A reflection on PYM Impact Days Belgium in Brussel.
Door Wouter Hietink

At the historic Theatre du Vaudeville in Brussels, the heart of the European Union, impact investors and entrepreneurs once again met for PYM’s Impact Day Belgium. Managers of companies, private wealth funds and family offices exchanged philosophies and motivations for leveraging wealth for a brighter future. The theme of this year: “How circularity can improve our future.”

From the beginning it was apparent that the diverse group of attendees, and the representatives of the four funds presented, were there to participate in the same community effort: to share their visions openly, and work together towards sustainable systems.

Several speakers were kind enough to present their respective funds’ goals and accomplishments so far. Each brought with them a unique investment philosophy, tailor-made strategies, and examples of pioneering investments that drive systemic change in a plurality of areas: From agriculture to water, from housing to batteries, and much more.

Speakers

Machtelt Groothuis, representing Rubio, explained how the fund strives to drive systemic change by investing in companies tackling a wide spectrum of issues. RIFT, for instance, is a pioneer in closed industrial heat systems by making use of iron powder: The powder is burned, and then regenerated using hydrogen. Prets identified the need for accessibility to the sustainable energy market. They developed tools to create insights into potential returns of, and financing options for, household investments in sustainable energy. NoPalm addresses deforestation and carbon emissions by creating palm oil substitutes from agri-food waste streams.

Speaking on behalf of Astanor, Arne van Hautekiet explains how they leverage food and agriculture to drive systemic change. “From soil and sea to the gut”, that is the goal! Utilising both strategies of venture and growth, Astanor invests in companies in differing parts of the agricultural value chain. Tractor Junction provides India’s 150 million farmers with refurbished tractors to avoid unnecessary waste. Matrix Pack produces alternatives to plastic packaging by weaving biodegradable straws, cups, cutlery and much more from their unique blend of natural fibres. In turn, Microharvest aims to be the cream of the crop by producing protein at lightspeed. Using bacteria instead of plants or insects, they are able to transform raw materials into protein within a day.

Carbon Equity was present as well, and Jacqueline van den Ende gave an insight into the fund’s unique approach to making sustainable private equity available to the masses. Carbon Equity operates with different strategies, aiming to bolster our strategic independence and recycling amongst others. Cyclic Materials, for example, reduces our reliance on mining imports by recycling minerals from scrap. Another investment, Redwood Materials contributes to circularity by recycling batteries. Across their multiple available funds, each with their own minimum commitment, Carbon Equity provides investment opportunities for those with less capital, too.

Finally, Nicolas Bearelle spoke on behalf of Revive. Their unique approach to building sustainable living communities has already been proven to be successful. As the first project development B-corp, they focus on re-naturing brown sites. Their location ‘Minerve’ in Edegem is illustrative of their impact: From concrete buildings and a grand total of two trees, this site has now been revived to be a sprawling haven of green spaces and (social) housing. The public spaces have been designed to stimulate interpersonal contact, creating a sense of co-living for the inhabitants. The measurable natural impact is the addition of a hundred hectares of nature, and the financial returns have proven complementary to the quality of the project.

World Café and Personal Stories

Towards the end of the evening, those present were invited to join around tables and to engage with representatives from the funds. This provided ample opportunity to pose the questions that had arisen during the presentations in a disarming setting. Personal stories were shared, too. Frank van Beuningen stressed the importance of taking action, as many unique impacts are the key to systemic change. Myleen Verstraete described her road towards impact investing, starting in Amsterdam with sessions at Frank’s table, growing into a motivation to convince other families to follow in their green footsteps. Her goal: Let’s let impact investing
be business as usual.

Concluding

During his act on the balcony, Stefaan Vandist encapsulated the evening fittingly: These impact events are game changers. They facilitate human connections and allow for anyone to get to know impact investing in a relaxed setting, surrounded by people who share in their visions and dreams. Tonight, the focus was on circularity. It became obvious that realising it involves large-scale systemic change, the involvement of investors with more and with less capital, and that we can leverage capital to make a real impact.

We hope to see you again next year!