2 million euro investment strengthens environmental and climate protection: EVA Service GmbH on course for growth
Halle, 31.07.2024 – bmp Ventures has invested in EVA Service GmbH with the IBG funds and is thus supporting the Ecosystem Value Alliance Foundation’s project ideally and also financially at the level of EVA Service GmbH with an investment of two million euros.
For the protection and preservation of native forests
Since 2018, more than 500,000 hectares of forest in Germany have fallen victim to climate change. The preservation of our forest areas and their CO2 sink capacity is essential, especially for climate protection. However, there is often a lack of funding for this – this is where the Forest Climate Standard comes in. The aim is to value and appropriately reward the climate-oriented conversion and restoration of forests. This is achieved by marketing climate certificates on the voluntary emissions market.
With the forest climate standard, EVA is creating a mechanism through which forest owners can quantify the ecosystem services of their forests and co-finance them with private capital. The climate certificates generated enable forest owners to obtain urgently needed co-financing by selling them on the voluntary emissions market. In Germany, there are 2.85 million hectares of high-risk forest areas, which require a financing sum of at least 50 billion euros in order to accomplish the future task of forest conversion.
The participation of the IBG funds of the state of Saxony-Anhalt significantly secures the further development of the forest climate standard, the expansion of the technical platforms and the coordination and moderation of the multi-stakeholder dialog, thus actively promoting regional climate protection. The investment is being realized by bmp Ventures AG with IBG Risikokapitalfonds IV GmbH & Co. KG in the amount of 2 million euros.
We are very pleased about the commitment of IBG Saxony-Anhalt. With her on board, we will be able to further develop the forest climate standard so that we can open up new areas of application, such as the valorization of biodiversity, in addition to forest restoration and conversion.
says Alexander Zeihe, Spokesman of the eva foundation’s Executive Board and Managing Director of EVA Service GmbH.
With the entry of our strong partner, we are happy to have found a new home in Saxony-Anhalt, where our organization can continue to grow successfully.
A wealth of experience
In addition to Alexander Zeihe, EVA was founded by Rüdiger Meyer and Moriz Vohrer. All three have extensive experience in the fields of forestry and certification systems. Alexander Zeihe was managing director of the Federal Association of Private Forest Owners in Berlin for many years. Rüdiger Meyer, former managing director of Flocert GmbH, brings a broad range of expertise in the field of certification. Moriz Vohrer worked for standard setters for many years and played a key role in the development of the WWF Gold Standard.
Andreas van Bon, Partner at bmp Ventures AG, is convinced:
The investment in EVA Service GmbH is not only important for the further development of the forest climate standard, but also enables us to offer our services sustainably and economically. I look forward to working with this experienced team.
About EVA Service GmbH
EVA Service GmbH is a subsidiary of the Ecosystem Value Alliance Foundation, which was founded to promote environmental and climate protection for the common good and to support the education of the population in this area.
By developing scientifically sound, digital and scalable standards, EVA Service GmbH enables ecosystem services to be remunerated. By applying these standards, tradable certificates are generated, the sale of which finances the conservation and restoration of ecosystems.
Behind EVA are motivated employees with expertise in the fields of forestry and agricultural science, standardization, certification, policy, strategy and communication.
“So that nature remains valuable.”
We believe in a future in which we humans once again live in balance with nature and operate within planetary boundaries. That is why the eva foundation pursues the goal of valuing ecosystem services so that it is worthwhile for everyone to preserve nature.
About IBG funds
The IBG funds, headquartered in Magdeburg, are the venture capital funds of the country of Saxony-Anhalt – they provide capital to young, innovative technology companies with sustainable and above average growth potential, based in Saxony-Anhalt. By the end of 2023, IBG launched the new venture capital fund, RKF IV, with a volume of 63 million euros. The fund is financed by the state and the European Union and invests in innovative startups in Saxony-Anhalt in the seed, early stage, and expansion. The IBG funds are managed by bmp Ventures AG.
About bmp Ventures
With a track record of over 250 investments across nearly all technology segments, mainly in the early-stage phase, bmp Ventures is one of the most experienced venture capital investors in Germany. In addition to direct investments, bmp managed venture capital funds for institutions such as the KfW Banking Group and DEG, the German Investment and Development Corporation. Currently, bmp oversees the IBG funds in Saxony-Anhalt and employs approximately 20 experts across its Berlin and Magdeburg locations.
Press Contact
bmp Ventures AG
Josephine Gantze
– Marketing & Events –
Tel.: +49 391 5328 140
jgantze@bmp.com
EVA Service GmbH
Alexander Zeihe
– Managing Director of EVA Service GmbH –
Tel.: +49 1752272364
presse@ecosystemvalue.org
