK companies from Seed to Series A that are developing technologies capable of reducing emissions or improving resource efficiency. Its areas of interest include power, transport, industry, the built environment, agrifood and the circular economy.

Fund II had already made four investments at the time of the announcement.

The Top 3

€100 million

Zurich-based Emerald Technology Ventures announced in March that Global Water Fund II had reached €100 million, up from a €60 million first close announced in late 2025.

Founded in 2000, Emerald is one of the longest-established specialist investors on this list and now manages and advises more than €1.3 billion in assets. The fund remains open and is targeting €150–180 million, with a strategy spanning water infrastructure, advanced treatment, reuse, monitoring, automation and emerging contaminants.

€132 million

Paris-based Slate Venture Capital secured a €132 million first close for its inaugural growth fund in February.

Founded in 2023, SlateVC concentrates on B2B technologies contributing to the climate transition, with investment themes covering energy, circularity, low-carbon industrial processes and materials, and climate resilience. The vehicle is ultimately targeting approximately €250 million, meaning the €132 million represents its first major fundraising milestone rather than a final close.

€210 million

The winner by a long shot: London-based 2150 completed the €210 million final close of its second fund in January, bringing total assets under management to €500 million.

Founded in 2019, the VC invests around the future of cities and the industrial systems that support them, covering areas including energy, advanced manufacturing, industrial decarbonisation, mobility and urban infrastructure. Its portfolio includes companies working on industrial heat, carbon removal, metals recycling, cooling, lower-carbon cement, critical minerals and biodiversity monitoring.

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