EIF Leads €100 Million Pledge to RIVE Infrastructure Impact Fund in Green Transition Push

EIF Leads €100 Million Pledge to RIVE Infrastructure Impact Fund in Green Transition Push

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Fund (EIF) has pledged €100 million to the RIVE Infrastructure Impact Fund (RIIF), marking a significant commitment to the energy transition in Europe. Managed by RIVE Private Investment, RIIF focuses exclusively on supporting SMEs across various sectors of the energy transition, aiming to reduce Europe’s carbon footprint, provide green and affordable energy, and stimulate job creation while adhering to rigorous ESG standards. This investment underscores EIF’s dedication to mobilizing private investments in alignment with EU policy priorities, particularly the Green Deal, and positions RIIF to play a pivotal role in driving tangible progress towards a sustainable energy future.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 7-Jun-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Fund (EIF) has pledged €100 million to the RIVE Infrastructure Impact Fund (RIIF), solidifying its position as the lead investor in the first round of commitments totaling €180 million. Managed by RIVE Private Investment, RIIF is dedicated exclusively to fostering the energy transition in Europe, supporting entrepreneurs across various sectors, including renewables, green gas, sustainable thermal energy, energy storage, and transport infrastructure.

This significant investment from EIF, bolstered by the InvestEU program, underscores the institution’s commitment to mobilizing private investments in alignment with EU policy priorities, particularly the Green Deal. Through RIIF, RIVE aims to reduce Europe’s carbon footprint, provide green and affordable energy, and stimulate job creation, all while adhering to rigorous environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

The RIIF will play a pivotal role in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they expand their asset base and strive for industry leadership in the energy transition. With initiatives like a proprietary ESG Roadmap and tools, RIIF is poised to drive tangible progress towards a sustainable energy future.

Pierre du Passage, Partner at RIVE, expressed confidence in RIVE’s mission, emphasizing the importance of investing in SMEs to facilitate their growth and position them as leaders in decarbonizing energy production and usage. Marjut Falkstedt, Chief Executive of EIF, echoed this sentiment, highlighting EIF’s dedication to supporting investments in energy generation, low-carbon mobility infrastructure, and electricity storage across Europe. With the backing of InvestEU, EIF is poised to catalyze meaningful strides in advancing the green transition.

About RIVE Private Investment

RIVE Private Investment is an independent European investment company, specialized in essential assets in the transport and energy sectors. Founded in 2013 by Yann Thomas and Etienne Mouthon, RIVE currently manages more than €850 million and has closed over 100 transactions. The RIVE team consists of 25 employees based in Paris, Luxembourg and Geneva.

Through its energy transition business line, RIVE invests across the entire energy value chain: renewables, green gas, sustainable thermal energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, and mobility infrastructure. RIVE’s positioning reflects a concrete commitment to climate change mitigation and a desire for a positive impact on local communities. The team has financed more than 850 MW of capacity across Europe.

About the European Investment Fund

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group. Its central mission is to support Europe’s micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by helping them to access finance. The EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees and micro-finance instruments that specifically target this market segment. In this role, it contributes to the achievement of key EU policy goals such as competitiveness and growth, innovation and digitalisation, social impact, skills and human capital, climate action and environmental sustainability.

About InvestEU

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for the European Union’s policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.

Media Contacts:

EIB: 
Christophe Alix
c.alix@eib.org
+33 (0)6 11 81 30 99
Website: www.eib.org/press
press@eib.org

Bénédicte Debusschere
b.debusschere@bcadvisory.fr
+33 (0)6 48 56 70 71

Victoria Wojtczak
v.wojtczak@bcadvisory.fr
+33 (0)6 79 75 01 66

European Commission: 
Ignazio Cocchiere
ignazio.cocchiere@ec.europa.eu
tel.: +32 2 298 39 51

SOURCE: European Investment Fund