Saxovent is a Berlin-based developer of renewable energy, real estate, and agricultural projects. We are also active as a venture capital investor. In our capacity as an operator as well as an investor we strive to preserve the earth as a place worth living for our children. Saxovent's commitment is already saving approximately 625,000 tons of CO2 annually - the total emissions of approximately 60,000 people in Germany.

Saxovent

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures is providing comprehensive renewable energy solutions across the globe.We believe in improving energy performance and competitiveness and transforming these solutions into the most economic, sustainable and accessible options for our clients, investors, governments and, of course, users. We believe that the use of renewable energy is the key to our future The transformation of the energy market, and the increasing shift towards sustainability, will positively impact mankind at all levels, socially, environmentally and economically. For this reason we remain committed to our founding focus: to demonstrate that energy produced through renewable sources is the best possible alternative to fossil fuels thereby contributing to improving and protecting our future. We pursue success through commitment and innovation; finessing our capabilities and forging a solid path of experience and expertise over the last decade, which forms the foundation of our business today. As a strong advocate of sustainability, FRV is a young and entrepreneurial business. We have consolidated our position in the renewable energy market due to the transparency and governance of our operations, and the proven results we have achieved. We are proud that each of our projects has fully delivered on original investment expectations, with regards to both quality and productivity; generating returns for investors and providing energy for consumers at competitive prices. Building on our established leadership in the solar energy sector, we are now using this as the basis to become a spearhead in the wider renewable energy industry worldwide. The combination of our pioneering spirit and superior technical knowledge allows us to create innovative solutions to drive change for a more sustainable future.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures

Ecoligo

Ecoligo is a solar utility that provides low-cost solar energy to local businesses in emerging markets. By financing the solar systems through a crowd-investing platform, they close the finance gap that prevents these projects from being realized. Projects are enabled by committed and environmentally conscious investors who fight the climate crisis with their targeted investments in solar projects while earning significant interest. By supplying commercial and industrial enterprises in fast-growing economies with solar energy, Ecoligo contributes to saving harmful CO₂ and actively protects the climate. The fully financed solar-as-a-service projects not only bring Ecoligo’s customers financial savings but also enable them to grow sustainably. Ecoligo implements solar energy solutions that generate economic and environmental returns.

ecoligo is a Berlin-based impact investment provider specializing in solar-as-a-service projects in emerging markets such as Kenya, Vietnam, and Chile. Founded in 2016 by Martin Baart and Markus Schwaninger, the company implements photovoltaic systems on buildings owned by commercial and industrial enterprises, enabling them to access sustainable and cost-effective solar energy.

Berlin-based Ecoligo raises €10 million to drive the energy transition in emerging markets with solar-as-a-service projects

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Nachhaltig investieren

On the bright side: Martin Baart, CEO at ecoligo, on solar energy projects and impact investing

Embedding environmental, social, and corporate governance factors into investments

Sustainable Finance

ecoligo

ecoligo is a Berlin-based impact investment provider specializing in solar-as-a-service projects in emerging markets such as Kenya, Vietnam, and Chile. Founded in 2016 by Martin Baart and Markus Schwaninger, the company implements photovoltaic systems on buildings owned by commercial and industrial enterprises, enabling them to access sustainable and cost-effective solar energy.
ecoligo's business model involves raising funds through its digital impact investing platform, where environmentally conscious investors can contribute capital toward solar projects while earning attractive interest rates. The solar installations supply companies relying on fossil fuels with clean, affordable electricity generated on-site, measurably reducing their harmful CO₂ emissions.
As of February 2024, ecoligo had implemented 130 solar systems globally, valued at EUR 40 million, with an expected lifespan of preventing over 1.7 million tons of CO₂ emissions. The company operates a full-service solution, encompassing planning, construction, maintenance, and financing of the solar plants through its network of retail investors.
By the end of 2022, ecoligo had completed 169 projects with a total output of 82.4 MWp, surpassing the combined capacity of all photovoltaic plants in Hamburg, Germany. The company aims to install one GW of solar capacity by 2025, potentially saving approximately 11 million tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted.

Starling Bank is a digital, mobile-only bank based in the UK, offering personal and business accounts. Founded in 2014 by former Allied Irish Banks COO Anne Boden, Starling received its banking license from regulators in July 2016. The bank operates without any physical branches and provides services entirely through its mobile app.
Starling offers various personal account options, including current accounts, joint accounts, euro accounts, and teen accounts. Its multi-currency feature allows customers to hold, send, and receive euros for free, with a 0.4% conversion fee for foreign transactions. The app provides real-time spending insights, categorized expenses, budgeting tools, and the ability to set aside money in "Virtual Change Jars." Customers can also apply for overdrafts and loans through the app.
For businesses, Starling offers digital business accounts with powerful money management tools, invoicing, tax assessment, and integration with accounting software. Businesses can also hold and transact in euros and US dollars through dedicated currency accounts.
Starling facilitates international money transfers to 36 countries in 20 currencies, with competitive exchange rates and fees. Customers can opt for direct SWIFT bank-to-bank transfers for a flat fee of GBP 5.50.
In May 2023, Starling Bank reported a record pre-tax profit of GBP 195 million, a sixfold increase from the previous year. Anne Boden stepped down as CEO but remains a non-executive director and shareholder.

Starling Bank

Aspiration is a fintech company that offers a suite of green financial services products aimed at empowering individuals and businesses to combat climate change through their everyday spending and saving activities. The company provides sustainable checking and savings accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts that are fossil fuel-free and enable customers to track their personal sustainability scores.
Aspiration's key product is the Aspiration Spend & Save account, which offers a competitive 3.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on balances up to USD 10,000 as of October 2022. This cash management account comes with a debit card, mobile check deposit, bill pay, and up to USD 2 million in FDIC insurance coverage. Aspiration also has the Redwood Fund and Redwood IRA, investment products focused on sustainable companies committed to ethnic diversity, gender diversity, ethical practices, and addressing climate change.
In April 2024, Aspiration's consumer financial services brand was spun off as a separate company called Mission Financial Partners, led by CEO Tim Newell. This move allowed Aspiration to concentrate on serving businesses through its carbon credit offerings while Mission Financial Partners focused on expanding its suite of climate-friendly consumer products like banking, credit, lending, investment, and insurance solutions. A key aspect of Aspiration's approach is planting trees, with the company claiming to have supported the planting of over 100 million trees as of April 2024.

Aspiration

Classy is a cloud-based fundraising platform offering a comprehensive suite of tools to help nonprofits create engaging online donation experiences and manage fundraising campaigns effectively. Its key features include customizable donation pages, peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities, crowdfunding campaigns, event ticketing, and integration with popular CRM systems like Salesforce.
Classy's platform provides nonprofits with the ability to design branded, mobile-responsive donation forms and fundraising pages. Organizations can accept one-time and recurring donations, as well as process payments through multiple gateways, including PayPal, Venmo, and credit cards. The platform's peer-to-peer fundraising tools empower supporters to create personal fundraising pages and share them across social media platforms, fostering a sense of community and friendly competition through features like fundraising leaderboards and team fundraising goals.
For events, Classy offers event registration, ticketing, and attendee management functionalities, streamlining the process of organizing and promoting fundraising events. The platform also supports crowdfunding campaigns, enabling nonprofits to tap into this popular form of online giving.
Classy's pricing model consists of an annual subscription fee and transaction fees for each donation processed through the platform. As of May 2024, the transaction fees stand at 2.4% + USD 0.30 for credit cards and 2.5% + USD 0.30 for PayPal/Venmo.
Key customers and partnerships
Classy has been widely adopted by nonprofits of various sizes and causes, facilitating the raising of tens of thousands of dollars for their missions. The platform has garnered praise for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and seamless integration capabilities with popular tools like Salesforce and Facebook.
Classy's partnership with Facebook has been particularly noteworthy, enabling nonprofits to leverage the social media platform's reach for peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. This integration has streamlined the process for volunteers and supporters to raise funds on behalf of the organizations they support.

Classy

Tandem Bank is a digital challenger bank based in the UK, focused on providing environmentally-friendly financial products and services. The bank aims to help customers reduce their carbon footprint while offering competitive savings accounts, mortgages, personal loans, and home improvement financing options.
Tandem utilizes open banking technology to securely connect with customers' existing bank accounts, allowing seamless transfers into their Tandem savings accounts. The bank offers instant access savings accounts with variable interest rates up to 4.90% AER as of April 2024, as well as fixed-term savings accounts ranging from one to three years with interest rates up to 5.07% AER.
In addition to savings products, Tandem provides residential and buy-to-let mortgages, with discounts for energy-efficient properties based on their EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) ratings. The bank also offers personal loans, home loans for expenses like renovations or debt consolidation, and motor finance for used vehicles through approved dealerships.
Tandem's "Green Lending" initiatives allocate a portion of customer deposits toward financing eco-friendly home improvements such as solar panel installations and energy-efficient window replacements. In 2023, the bank facilitated over GBP 523 million in green home improvement lending, contributing to the avoidance of 74,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
In January 2022, Tandem acquired the consumer lender Oplo, further expanding its product offerings and solidifying its position as a "fairer, greener digital bank" in the UK market. The bank discontinued its automatic savings features in January 2021 to concentrate on developing its green banking strategy.

Tandem

Cushon is a London-based fintech company founded in 2014 that offers workplace savings and investment products, including ISAs, investment accounts, and pensions. Its key offerings include a workplace ISA, master trust pension, junior and lifetime ISAs, and a general investment account. Cushon's products are designed to be simple and user-friendly, with a mobile app that provides a personalized experience and helps engage savers with their financial goals.
Cushon's unique selling point is the "Net Zero Now" pension, launched in January 2021, which is claimed to be the world's first net zero pension. This pension aims to minimize carbon emissions from investments as much as possible and offsets any remaining emissions through carbon offsetting projects. As of April 2022, Cushon had approximately GBP 1.7 billion in assets under management, making it the fifth largest master trust pension provider in the UK. By February 2023, its assets under management had grown to GBP 1.85 billion.
In February 2023, NatWest Group acquired an 85% stake in Cushon for GBP 144 million, with the remaining equity retained by Cushon management. This acquisition allowed NatWest to offer Cushon's workplace savings and pension products to its commercial mid-market customers, enhancing its financial wellbeing services.

Cushon

Digital banks that deploy customer deposits to sustainable uses such as renewable energy projects and social housing.

Offers a platform for individuals and businesses to invest in sustainability-related companies, projects, and investment portfolios.

Solutions that allow investors to obtain sustainability-related information on their portfolios such as real-world impact (water savings, CO2 savings, etc.) and ESG-related compliance.

Companies that provide the digital infrastructure for financial institutions to offer their own sustainable finance products.

AI/ML is used to support robo advisory functions and allocate funds into ESG-based investments

Startups in this hub focus on ESG-related financial services such as sustainable investing

ecoligo

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