Gaia Impact is an impact investment advisory firm that complies with the guidelines set out in Article 9 of the SFDR regulations and has the status of “entreprise à mission”.
Belief
Energy is at the heart of the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow’s world.
Private-sector expertise and capital are essential to complement public investment programs, to support the development of renewable energies and their productive use in emerging countries, where almost a billion people still have no access to electricity.
Ambition
Lay the foundations for an equitable and inclusive zero-carbon economy, by investing in companies that deploy decentralized renewable energy solutions.
Challenge
A Just Energy Transition that combines economic return with social and environmental impact.
Our action aims to promote the development of clean and affordable energy in order to foster economic growth and reduce inequalities (SDG7, SDG10, SDG13).
GAIA ENERGY IMPACT FUND II ⸻
Key figures
2023
CLOSING DATE
80 M€
TAILLE CIBLE DU FONDS
500 K€ to 5 M€
INVESTMENT FROM
History
Driven by this ambition, in 2017, Hélène Demaegdt, via the Capelan family-office, created the investment company Gaia Impact Fund I to act for the energy transition, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, but also in South East Asia. Gaia Impact Fund I has invested over €8 million in a dozen companies (start-ups and SMEs) active in the decentralized renewable energy value chain in rural and urban areas.
With six years of experience and measured impact behind us, we wanted to go one step further with a second fund, following on from the first investment thesis, targeting the full range of solutions for access to clean energy, as well as its productive use.
The Gaia Energy Impact Fund II (GEIF II) was launched in 2023 thanks to a coalition of entrepreneurs, family-offices, companies and institutional investors. GEIF II will be managed by Capital Croissance, an AMF-approved asset management company, while the Gaia Impact team will act as exclusive advisor and drives investments. Schneider Electric and Capelan are the anchor investors of the fund. Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) will provide its expertise of the African continent, as well as technical assistance to the Gaia Impact team.
This €80 million VC fund targets communities and businesses with little or no access to electricity. It aims to invest in equity and quasi-equity, with tickets ranging from €500,000 to €5 million, in around twenty companies in the seed or growth phase (seed to series B), mainly in Africa.
GAIA IMPACT ⸻
MANIFESTO
Vision
Unlocking the Transformative Potential of Clean Energy
We recognize the pivotal role that sustainable energy plays in the development of emerging countries, especially in Africa. Innovative, incredibly cost-efficient clean energy models are ready to scale, and hold the key to propelling African economies to their maximum growth potential.
Empowering Entrepreneurs and Communities
Our vision embraces African entrepreneurs as the driving force behind positive change. We invest in entrepreneurs who blend local expertise with global perspectives, forging unique solutions that empower communities and foster lasting transformative growth.
Fostering Collaborative Partnerships
Energy solutions do not work in silos. We believe in the strength of partnerships involving innovators, corporations, governments, and stakeholders. Together, we are constructing an inclusive energy ecosystem that uplifts, sustains, and propels Africa towards a renewable energy future.
Execution
A Platform of Energy Experts
In the intricate landscape of African energy, we are building a team of energy experts. Collective knowledge is leveraged to parse and navigate the complexities of this technology-intensive, capital-intensive sector.
Active Support Across the Investment Lifecycle
As active investors, we provide hands-on support throughout the investment cycle. We work closely with entrepreneurs, offering on-demand strategic and operational resources to catalyze growth and ensure success.
Long-term Commitment and Shared Goals
We are unwavering in our commitment to the long-term success of our investments. As equity partners, we align our interests with those of the entrepreneurs, sharing in challenges and achievements. Together, we embark on a collaborative journey towards sustainable energy solutions.
GAIA IMPACT ⸻
TEAM
Excellence for impact
Gaia Impact brings together a team of experts coming from either the world of entrepreneurship or the world of sustainable finance. Each of them has a detailed knowledge of the African economic landscape and has made the acceleration of the just transition a personal challenge.
Hélène Demaegdt
President & Founder
Entrepreneur with 20 years’ experience in the distribution sector, in 2010 she became shareholder of a large French IPP, and created the Synergie Solaire endowment fund, whose aim is to promote renewable energies as a source of electrification for emerging countries.
In 2017, she created Gaia Impact Fund. Hélène holds a degree in economics, having studied in the USA at Harvard University and in Paris at the Université Paris II-Assas.
Frédéric Pfister
Managing Director
With a background as a consultant and entrepreneur, Frédéric specialized 10 years ago in the development and financing of energy transition projects in emerging countries (Africa and Middle East). Frédéric graduated from HEC Paris.
Guilhem Dupuy
Partner
Guilhem began his career at Ecofi and then joined Crédit Coopératif, where he actively contributed to the development of the impact finance sector. In 2017, he participated in the creation of Gaia Impact. Guilhem graduated from the Ecole Normale Supérieure.
Victor Beulque
Investment Director
Victor has carried out several rural electrification missions in the Philippines and worked as a technical expert for the Synergie Solaire endowment fund. He joined Gaia Impact in 2017. Victor has a dual degree in engineering and business.
Marion Quenolle
Investment Manager
Marion began her career as a financial analyst at KPMG before joining Proparco’s team in Nairobi to work on financing infrastructure and energy projects in East Africa. She joined Gaia Impact in 2022.
Marion graduated from EM Lyon Business School.
Pierre-Louis Vié
Associate
Pierre-Louis began his career as a financial consultant for a social enterprise in Cambodia, before joining various impact funds such as Nexus for Development in South-East Asia and Danone Communities in France. With 5 years of experience as an investment officer in emerging countries on access to energy and water, Pierre-Louis joined Gaia Impact in January 2024. Pierre-Louis graduated from Kedge Business School.
Alice Mével
Impact Manager
Alice joined Gaia Impact in 2022 as Impact Manager. Prior to this, she was an analyst at Citizing Consulting, a public policy and investment evaluation firm.
Alongside her operational role at Gaia, Alice is completing a thesis on access to electricity in developing countries and the evaluation of impact investments at the Paris School of Economics. She holds a Master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Sussex.
Erwan Le Minier
Analyst
Erwan joined Gaia Impact in 2024 as junior analyst. Prior to this, he worked in the finance department of the start up Ynsect as well as in the audit department of Deloitte.
He spent 6 months working for Gaia Impact in Paris. He is now based in Nairobi, Kenya.
GAIA IMPACT ⸻
Impact Reports
