KOMPAS VC

🇫🇷 Despite the stormy, literal and geopolitical weather, the energy at MIPIM 2025 was undeniably positive. The real estate industry is moving from talk to action, with a more substantial business case for high-performance assets and sustainable value creation. Here are our fresh key takeaways coming directly from Cannes: ⚪ Companies have now shifted from reporting to action. With new regulations and market pressures, there is a better understanding of how real estate sustainability efforts should translate into real-world implementation. ⚪ The business case for sustainability is stronger than last year. This trend is seen in the increasing demand for energy-efficient, high-performance buildings from European developers and tenants. ⚪ There is more consensus on how decarbonization needs to deliver more than just carbon savings. For solutions to be relevant, they must also provide financial, operational, and social benefits. ⚪ Case studies strengthen industry adoption. Sharing success stories and examples of mutually beneficial collaborations between startups and corporations helps streamline business integration and scale technology adoption ⚪ Before hopping onto the AI trend, companies must be data-ready. When used effectively, AI can increase efficiency, productivity, and safety across the industry. ⚪ Private-public partnerships accelerate technological progress. Industry-wide alignment, from KPI standardization (IIGCC) to the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, will help scale adoption. ⚪ Europe has an appetite for innovation but has a brand problem. Many solutions exist despite a lack of awareness. How do we ensure the industry knows about them and adopts them faster? Comment your thoughts below. Thanks to Clovis, Future Catamaran, Clément Fradet Normand, JLL Spark, MIPIM, Findable, Optiml, Treble Technologies, Vizcab, Leonard, PriceHubble, VINCI, EY, Crayon Partners, Measurabl, Pi Labs, IDEALYS + many more for the inspiring conversations. Collaboration is the key to accelerating transition—let’s keep the momentum going! #mipim #kompasvc #fundingabettertomorrow

We set sail at MIPIM this year, bringing a handful of our portfolio founders to showcase the future of the manufacturing industry and the built environment. Big ideas, and plenty of momentum—more takeaways coming this Friday!

🔋 How do we scale clean hydrogen while capturing CO₂ at the source?  The H2Boost project set out to prove it’s possible. Over 18 months, this £5M initiative in Leeds integrated hydrogen production, biogas generation, and CO₂ capture into a single system.   At the heart of this effort is Dark Fermentation, a process in which microorganisms break down organic materials without light, producing hydrogen as the primary output and biogenic CO₂ as a byproduct.   This is where CyanoCapture, our portfolio company at KOMPAS VC, comes in. Their photosynthetic microorganisms—cyanobacteria—capture and convert CO₂ into biomass using sunlight. In the H2Boost project, CyanoCapture’s technology successfully captured biogenic CO₂ from Dark Fermentation and Anaerobic Digestion, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.   With this, H2Boost has reached ‘Partially Integrated Status’ from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (ESNZ)—a key step toward scaling low-carbon hydrogen in the UK.   🚀 A massive milestone for CyanoCapture and a glimpse into the future of clean hydrogen with built-in CO₂ removal.   🔗 Listen to Jane Harrowell discuss this milestone: https://lnkd.in/eHnH8zBN #kompasvc #portfolio #cyanocapture

⭐ Happy International Women’s Day ⭐ Even though more women than ever are starting companies, achieving record returns and driving innovation in critical industries, 98% of VC funding still flows to male-led ventures. Some may claim that women naturally gravitate towards different sectors than men do, yet our portfolio tells another story. At KOMPAS VC, we proudly back female-led companies breaking new ground in industries such as climate tech, AI, construction, and supply chain innovation. Our portfolio, led by innovators like Anna Alex, co-founder of Nala Earth, Lisa Smith, CEO of Prewave, and Elizabeth Gilligan, CEO of Material Evolution, clearly illustrates that the drive for progress and disruption is not confined by gender. Internally, our team embodies this commitment to excellence, with leadership from General Partner Talia Rafaeli—named once again one of Europe’s 100 most influential women in venture capital—and supported by Principal Ilena Mece, Head of Operations Meg George-Stark, Head of Platform Simay Arikan, Strategic Partnership and Insight Leader Victoria Burrows, Head of Marketing Pauline Jimenez, and our ever-dedicated Executive Assistant Marette Vorster. What is the best way to celebrate International Women’s Day? Fund women. Hire women. Promote women. Change does not happen by itself—recognising one’s biases is not easy. Numbers tell one story, but action tells another. Who are the women driving change in your world? Tag them, back them. #internationalwomensday #iwd2025

🏆 Portfolio News—Treble Technologies wins the 2025 Nordic PropTech Award in the Healthy & Sustainable Buildings category! Acoustics are often overlooked in building design, yet their impact is profound. Poor sound environments can reduce productivity by 66%, disrupt sleep, and even contribute to cardiovascular disease. In fact, the WHO ranks noise pollution as the second most harmful environmental stressor. Treble Technologies is changing this. Their acoustic simulation platform enables architects, developers, and designers to integrate optimal soundscapes from the outset—eliminating costly retrofits, ensuring compliance, and creating spaces that enhance health, well-being, and performance. Already deployed across Europe, Treble Technologies is setting a new benchmark for acoustic intelligence in the built environment. 👏 Congratulations to Finnur Pind and the outstanding #treble team on this well-earned recognition! And a big thank you to PropTech Denmark and organising partners for hosting such a fantastic event. Michael, Kajsa, Ella, Laura, Rasmus, PropTech Sweden, PropTech Finland, Proptech Norway #nordicproptechawards #kompasvc #proptechdenmark

📣 We are Hiring for three new roles! At KOMPAS VC, we invest in startups that solve the core industrial challenges of tomorrow, and we are growing. To support our work, we are expanding our team and looking for talented individuals to join us. Here is a glimpse of what we are looking for: 🔹 Investment Analyst Are you intellectually curious, highly analytical, and eager to dive into the world of venture capital? As an Investment Analyst, you will be key in sourcing deals, conducting market analysis, supporting due diligence, and helping portfolio companies scale. We want to hear from you if you are ready to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. 🔹 Finance Manager We seek a Finance Manager to oversee financial analysis, reporting, tax, and compliance. If you have a top-tier audit or consulting firm background and want to apply your expertise in a dynamic VC environment, this role is for you. You will work closely with our investors, portfolio companies, and leadership team to ensure smooth financial operations. 🔹 Portfolio Development Manager, Manufacturing Do you have deep experience in the manufacturing sector and a strong industry network? This role is about helping our portfolio companies establish product-market fit, scale up, and connect with the right industry partners. If you are a natural connector who understands how technology can drive industrial innovation, this is your opportunity to make an impact. Get more information about those positions on our website at www.kompas.vc 📩 Apply now: Send your CV and cover letter to careers@kompas.vc Do you know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them below! 👇

♻️ Over 400 million metric tonnes of plastic are produced every year. Only 9% is recycled globally, leading to high accumulation in landfills and natural ecosystems. The lack of effective recycling solutions leads to waste mismanagement. As a result, microplastics are ubiquitous, found everywhere from the oceans to the human body. Epoch Biodesign is tackling this massive problem by harnessing breakthroughs in AI and synthetic biology. Traditional recycling struggles with mixed plastics—mechanical methods degrade quality, while chemical recycling is costly and energy-intensive. Epoch approach of engineering enzymes that break down even the toughest plastics at room temperature overcome these trade-offs while fully recovering material value. KOMPAS VC participated in the $18.3M Series A which was led by Extantia, with additional backing from Lowercarbon Capital, Happiness Capital | Certified B Corp, Kibo Invest, Day One Ventures and strategic investors like Inditex. With 40+ partnerships across fashion, automotive, and technical textiles, this funding will support their first plant, enzyme library expansion, and work with global brands. At KOMPAS VC, we back technologies that solve core industrial challenges and promote a more sustainable economy. Congratulations to Jacob Nathan and the Epoch Biodesign team! They nailed it. Sebastian Peck, Nick Gosen Read more on TechCrunch ⤵ https://lnkd.in/e9x5tbmS

The year is flying by, and we can tell by our calendars that event season is officially underway! This is where you can connect with the KOMPAS VC team in March: 🇪🇸 MWC and 4YFN (3-6 March, Barcelona): Find Talia Rafaeli and Summit Rosenberg in Barcelona, where they are looking to foster connections in their new city. Talia will take the stage alongside thought leaders from Seaya Andromeda, Suma Capital, and Inclimo Climate Tech Fund to explore the state of sustainable innovation in critical sectors like heavy industries, energy, and construction. 🇬🇧 Futurebuild (4-6 March, London): Victoria Burrows and Nick Gosen will attend the most impactful event in sustainable innovation for the built environment in London to discover the latest products, solutions, and insights. 🇬🇧 Sustainability LIVE Net Zero (5-6 March, London): While in the UK, Nick Gosen will join industry leaders at Sustainability Live to explore innovative strategies for enhancing sustainability initiatives. 🇩🇪 Construction Summit (5-6 March, Hamburg): Connect with Andreas Winter-Extra in Hamburg, where he will meet providers of new digital solutions for planning and implementing construction projects. 🇩🇰 Nordic Proptech Awards Ceremony (6 March, Copenhagen): Sebastian Peck, and Pauline Jimenez will attend this celebratory evening organized by PropTech Denmark and network with investors and finalists alike. 🇬🇧 The Economist Impact Sustainability Week (10-12 March, London): Summit Rosenberg will be on the ground at #SustainabilityWeek as it marks a decade of helping businesses accelerate their sustainability strategies. 🇫🇷 MIPIM (10-14 March, Cannes): Sebastian Peck, Andreas Winter-Extra, and Victoria Burrows will cover this packed event in Cannes. Victoria will speak on the role of technology in enabling ESG compliance and decarbonization roadmaps, while Andreas will join an industry panel on attracting foreign investment into French real estate. We are also partnering with the Future Catamaran this year to host a portfolio showcase featuring Findable, Optiml, ecoworks, Treble Technologies, and Vizcab, presenting how their solutions are reshaping the built environment. 🥖 Hello Tomorrow Global Summit (13-14 March, Paris): Sebastian Peck, Talia Rafaeli, and Nick Gosen will explore radical solutions leveraging deep tech to advance human and planetary health. We are also organizing a cosy dinner for 'friends of KOMPAS' so contact one us if you would like to get an invite. 🇨🇭 Villars Summit (19-21 March, Villars-sur-Ollon): Andreas Winter-Extra will be in Switzerland, engaging with experts, entrepreneurs, investors, and philanthropists to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises holistically. 🇩🇪HANNOVER MESSE (31 March April, Hannover): Ilena Mece and Andreas Winter-Extra will look at the latest industrial innovations and attend key side events. Will we see you at one of these events in March? Ping us below! #kompasvc #4yfn #mipim #hellotomorrow #futurebuild

“We are a powerhouse of talent, infrastructure, and innovation.” — Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Europe’s clean tech sector holds the potential to drive innovation, jobs and economic growth, particularly in energy-intensive industries. We welcome the Clean Industrial Deal announcement earlier this week, which has set out a bold framework to stimulate a competitive and decarbonised industrial sector: ⚡ Enhance access to affordable energy: The Affordable Energy Action Plan will accelerate the deployment of clean energy, boost electrification, and improve efficiency to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. 📈 Increase demand for cleantech: De-risking measures, supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and mobilising up to €50 billion via InvestEU, will back the scaling of cleantech startups. 🇪🇺 Unlock capital through de-risking mechanisms: The de-risking measures, supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and mobilising up to €50 billion via InvestEU, will back the scaling of cleantech startups. 🟢 Cut the red tape: Removing permitting barriers will help innovative solutions scale faster and more efficiently. We predict this initiative will strengthen the cleantech business case, promote circularity, lower energy prices, and secure energy independence—all while creating the conditions to scale breakthrough innovations. It’s an opportunity to attract visionary founders, achieve price parity with fossil fuels, and boost competitiveness in a changing regulatory landscape marked by CBAM and new carbon pricing. Combined with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Europe is set to accelerate energy-efficient renovations and pave the way for net-zero new buildings. Do you think this will leapfrog the EU as a powerhouse in cleantech? #cleanindustrialdeal #kompasvc #industrialtech

Sebastian, Andreas, and Victoria are heading to MIPIM! And we are not coming alone—our portfolio companies Vizcab, Optiml, Findable, Treble Technologies, and ecoworks are joining us on board. Quite literally, this year, we have teamed up with Future Catamaran, a hub for forward-thinking discussions on real estate and the built environment ⛵. We will also be speaking at three sessions as part of the MIPIM agenda: 📅 11 March, 08:30-10:30 🔹 Achieving ESG Goals with Tech — Are you grappling with compliance, resilience, ESG, or climate challenges? KOMPAS VC Partner Sebastian Peck will host a portfolio showcase where our founders will share how their tech helps achieve ESG goals. Please contact Victoria Burrows if you are interested in joining us. 📅11 March, 16:00-17:00  🔹 Plan your transition to Zero Carbon: Cities' decarbonization roadmaps as guidance — Hear Victoria Burrows discuss with industry leaders how cities can effectively plan and implement decarbonization roadmaps, and how technology can support their efforts. 📅 13 March, 11:00-13:00 🔹 Why Choose France? — KOMPAS VC Partner Andreas Winter-Extra will be a featured speaker alongside Laurence Desmazièresère (ICAWOOD), Patrick Mendes (Accor), and Marie-Cécile Tardieu (Business France) at the Geo Stage to discuss how to attract more foreign investment into French real estate. Foreign investment in French real estate lags behind other European markets and the strategies needed to overcome these challenges will be addressed during the session 📅13 March, 15:30-16:15 🔹 Real Estate & Tech Trends by — Hear our reflections on MIPIM and industry trends at the intersection of real estate and tech at the Danish stand as Victoria Burrows joins PropTech Denmark’s Chair, Rasmus Juul-Nyholm and Kjersti Lund (LUND Impact) in conversation. We have a packed agenda and look forward to reconnecting with our industry ecosystem, including PropTech Denmark, supporting ecoworks and Optiml’s nominations for the GLOBAL ESG AWARDS, and diving into the many side events and discussions driving the industrial transition. Will you be there? Are you interested in how tech can help you address your innovation challenges? Reach out to our team to meet up. #mipim #kompasvc #realestate