Brightlands Venture Partners (BVP), Netherlands-based sustainability & health venture capital firm, has announced the first closing of its BVP Fund IV at €45M. The investment comes from investors including DSM Nederland, Provincie Limburg, LIOF, and Rabo Corporate Investments.
In addition to the Fund, €10M has also been committed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for investments in the renewable chemistry space.
Casper Bruens, a Managing Partner of Brightlands Venture Partners, says, “This first closing is a firm basis; the fund will be open to additional professional investors who want to join us to make more impact. Brightlands means renewable chemistry, regenerative medicine, agrifood and related digital technologies, areas where such impact is most needed.”
About Brightlands Venture Partners
Brightlands Venture Partners is an independent venture capital fund manager in the south of the Netherlands that invests in renewable chemistry, health, and agrifood. The firm supports innovative companies which fit the ecosystem of the Brightlands campuses.
BVP claims itself to be a so-called “ecosystem investor”. It invests in companies benefiting from and contributing to the Brightlands campuses in the south of the Netherlands.
Other funds under BVP’s management are Chemelot Ventures, Brightlands Agrifood Fund, and Limburg Ventures.
BVP manages 4 funds with €120M committed capital. These include:
- Limburg Ventures – a €15M fund that was founded in 2004
- Chemelot Ventures – a €40M fund, founded in 2014
- Brightlands Agrifood Fund – a €20M fund, founded in 2017
- And the latest, BVP Fund IV – a €45M fund at the first closing
With BVP’s Fund IV, together the funds have made 40 investments. Some of its exits from blue-chip companies include Lonza, LyondellBasell, BASF, and Fresenius.
BVP Fund IV to invest in environmental & health challenges
BVP aims to accelerate sustainable businesses that impact global environmental & health challenges. It invests if a company benefits from – and contributes to – the Brightlands ecosystem. And, the same goes for the new Fund.
Brightlands Venture Partners will invest in startups and scaleups in the Netherlands, Belgium, and North Rhine-Westphalia region, and will invest within the themes of sustainability and health in sectors including:
- Renewable chemistry & circularity
- Regenerative medicine and biomedical materials
- Agritech & food
- Digital technologies (big data, artificial intelligence)
How does BVP work?
As an investor, the company actively involves itself in supporting its portfolio companies. BVP invests in companies with management teams who understand what it takes to make their company successful. Apart from capital, BVP also helps connect its founders with its extensive network as well as offer strategic and practical support.
The firm’s initial investment is typically between €0.5M and €2M per company. Besides, it also reserves an amount for follow-on investments at least twice its initial commitment. The firm’s investments are mostly divided into milestone-based tranches.
The Brightlands ecosystem has its roots in four centers of gravity:
- Chemistry and circularity R&D and production around the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen
- Academic biomedical R&D at the Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus
- Agrifood technologies and nutrition R&D at the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo
- Data science and smart services at the Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen
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