iSight - Investing in the global future

Climate change, energy dependency, pollution, the environmental effects of increasing urbanisation and the possibility that the world will one day run short of many of its natural resources are very real global concerns. Although none of these problems are new, they have never before been felt so acutely and are demanding significant attention and interest globally, from governments, businesses and individuals. Increasingly, right around the world companies large and small are using technology to try and solve these problems.

As an Investor, this is an area in which 3i has well established expertise. We have a long history of investing in and partnering with companies in the cleantech space before it became fashionable. Our most recent investment of ¤30 million in Belgian renewable energy company, Electrawinds, is a good example of 3i backing a leading business in this field. Our recent portfolio includes over ten companies across three continents. We have investments in a number of very exciting businesses developing fuel cells, wavepower and water purification systems that you can read about further in this edition of iSIGHT.

Our global positioning means we can offer a unique service to cleantech companies, providing solutions to early and late stage companies right through the value chain. Our international cleantech team, led by venture partners Ali Erfan in London, Marko Maschek in the US and Joern Pelzer in Germany, is working hard to help these companies grow and prosper.

So, without further ado, welcome to our first Cleantech edition of iSIGHT.