Responsible investment policy and adverse sustainability impact statement for Nordic Foodtech VC
General
We invest in companies that have the potential to create a significantly more sustainable, resilient, healthy and fair food system. Responsible investing means that we thoughtfully evaluate, manage and monitor the ESG matters and sustainability risks in all stages of the investment process. We value human rights and equal opportunity for all. We do not invest in alcohol, tobacco or other harmful substances, or in companies conducting illegal activities or operating unethically. Many aspects of responsibility are universal, but investing in food does require some special considerations. We clarify our take on it here.
Before investment
Analysis of the ESG risks and opportunities and the general state of ESG matters in target companies is part of our due diligence process. We review especially the aspects of environmental impact and especially the impact on climate and biodiversity, sustainability risks associated with changes in the environment, impact on human health including product safety and consumption patterns, social and societal impact and corporate governance. We agree on specific ESG-development topics and KPIs already before investment.
After investment
Discussions and support on ESG and sustainability matters are part of our work with portfolio companies. We also require each company to develop their own corporate responsibility policy and an ESG-development plan. In the development of such a plan, we place focus on environmental and food safety matters such as soil and land usage neutral or positive effect on climate change, resource efficiency including the source and use of energy, water usage and contamination, waste management, compliance with local regulation on food products, resilience in changing environment and mitigation of sustainability risks. We expect that our portfolio companies conduct their activities according to the laws and regulations they are obliged to, do not use aggressive tax planning and pay their income taxes to the country where the value of the business is created.
Transparency of sustainability risk policies
We evaluate the sustainability risks and possible adverse effects of changes in the operating environment to future profitability. The evaluation is done on case-by-case basis focusing on the matters that are relevant to each company and its operating environment.
No significant harm to the sustainable investment objective
Nordic Foodtech VC does not systematically consider principle adverse impacts of investment decisions on sustainability factors at the moment within the meaning of Article 4(1)(a) of the EU Regulation on Sustainability‐Related Disclosures in the Financial Services Sector (2019/2088).
Nordic Foodtech VC manages two funds, the NFT.VC Fund I and NFT.VC Fund II. The NFT.VC Fund II does consider the principle adverse impacts as described in product specific disclosures below.
Considering the small scale of our activities and the type of investments we make in very early-stage companies, our adverse impact is likely to be very small and difficult to define and measure reliably.
Management Company and General Partner
The ESG policies and processes are part of our own internal development goals too. ESG matters are on agenda at the board meetings of the General Partner and the Management Company at least once a year. The boards review the state, progress and development needs of ESG matters in portfolio companies and of the Management Company itself. The Limited Partner Advisory Committee receives an ESG-report and reviews our Responsible Investment Policy and ESG matters every year.
Sustainability-Related Disclosures for NFT.VC Fund II
Summary
NFT.VC Fund II, launched in 2024, is a closed-end fund with a 10-year term and target size of €80 million. The fund invests in technology companies sustainably transforming the food system in the Nordics and Europe.
This financial product complies with the classified Article 8 classification under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) (2019/2088).
The fund makes investments in companies that reduce food system emissions into the atmosphere, soil, and water, decrease its impact on biodiversity, promote adaptation to climate change, and improve human health through nutrition. While this financial product promotes environmental or social characteristics, its primary objective is not to make sustainable investments. The fund does not have a specific target to invest in assets that align with the EU taxonomy, but it is committed to promote environmental and social characteristic and it will have a minimum proportion of 40% of investments aligned with these goals.
The fund’s investment strategy is to make minority investments in early-stage companies across Europe, with a particular focus on the Nordics.
Prior to investment, target companies undergo thorough ESG, technical, financial, commercial, tax, and legal due diligence assessments. The evaluation of the impact of these investments is based on assessments and early-stage plans, which inherently involve uncertainty. However, the estimates are directionally and proportionally sufficient to anticipate sustainability impacts and ensure the execution of the investment strategy.
Investee companies commit to reporting financial data and developing appropriate processes to ensure good governance practices and documentation. Progress towards sustainability goals is supported through active board work and monitored through annual reporting.
Sustainable investment objective of the financial product
While this financial product promotes environmental or social characteristics and has committed to have at least 40% of its investments aligned with the targets described in the next section, its primary objective is not to make sustainable investments.
Environmental or social characteristics of the financial product
Through its investments in new technologies the Fund promotes biodiversity, reduction of climate emissions, animal health and human well-being and health through better nutrition.
Specific actions targeted with the investments include for example:
- Climate change mitigation (CCM) and adaptation (CCA) by reduction of the land use of food industry, promotion of carbon sequestration and reduction of animal production.
- The sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources (WTR) by reducing the use of water by food production and utilizing the elutes collected from water.
- The transition to a circular economy (CE) by utilizing side streams of food and agricultural industries, reducing the use of virgin materials and improving resource efficiency.
- Pollution prevention and control (PPC) together with the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems (BIO) by reduction of food industry’s use of land and reduction of the use of chemical pesticides.
In addition to the E/S characteristics, all portfolio companies are expected to respect human rights and promote diversity and inclusion, and to follow good governance including anti-corruption and anti-bribery pratices.
Investment strategy
The fund’s investment strategy is to make minority control investments in early-stage technology companies in Europe, primarily the Nordics, and to finance and support development of technologies that enable transformation of the global food sytem into a more sustainable, resilient and healthy one.
The fund seeks to acquire a portfolio of 32 companies (at 80M€ target size) and allocate 60% of the invested capital into follow-on investments.
Proportion of investments
The Fund will have a minimum proportion of 40 % of sustainable investments aligned with environmental or social characteristics.
Monitoring of sustainable investment objective
Promotion of environmental or social characteristics is followed by impact KPI’s defined separately for each portfolio company.
Impact KPI’s are monitored together with other ESG-factors through an annual ESG questionnaire. The questionnaire is sent to portfolio companies after the fourth quartile.
Methodologies
The indicators that measure the fund’s sustainable investment goals or characteristics have been determined based on the fund’s strategy and goals.
These sustainability indicators have been defined by evaluating which quantitative or qualitative quantities best describe the sustainability goals of the financial product or the impacted sustainability factors, and which indicators best describe the characteristics of the investments in the portfolio.
Portfolio companies reporting abilities and availability of data has been taken into account when choosing the indicators to be reported.
Data sources and processing
Data to ensure promotion of environmental or social characteristics is collected from the target companies during the due dilligence process before the investment and annually after the initial investment.
Depending on the stage of the portfolio companies, some use lifecycle calculations assured by a third party.
Limitations to methodologies and data
The Fund relies on data collected from very early-stage portfolio companies. That means the data is usually not verified by a third party and large changes may happen in the operations of the companies during the reporting periods.
LCA calculations are often based on partial forecasts and use multipliers and estimates, which is why they always involve uncertainty and inaccuracy.
Despite the limitations, the Fund trusts that the data is directionally right to ensure that the portfolio companies will attain the promoted environmental and social characteristics.
Due diligence
Thorough ESG, technical, financial, commercial, tax, and legal due diligence assessments are done before all new investments.
Sustainability risks are evaluated as part of the process. Addressing any relevant findings are added to post-closing actions and a mitigation plan will be put in place for any significant long-term risks.
New investees contribution towards the environmental and social characteristics of the financial product is evaluated by defining an Impact Thesis. The thesis consists of an impact statement describing the intended positive impact of the product or service, ideally verified by an LCA, description of the drivers for materialization of the intended impact and impact KPIs to track the progress.
Because the Fund invests in early investment companies, we expect there to be little or no historical burden regarding social or governance issues. For the same reason the investees may have very few good governance practices in place. Therefore, the ESG DD process is for most part about supporting the companies in establishing good policies and processes from the beginning.
Engagement policies
We take an active role in supporting the founders to build sustainable businesses. In cases where we are the lead investor, we seek a board seat and ensure that ESG matters are discussed regularly and integrated as part of the strategy of the company.
In addition to board work, we monitor the development of ESG metrics in portfolio companies through annual reporting.
Links
NFT.VC Fund II liittyvien tuote- eli rahastotason kestävyyteen liittyvien tietojen antaminen
Tiivistelmä
NFT.VC Fund II on vuonna 2024 lanseerattu suljettu pääomarahasto ja sen toimikausi on 10 vuotta ja tavoitekoko on 80 miljoonaa euroa. Rahasto sijoittaa ruokajärjestelmää kestävällä tavalla uudistaviin tuoreisiin teknologiayrityksiin Pohjoismaissa ja Euroopassa. Tämä sijoitustuote on luokiteltu EU:n SFDR (2019/2088) asetuksen mukaisesti Artikla 8 -rahastoksi.
Rahasto tekee sijoituksia kohteisiin, jotka vähentävät ruokajärjestelmän päästöjä ilmakehään, maaperään ja vesistöihin ja pienentävät sen vaikutusta biodiversiteettiin, edistävät ruokajärjestelmän sopeutumista ilmastonmuutokseen ja parantavat ihmisten terveyttä ruoan välityksellä. Tämä rahoitustuote edistää ympäristöön tai yhteiskuntaan liittyviä ominaisuuksia, mutta sen tavoitteena ei ole kestävien sijoitusten tekeminen. Rahastolla ei ole erityistä tavoitetta sijoittaa EU taksonomian mukaisiin kohteisiin, mutta se on sitoutunut kohdistamaan vähintään 40% sijoituksista ympäristötavoitteita edistäviin yrityksiin.
Rahaston sijoitusstrategiana on tehdä vähemmistösijoituksia temaattisesti sopiviin aikaisen vaiheen yrityksiin Euroopassa, erityisesti Pohjoismaissa.
Ennen sijoitusta kohdeyrityksille tehdään huolelliset ESG-, tekniset-, taloudelliset-, kaupalliset-, vero- ja juridiset due diligence -arvioinnit. Sijoitusten vaikuttavuuden arvioiminen perustuu arvioihin ja varhaisiin suunnitelmiin, joihin liittyy aina epävarmuutta. Arviot ovat kuitenkin suunnaltaan ja suuruusluokaltaan riittäviä ennakoimaan kestävyysvaikutuksia ja varmistaman sijoitusstrategian toteutumisen.
Sijoituskohteet sitoutuvat raportoimaan taloudellisia tietoja sekä kehittämään asianmukaiset prosessit hyvän hallintotavan toteutumista ja dokumentointia varten. Vastuullisuustavoitteiden toteutumista tuetaan aktiivisen hallitustyön kautta ja seurataan vuosittaisella raportoinilla.