ESIIF I & ECIIF II

From bold ideas to the ECIIF II today

With the European Social Innovation and Impact Fund (ESIIF I), we helped pioneer a mezzanine impact fund backed by the European Investment Fund (EIF), providing patient capital to social enterprises without requiring an exit. Building on this experience, FASE and Chi Impact Capital (CHI) co-created the European Catalytic Impact Investing Fund II (ECIIF II), expanding the reach to the full spectrum of impact-oriented companies, including exit-oriented ventures and the Impact Mittelstand alike.

ECIIF II

Backing the next generation of European impact pioneers

First close: EUR 21+ million Discover ECIIF II →

ESIIF I

Our proven track record

fully invested See the track record →

Backing the next generation of European impact pioneers

FASE and Chi Impact Capital (CHI) co-created ECIIF II. The fund is advised by Catalytic Impact Partners and managed by Innpact.
News

First close: EUR 21+ million

Progressive impact investors from Europe gave a strong commitment to a unique strategy that expands the investment horizon of transformative impact ventures, backed by a catalytic guarantee from the European Investment Fund.
Among the investors is Relaunch for the future, the subsidiary of the Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPIM), Belgium’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. ECIIF II’s first close brings together many pioneers from the institutional, foundation, business angel, family office and private wealth owner realms. Among them are impact investment fund B the Change Investments from the Netherlands and several progressive foundations, e.g. Eckenstein-Geigy Stiftung and Dachstiftung der Christoph Merian Stiftung from Switzerland, Kommunale Stiftungen Münster from Germany, and GDA Invest, promoted by Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell’Amore from Italy. They all share the founding partners’ deep conviction that impact and performance aren’t trade-offs but mutually inclusive.
Read the press release →

How ECIIF II catalyzes a broader horizon

“The difference lies in the word ‘catalytic.’ Instead of following the traditional VC track, we consciously expand the horizon to include a certain type of transformative ventures that are key to Europe’s future. Those with much longer-term, organic growth trajectories and no exit fantasies in their backpacks. Those with unusual structures such as cooperatives or steward-owned companies and a deep commitment to mission lock.”
Dr. Markus Freiburg
Founder & CEO of FASE and Founding Partner of ECIIF II

 

Founding Partners:  Ellinor Schweyer, Dr. Markus Freiburg, Dr. Christin ter Braak-Forstinger, Pieter-Jan Van de Velde
The only impact fund in Europe with this catalytic guarantee
This wider horizon is fueled by an additional EUR 10 million InvestEU guarantee from the European Investment Fund (EIF) that partially derisks the fund’s portfolio for investors. ECIIF II is the only impact fund in Europe to date that benefits from this catalytic guarantee.
The guarantee allows ECIIF II to pursue a roughly 50:50 mix of exit- and non-exit-oriented target investees.

Four impact verticals for people and the planet

Education & Employment
Health & Care
Circular Economy & Climate Action
Food & Agriculture

 

Are you curious about the ECIIF? Get in touch via eciif.eu

ESIIF I

Our proven track record

FASE partnered with avesco as the fund manager and the European Investment Fund (EIF) as the provider of an EU Guarantee. ESIIF I went live in 2021 and is fully invested. With the ESIIF I, we initiated the first impact mezzanine fund in Europe powered by this guarantee.

Key features of the ESIIF I

EaSI Guarantee

A key element is the EaSI Guarantee that provides a partial downside protection to investors in the Fund.

 

Mezzanine capital

ESIIF I provides mezzanine capital, which is self-liquidating after the end of the tenure and doesn’t require an exit of the portfolio company.

Matching fund principle

ESIIF I is passively managed and applies a matching fund principle: the capital provided by direct investors to the portfolio company is matched 1:1 by ESIIF I up to a predefined amount.

ESIIF I in numbers

<3.2 million

lives improved

35

co-investments

8

European countries

35%

female (co-)founders

Selected ESIIF I portfolio companies

Read the Case Study →
Read the Venture Snapshot →
Read the Case Study →
Read the Venture Snapshot →

See the full portfolio →

Join us in backing Europe’s future impact pioneers

Curious for more details on how we can collaborate?