· 5 min read
Please watch our Community celebration (cool) video!
It is our greatest joy to announce and celebrate with our community the successful closing of our first investment round, securing over €2 million from 20+ top climate investors. illuminem has thus achieved the highest valuation for an early-stage climate company in Italy (where we've based our operations) and the most participated climate funding round of 2024, featuring 5 VCs, a top accelerator (Techstars), and over 15 executives from leading climate companies.
A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone in our community who made it possible. We eagerly look forward to sharing the exciting next steps with you!
Photo: special moment at illuminem community celebration
A milestone financing round
illuminem’s first financing round is participated by:
• 5 Venture Capital Firms: BlackWood (Denmark), Fortino Capital (Belgium), Genesis Venture (Greece), Sustainable Impact (Dubai), Eden Ventures (Italy)
• 1 leading accelerator: Techstars (USA, which is also the world's foremost early-stage investor)
• 15+ leading figures in the climate space, such as the CEOs and CSOs of South Pole (world's leading climate company, Switzerland), Vestas (world's leading wind company, Denmark), Tikehau Capital (world's leading climate fund, France), BCG (world's leading climate strategy consultancy, USA), Carbonsink (top carbon project developer, Italy), Magaldi (top thermal energy company worldwide, Italy), and TAQA (top 10 utility company worldwide, UAE)
This diverse and influential group of supporters not only underscores the growing belief in our mission but also highlights our potential to drive meaningful change from within the sustainability sector.
An unforgettable celebration in Venice
To commemorate this milestone, we hosted a special celebration in the enchanting city of Venice on the 19th and 20th of July.
The event kicked off with a warm welcome from public authorities, including the Deputy Mayor of Venice, Simone Venturini, the Presidency of the Veneto Region, the Presidency of the Tuscany Region, and Italy’s Chamber of Deputies. They shared inspiring words of encouragement, highlighting the importance of companies like illuminem in driving forward the agenda of sustainability and innovation.
The celebration continued with a heartfelt moment as Angelo Bonelli, Spokesperson of Green Europe, Susan Ellicott, former BBC correspondent, and Omar Alshogre, a world famous human rights activist, took the stage to read a powerful poem by Alex Langer, bringing a reflective and poignant touch to the event. This moment was a beautiful reminder of “why we are here” and “where we come from”. Read the poem here.
Thereafter, illuminem’s Founders shared the story of our journey and outlined our future ambitions. Nicolas, our Chief Growth Officer, narrated the remarkable growth we've experienced over the past year, reaching the milestone of over 350,000 users on our platform.
Our “CEO”, Andrea, articulated the broader vision of the company, outlining ambitious plans for expanding our impact, fostering deeper community engagement, and setting new standards in the industry.
Markos, our Chief Product Officer, unveiled our latest innovation, the world’s first Sales Navigator in Sustainability, designed to scale climate solutions. The event was the perfect opportunity to present how illuminem’s new product works, enabling sellers to access quality leads using tailored sustainability insights and data.
To wrap up the presentation, Maria Vittoria, our Chief Legal Officer, introduced some of the key figures behind our success, inviting on stage Bastian Larsen, Founder & CEO of BlackWood, Silvia Pugi, Managing Partner & Investor of Eden Ventures, and Alessandro Villa, Partner of Osborne Clarke.
We hosted a thought-provoking webinar titled “The Future of Sustainability Jobs” featuring 3 renowned illuminem Voices namely, Vaitea Cowan, Co-Founder of Enapter (leader in green hydrogen technology and Earthshot Prize recipient); Elena Morettini, Global Head of Sustainable Business at Globant (the world’s fastest growing IT brand worldwide); and Renat Heuberger, Co-Founder of South Pole, who also served as the moderator. The discussions offered invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of sustainability professions, highlighting both challenges and opportunities in this critical field.
The evening was an exquisite blend of networking and celebration, set against the backdrop of Venice's timeless beauty. Attendees engaged in vibrant discussions, exchanged ideas, and formed new connections, further solidifying the bonds within our community.
A spectacular finale at the Redentore Festival
The festivities continued on Saturday evening, culminating in a spectacular display of fireworks during the Redentore festival—one of Europe's grandest celebrations. It was a magical moment, as our community gathered once more to marvel at the dazzling lights and reflect on the incredible journey we have shared.
This event was not just a celebration of our achievements but a testament to the strength of our community and our shared commitment to a sustainable future. As we look forward, we are filled with excitement for the path that lies ahead and immense gratitude for the passionate and dedicated community that walks beside us.
We eagerly anticipate many more milestones and celebrations together, as we continue to innovate and lead in the sustainability sector.
Check out the video summary of our unforgettable event here!
Relive the celebration and explore more sustainability milestones with our sustainability Data Hub™.
