Overview
- Name: Archipelago Ventures
- Headquarters: London, UK
- Website: archipelagoventures.uk
- Investment focus: Circular economy, climate, materials innovation, AI
- Investment geographies: Europe, North America
- Eligible LPs: Accredited investors, donor-advised funds, development finance institutions, family offices, foundations, high net worth individuals, institutional investors
- GP profile: View Archipelago Ventures’ full profile on ImpactSpace
Archipelago Ventures has spent the past five years supporting Europe’s circular materials ecosystem. Its Circular Plastics Accelerator, backed by UK-based nonprofit WRAP, supported startups in AI-powered robotics (Sorted), textile recycling (Evoralis), and light-based material identification (Matoha).
Now, with anchor backing from Lukas Walton’s family office, Builders Vision, the woman-owned firm is funding startups from the accelerator via its ACE Fund. The fund will also invest in textiles and metals reuse and upcycling.
“There are different definitions of ‘circular economy’ for investors,” Archipelago’s Lucy Mortimer tells ImpactAlpha. “We believe that going up in the supply chain is really important.” Archipelago is “looking at things that will change manufacturing processes,” she adds.
In all, the fund will make about 20 investments in companies at the seed and Series A stage. Archipelago expects to close three new investments by the end of the year.
Archipelago has set up the ACE Fund with a compensation structure aligned to its impact goals. A quarter of its carried interest is tied to impact performance metrics like reductions in waste, microplastics, and end-of-life emissions, and material reuse and efficiency.
The firm also has a clear focus on diversity in leadership. Three of its portfolio companies are woman-led, and the fund actively tracks leadership diversity. The firm also runs the Archipelago Academy, helping founders embed ESG and impact into their business strategies.
This profile was written with AI assistance. All content is verified and edited by an ImpactAlpha editorial team member prior to publication.
This publication does not constitute investment advice and should not be relied on to make investment decisions.
