Berlin – A Team led by YPOG partners Fabian Euhus and Helder Schnittker provided comprehensive legal and tax advice to World Fund (WF World Fund Management GmbH), Europe’s rising climate tech venture capital fund manager. The VC intends to invest €350 million to back founders using tech solutions to tackle the climate crisis by helping to decarbonize the planet. With more than 60 investors, including current and former European tech founders, World Fund has been initiated by global search engine Ecosia, focused on tech that can reduce carbon emissions across sectors including energy, transport, food and agriculture, manufacturing and buildings. World Fund invests in companies with the highest climate performance potential (CPP) focusing on the emissions reduction potential of at least 100 megatonnes of CO2 emissions per year in industries such as energy, transport, construction, food and agriculture at early and growth stage. To assess and measure the CPP, World Fund has developed its own methodology in exchange with Project Drawdown, Crane, and TU Berlin.
Partners are investor and entrepreneur Tim Schumacher, VC investor Daria Saharova, sustainability investor Craig Douglas, and climate tech thought leader Danijel Visevic. World Fund’s mission is to save 2 gigatons of emissions by 2040 – the equivalent to 4% of all global emissions. With this commitment, World Fund is putting the health of the planet at the core of every decision it makes, considering that climate returns are an early indicator for financial returns. From companies creating alternative proteins to energy storage solutions and smart charging infrastructure as a service, World Fund targets disruptive companies with the potential to become market leaders. The need for venture capital in climate tech is overwhelming: a recent study by the German Energy Agency found that Germany alone needs €22.7 billion in order to deliver a positive climate impact by 2030.
World Fund’s first closing is set to be in H1 2022, and the fund has begun making its first investments.
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Advisors World Fund:
Dr. Fabian Euhus (Co-Lead/Corporate, Structuring), Partner
Dr. Helder Schnittker (Co-Lead/Tax), Partner
Lennart Lorenz (Regulatory), Partner
Joel El-Qalqili (Structuring, Impact & ESG), Associated Partner
Stefanie Nagel (Corporate, Regulatory), Associate
Antonia von Treuenfeld (Impact & ESG), Associate
Dr. Friedrich Wöhlecke (Tax), Associate
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YPOG is a law firm specialized in tax and business law, active in the core fields of Funds, Tax, Banking + Finance, and Transactions. The team at YPOG represents a broad client base, which ranges from emerging technology companies and family-run SMEs to large corporations, as well as private equity, and venture capital funds. YPOG is one of the leading advisors for venture capital, private equity, and fund structuring in Germany. The firm and its partners have been recognized nationally and internationally by JUVE, Best Lawyers, Legal 500, Focus, Chambers and Partners as well as Leaders League. Today, YPOG has more than 120 experienced lawyers and tax specialists and a notary, in three offices, located in Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne.
