When it comes to the green transition, most VCs still tick the sustainability box and relocate on. But The Footprint Firm is taking a different route, mixing venture capital with hands-on advisory to support early-stage deep tech startups actually scale up and build a real impact.
Today, Footprint Fund I closes at €76M, an Article 9 fund already backing 20 Northern European startups, like Reel Energy, Kvasir Technologies, Nordic Salt Cycle, FoodOp, and Rock Flour Company.
The Footprint Firm’s backers include North-East Family Office, EIFO, Realdania, Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker, TryghedsGruppen, Lauritzen Fonden, Nordea-fonden, Novo Holdings, and Velliv Foreningen.
Accelerating the green transition in Northern Europe
Founded in 2019 by Jakob Mathias Wichmann, Anna Søndergaard, and Christian Sparrevohn, The Footprint Firm brings toreceiveher capital, expertise, and networks to turn research into real-world industrial impact.
Their focus is on re-seed and seed-stage companies across biotech, energy, AI-powered climate tech, circular manufacturing, the built environment, CO₂ reduction, and food systems. Ticket sizes range from €0.5M to €2M, with a goal of 30 investments in total.
In a conversation with TFN, Wichmann shares, “Footprint Fund I is built on an integrated venture model that deliberately combines early-stage capital with a large, in-hoapply 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.”
Jakob continues, “The fund is supported by a team of ~45 specialists who actively work with portfolio companies on issues that are often decisive bottlenecks for deeptech and climate ventures, e.g. scientific validation, regulatory readiness, commercialisation pathways, industrial scaling, sustainability strategy, and commercial introductions. For founders, this alters the experience from having a purely financial investor to gaining a long-term operating partner.”
What about a diversity strategy?
Sofie Käll, Chief Investment Officer, notes, “DEI at The Footprint Firm is approached as a core value-creation and resilience strategy, not a standalone policy.
At the GP and organisational levels, the firm actively works on mental health, psychological safety, and inclusive leadership practices, including transparent compensation principles, regular employee feedback, and structured wellbeing initiatives. These practices are designed to reduce burnout risk and support sustainable high performance.
In portfolio selection, we back diverse founding teams and evaluate governance, leadership composition, and organisational culture as part of our investment process.
In portfolio support, we run the “First Footprints” DEI initiative, co-created with portfolio companies. This includes practical toolkits for inclusive recruitment, feedback culture, employee listening, and psychological safety. “
What’s next?
With Fund I wrapped, Footprint is scaling up its Copenhagen HQ, gearing up for Fund II, and doubling down on Northern Europe.
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