Frequently asked questions

The minimum commitment depends on the fund:

• Climate Tech Portfolio Fund IV: €100,000
• Climate Infrastructure Fund I: €100,000
• Access to Climate Tech Fund II: €20,000
• Co-Invest Fund I: $250,000
• Energy Transition Debt Fund I: €100,000

If you qualify as a professional investor, the minimum commitment for our €100,000 funds is reduced to €50,000, and your first capital call is reduced. You can learn more on our professional opt-up page.

The average commitment is different per fund, but tends to be significantly above the minimum commitment amount per fund. The minimum commitment amounts differ per fund as can be seen in the fund detail pages

• Climate Tech Portfolio Fund IV: €100,000
• Climate Infrastructure Fund I: €100,000
• Access to Climate Tech Fund II: €20,000
• Co-Invest Fund I: $250,000
• Energy Transition Debt Fund I: €100,000

The minimum commitment might not lead to the optimal return profile. We cannot give you investment advice, but if you'd like to learn more about what best suits your specific investor profile, we suggest to get in touch with our team.

Capital calls are designed so your money is only deployed when the underlying funds need it, which is generally more efficient than paying everything upfront. For that reason, we do not offer the option to prepay your full commitment. If you prefer to set aside the full amount in advance, we recommend keeping it in a liquid account so it is ready when each call arrives.

When you invest in the stock market, you buy shares of publicly traded companies on exchanges. Carbon Equity focuses on private equity: ownership in companies that are not listed on a stock exchange. Private equity typically offers access to earlier-stage, high-growth companies before they go public.

The investment dynamics are different. Instead of daily price fluctuations, your capital is committed for a longer period and returns are realised when portfolio companies are sold or go public. Historically, private equity has delivered higher returns than public markets, though it comes with lower liquidity and a longer time horizon.

It also lets you direct capital specifically toward companies that appeal to your preferences rather than the broad exposure you get from public markets.

When you (angel) invest directly in a single startup or through a crowdfunding platform, your outcome depends entirely on that one company. Most early-stage companies fail, and you carry the full risk yourself, including doing your own due diligence.

Carbon Equity works differently. For most of our products, you invest in a fund that gives you exposure to multiple funds and companies, selected and managed by fund managers. Diversification reduces the risk of any single failure, and professional fund managers handle due diligence, portfolio construction, and ongoing support of the companies.

This makes Carbon Equity better suited to investors who want meaningful exposure to private markets and the energy transition, without taking concentrated bets on individual startups.

Private equity is investing in companies that are not listed on a stock exchange. Instead of buying shares through a public market, you commit capital to a fund managed by a specialist team that buys ownership stakes in private companies, supports them as they grow, and eventually sells those stakes for a profit.

Private equity covers a wide spectrum. Venture capital backs early-stage startups developing new products and technologies. Growth equity invests in companies that have proven their model and need capital to scale. Buyout funds acquire mature, profitable businesses to make them more valuable through operational improvements. Each carries a different risk and return profile.

Compared to public markets, private equity offers access to companies at earlier and faster-growing stages, and has historically delivered higher long-term returns. The trade-offs are lower liquidity (your capital is committed for the life of the fund, typically 10 to 12 years) and a different return shape (returns come from a few successful exits rather than daily price movements).

Carbon Equity gives you access to private equity funds focused on the energy transition, at ticket sizes that would otherwise be out of reach for individual investors.

An ELTIF, or European Long-Term Investment Fund, is a fund structure created by the European Union to give individual investors access to long-term investments such as private equity, infrastructure, and private debt, which were previously reserved for institutional investors.

ELTIFs come with specific protections designed for retail investors. These include lower minimum investments, a suitability assessment to make sure the product fits your goals and risk profile, a cooling-off period during which you can withdraw your subscription, and in some cases the option to request redemption at defined points during the fund's life.

In return for these protections, ELTIFs are subject to stricter rules on what they can invest in, how they are managed, and how they report to investors. The structure is regulated by the European Securities and Markets Authority and supervised at national level, in our case by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets.

Access to Climate Tech Fund II is structured as an ELTIF, which is why it has a lower minimum, a suitability assessment, a withdrawal right, and a limited redemption option. Our other funds are structured differently and do not offer the same retail-investor protections.

The suitability assessment is a mandatory questionnaire which helps to determine whether the investor has gained sufficient knowledge about the investment product and whether it aligns with their investment goals and risk profile. At the end of the questionnaire, a non-binding result is shown. This assessment currently only applies to the Access to Climate Tech Fund II.

Investing with Carbon Equity is easy and can be completed fully digitally:

1. Explore our funds on the website, or book a call with our team to talk through your options.
2. Create an account on our platform.
3. Reserve your investment. This is a non-binding step that lets you continue onboarding.
4. Complete your onboarding and sign your subscription form. This confirms your commitment.
5. Receive your first capital call after the next close of the fund.

Fees are included in the capital calls. You do not receive separate invoices for fees during the life of the fund. The total expected fees over the fund's lifetime are disclosed in the fund documents, and your investor dashboard shows a continuous breakdown between capital invested and fees paid.