With headquarters in Singapore and Paris, Shift4Good, a global venture capital fund dedicated to sustainable transportation, has successfully closed its first fund at €220M — surpassing its initial target. The fund’s success, exceeding the €115M average for European cleantech VC funds (2020–2024), and standing as one of only four first-time cleantech funds in Europe to surpass €170M during this period, instills confidence in its potential impact on sustainable transport. Shift4Good has attracted a diverse group of committed investors, including Tier-1 corporates, institutional investors, and family offices such as Renault Group, BNP Paribas Group, European Investment Fund (EIF), Edenred, PSA Ventures (part of the Port of Singapore Authority), ComfortDelGro, Capricorn, and Candriam.
How Shift4Good approaches innovation in the mobility
Founded in 2022 by four experienced French investors, Matthieu de Chanville, Sébastien Guillaud, Yann Marteil, and Thierry de Panafieu, Shift4Good aims to drive sustainable innovation in transportation. The fund tackles urgent environmental challenges in an industry that accounts for about 20% of global CO2 emissions.Shift4Good selects its portfolio companies through a rigid process that evaluates their potential to impact sustainable transportation significantly. This process includes assessing the scalability of their solutions, the strength of their management teams, and their alignment with Shift4Good’s mission. In essence, the fund seeks entrepreneurs who can develop and deploy radical innovations to address the climate emergency.Since its initial close at €100 million in October 2022, Shift4Good has shown strong momentum, confirming robust market demand for transformative solutions in sustainable transportation. The fund plans to expand its portfolio to 25-30 companies, focusing on companies that can significantly impact sustainable transportation.
Shift4Good’s portfolio: future-ready transport technologies
The fund has invested in 13 innovative companies in seven European and Southeast Asian countries, focusing on fleet electrification, micro-mobility, battery circularity, hydrogen technologies, and AI-powered energy-saving software.Portfolio companies are developing groundbreaking solutions across various sectors. For example, Bound4blue transforms maritime shipping with suction sail technology that delivers six to seven times more lift than conventional sails, achieving up to 30% fuel savings. At the same time, GCK advances sustainable mobility through vehicle retrofitting and hydrogen and electric power solutions, reducing CO2 emissions by up to two-thirds compared to conventional engines.Other Shift4Good-backed businesses include Laka, an innovative insurance provider for micromobility, based in London; Neu Battery Materials, a specialist in battery recycling, based in Singapore; Vapaus, a pioneer in corporate mobility solutions, based in Helsinki; and Shippeo, based in Paris, that offers real-time supply chain visibility to optimise logistics and reduce emissions.
Technology-driven solutions reshaping transport’s carbon footprint
Shift4Good invests in innovative companies harnessing scalable, technology-based solutions to decarbonise and enhance global transportation systems. These businesses will tackle regulatory changes, cost challenges, and sustainability objectives to seize substantial value in evolving industries and emerge as global leaders.Adeline Lemaire, Executive Director and head of Funds Investments at BPIfrance, said: “Bpifrance chose to partner with Shift4Good in recognition of the team’s expertise and track record, as well as their differentiated investment strategy, which is closely aligned with Bpifrance’s overall strategic objectives of decarbonisation and re-industrialisation.”
