European Circular Bioeconomy Fund

Name

European Circular Bioeconomy Fund

Legal name

ECBF Management GmbH

Website

https://www.ecbf.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital — Bioeconomy and Circular Economy Investment Fund

NAICS

Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds (FSANAGAC)

Keywords

• Venture capital funding
• Growth-stage bioeconomy investments
• Circular economy investing
• Sustainable agriculture venture capital
• Climate technology investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: ECBF generates revenue through management fees charged on the €300 million committed capital under management. As an Article 9 SFDR fund, ECBF combines ESG standards with investment returns for its LP investors.
2. Carry/Performance Fees: VC fund model generating carried interest on successful exits and realizations from portfolio companies. Returns are delivered to LPs including pension funds, development finance institutions, family offices, and other institutional investors seeking bioeconomy exposure.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ECBF is a specialist venture capital fund that invests €2-10 million per company in growth-stage bioeconomy and circular economy businesses across food systems, industrial biotechnology, bio-based materials, and circular value chains. The fund operates as an Article 9 SFDR fund with €300 million in committed capital, providing portfolio companies with capital, deep sector expertise, board representation, and access to a network of industrial partners and research institutions across Europe.

Product overview

ECBF is a specialist venture capital fund dedicated exclusively to accelerating Europe's transition to a sustainable, circular bioeconomy. With €300 million under management, the fund invests €2-10 million in growth-stage companies across food systems, industrial biotechnology, bio-based materials, and circular value chains. The portfolio includes 25+ companies including AI-powered platforms (Foodforecast for food demand forecasting, Ecorobotix for crop protection), bio-based materials (Ecoat's coating technologies), agricultural biotech (Elicit Plant, Weenat), and fermentation-based solutions (REDUCED). ECBF combines deep scientific expertise with venture discipline to help companies scale globally while delivering measurable environmental impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ECBF Investment Services Specialist venture capital fund providing €2-10 million growth-stage investments in bioeconomy and circular economy companies across food systems, industrial biotechnology, bio-based materials, and circular value chains, combined with deep sector expertise, board representation, and access to a powerful network of industrial partners, research institutions, and other VCs. Designed for growth-stage European bioeconomy companies seeking capital and sector-specific support to scale from first European expansion to global markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• €300 million committed capital raised and deployed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)coreOthersECBF is a signatory to the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment. PRI is the world's leading proponent of responsible investment with over 3,600 signatories managing US$100 trillion in AUM.
• Invest EuropecoreOthersInvest Europe represents Europe's private equity, venture capital and infrastructure investment firms and their investors, promoting better understanding of private equity.
• Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in 2020 under his Sustainable Markets Initiative to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy. Provides knowledge-informed support and networking platform connecting investors, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities.
• EIT FoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope's leading food initiative working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted. Brings together over 85 of Europe's leading agrifood companies, research institutes and universities, plus RisingFoodStars Association for startups.
• Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner€2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) that funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe.
• European Forest Institute (EFI)minorOthersPan-European international organization providing forest-related knowledge around bioeconomy, resilience, and governance themes.
• Tech TourminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndependent organization committed to development of emerging technology companies in Europe. Over 2000 high-tech companies and 750 investors participate in 25 leading tech programmes annually.
• European Bioeconomy Network (EuBioNet)minorOthersAlliance of nearly 80 EU funded projects and initiatives dealing with Bioeconomy promotion, communication and support.
• Cluster industrielle Biotechnologie (CLIB)minorOthersInternational open innovation cluster with over 100 members including large companies, SMEs, academic institutes, and universities active in biotechnology and bioeconomy.
• Ghent UniversityminorOthersOrganizes RRB conference, invests in Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant infrastructure, runs GREEN-CHEM international network on green chemistry.
• Bio4Any / Bioeconomy For Change (B4C)minorOthersLeading French Bioeconomy Cluster with over 500+ members from agricultural cooperatives, research institutions, companies, and public stakeholders.
• Food for Sustainability (F4S)minorOthersCollaborative laboratory approved by Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation, focused on bio-based food systems for climate resiliency.
• Nova-InstituteminorOthersPrivate and independent research institute focused on transition of chemical and material industry to renewable carbon.
• Tech FoundersminorOthersInternational accelerator program based in Munich, Germany with 127 startups since 2015, covering sustainability, Ag-tech, Food-Tech, and Deep-Tech sectors.
• Building Global Innovators (BGI)minorOthersDeep tech startup accelerator based in Portugal operating EIT Climate KIC Accelerator, Empowering Women in Agrifood, Idanha Food Lab Accelerator and Circular4Good programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Seventure Partners: Paris-based European VC with explicit focus on foodtech, microbiome, agritech, and digital health. Seventure and ECBF both back European bioeconomy founders at growth stage with comparable check sizes, making them the most direct comparables in food/agtech investing.
• Astanor Ventures: Brussels-based VC exclusively focused on agrifood transformation, backing founders building regenerative and circular food systems. Directly comparable to ECBF's food systems and bio-based materials portfolio across similar European geographies.
• Ananda Impact Ventures: Munich-based impact VC investing across European sustainability, health, and education themes. Similar European geographic focus, impact-first thesis, and growth-stage orientation make Ananda a strong comparable to ECBF's specialist approach.
• FoodLabs: Berlin-based FoodTech VC backing European food and agriculture innovators from early to growth stage. Comparable in thesis (European foodtech focus) and stage, with similar check sizes to ECBF's portfolio investments.
• Planet A Ventures: Hamburg-based VC investing in science-based climate solutions with explicit focus on circular economy, bioeconomy, and industrial decarbonization. Strong thematic overlap with ECBF's portfolio breadth across materials, biotech, and food.
• Capricorn Partners: Belgian cleantech and sustainable chemistry VC with funds focused on industrial biotech and sustainable materials. Comparable European cleantech/industrial biotech focus and similar fund vintage to ECBF.

Broad incumbents

• Sofinnova Partners: Paris-based European VC with life sciences and sustainability strategies, operating significantly larger funds across broader themes. Overlaps with ECBF on industrial biotech and bioeconomy but serves a much wider mandate.
• Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Bill Gates-backed global climate VC with multi-billion-dollar AUM investing across energy, agriculture, industry, and transportation. Much larger scale and broader sector scope than ECBF, but directly competes for European bioeconomy founders.
• Forbion: Major European life sciences and healthcare VC with multiple billion-euro funds. Broader portfolio focus on biotech and healthcare but overlaps with ECBF on industrial biotech and sustainability themes.
• Lowercarbon Capital: US-based climate VC with multiple funds backing decarbonization across energy, industry, food, and carbon removal. Larger fund sizes and broader scope than ECBF but competes for bioeconomy founders in agritech and alternative materials.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ecbf_vc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-circular-bioeconomy-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments29 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about European Circular Bioeconomy Fund