While many venture capital firms still treat sustainability as a checkbox, The Footprint Firm is taking a radically different approach. The Copenhagen-based firm has recently closed its Footprint Fund I at € 76 million, an Article 9 fund dedicated to accelerating the green transition in Northern Europe. Unlike traditional VCs, The Footprint Firm combines early-stage capital with hands-on advisory support, helping deep tech startups scale their impact from lab to market.
Founded in 2019 by Jakob Wichmann, Anna Søndergaard, and Christian Sparrevohn, The Footprint Firm is more than just a fund, it’s a full-service partner for startups tackling climate challenges. The firm focuses on re-seed and seed-stage companies in sectors like biotech, energy, AI-powered climate tech, circular manufacturing, CO₂ reduction, and food systems, with investments ranging from € 0.5 million to € 2 million.
“With Footprint Fund I, we are doubling down on our mission to accelerate what is necessary. The future worth building will not arrive by chance, it must be ventured into. Europe has the talent, research depth, and industrial base needed to build category-defining climate solutions, and we want to contribute to the success of these teams with funding, ecosystem support and our expertise and network,”
said Anna Søndergaard, co-founding Partner and CEO at The Footprint Firm to EU startups
What sets The Footprint Firm apart is its integrated venture model. Instead of just providing capital and occasional board advice, the firm offers continuous, hands-on support through a team of 45 in-house specialists. These experts help portfolio companies navigate scientific validation, regulatory hurdles, commercialization, and industrial scaling, critical bottlenecks for deep tech and climate ventures.
“Footprint Fund I is built on an integrated venture model that deliberately combines early-stage capital with a large, in-house sustainability and commercial advisory platform. Unlike a classic climate or deeptech VC fund where portfolio support is typically limited to board work, introductions, and periodic strategic input, Footprint Fund I is structurally designed to deploy hands-on expertise throughout the investment lifecycle. “
says Jakob Wichmann to TFN
With the new fund, The Footprint Firm strengthens its role as a catalyst for research-based and scalable sustainable innovation. The investments focus on technologies and business models that can be realised at industrial scale and contribute to the global green transition.
