Dutch circular economy platform Infinity Recycling raises €135M for advanced recycling and decarbonization
17 Jan 2024 --- Netherlands-based Infinity Recycling (IRC), a growth capital platform investing in circular economy solutions, has announced its Circular Plastics Fund (CPF) has now reached €135 million (US$146 million) in committed capital from a range of institutional investors based in Europe and elsewhere.
The CPF had an initial target size of €150 million (US$163 million) and is an Article 9 “dark green” impact fund under the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. Dark green funds are those with environmental investment objectives.
The investments aim to accelerate the transition to a circular economy of plastics by scaling up advanced recycling technology companies with “strong growth prospects that transform plastic waste streams into primary commodities used to produce new plastics.”
The new limited partners include Investeringsfonds Groningen (IFG). “For IFG, the investment is obvious,” says fund manager Jan Timmer.
“We want to move from fossil to circular and sustainable and are always looking for the best way to achieve that goal. Setting up a green chemistry plant is extremely capital-intensive, so it makes sense that we look at funds like CPF. Especially because it does not only provide capital but also expertise and advice that the entrepreneurs in Groningen can benefit from.”
Commercializing advanced recycling
The investors will expedite the commercialization of the advanced recycling market, says IRC, enabling a circular economy for plastics and contributing to decarbonization across the industry.
Since the fund’s launch in February 2022, the team has made “significant inroads” by investing in five portfolio companies, with three follow-on investments and over €40 million (US$43.5 million) assets under management.
IRC’s ability to support promising technologies with the capital and operational expertise required for long-term value creation helps deliver private equity returns and proven impact. The strong collaborative nature of its investment strategy means that IRC has positioned itself as a trusted and critical partner in transitioning to a circular economy of plastics.
“The strong interest from institutional investors, keen to make an environmental impact, is a clear endorsement of our mission: catalyzing the world’s transition to a circular economy of plastics. We are thankful for the support from new limited partners such as IFG, who have recognized Infinity Recycling’s differentiated investment focus,” shares Jeroen Kelder, managing partner at Infinity Recycling.
Edited by Louis Gore-Langton
