Nordic real estate investor NREP, venture capital firm 2150, credit platform Velo Capital, and private equity investor Luma Equity have jointly set up a new ESG-focused investment platform in real estate, venture capital, private equity and credit.
The Urban Partners platform aims to address complex social, economic and environmental challenges facing cities today by pioneering problem-solving partnerships that bridge the gap between the interests of capital and cities.
By bringing together different types of expertise and capital (€20bn in assets under management), Urban Partners intends to analyze all factors required to decarbonize and regenerate the urban environment rather than real estate or climate tech in isolation.
Urban Partners has €5bn available for immediate investments in assets, companies and technologies that will accelerate decarbonization and transform urban neighborhoods, in partnership with cities.
The leadership team of Urban Partners has been migrated from NREP.
Claus Mathisen, CEO of Urban Partners, said: ‘The launch of Urban Partners represents a new investment thesis and a new level of ambition. Only by taking an integrated approach, bringing together expertise from real estate, private capital, and credit will we be able to address the complex challenges of decarbonization, affordability, health, biodiversity, urban efficiency, and infrastructure that cities face. No-one can solve these challenges alone. We urge our peers to follow our lead. If we are to achieve net zero emissions, we need a massive redistribution of capital towards buildings and industry, which account for more than half of global emissions but attract only 13% of investment.’
Mikkel Bülow-Lehnsby, chairperson of Urban Partners, added: ‘We launched Urban Partners to bridge the gap between the interests of people, cities, and capital. Misalignment between these has led to inadequate, sometimes even harmful, development of the urban ecosystem – urban sprawl, segregation, and ever rising carbon emissions being the consequence. We want to lead a new era where shared visions deliver shared benefits. Where we put our financial weight and urban expertise into finding solutions to the largest problem out there: making cities livable for the long-term.’
