Vanterra C Change Transformative Energy & Materials Fund I launched with a USD100m initial close earlier this month, led by anchor investor Vanterra Capital in partnership with C Change Investments.
The fund was founded by John T. Preston, energy investor and former director of technology development for MIT; John Sylvia, a former partner at TPG and chief operating officer of CalEnergy; Roger Berry, formerly of Climate Change Capital; and Alan Quasha and Shad Azimi (pictured), managing partners of Vanterra Capital.
The fund was established to identify proprietary investments in companies that help to transform the operations of industrial users and producers of energy and materials.
“Domain specific expertise is critical to successfully investing in the transformative energy and materials space,” says Azimi. “The TEM management team brings to bear the experience of individuals with extensive scientific backgrounds, a deep understanding of utilities and industrial firms as well as a pipeline of proprietary investment flow – all of which put us in a strong position to take advantage of opportunities in this increasingly important and rapidly growing market segment.”
The fund’s advisory board, led by Russell Read, former chief investment officer of Calpers, includes Michael E. Porter, University Professor Harvard Business School; Paul E Gray, MIT president emeritus; and Dudley R. Herschbach, Professor of Science Emeritus at Harvard University.
Vanterra Capital is a private equity firm that currently manages private equity funds and associated investment vehicles of over USD660m.
C Change Investments is a fund manager focused on energy and materials and the changing dynamic of how they are produced, distributed and consumed.
