Management Agency

The companies Emerald Technology Ventures and South Pole employ proven experts with many years of experience in corporate finance, startups and sustainability. This expertise enables an in-depth, accurate assessment of whether applicants fulfil the legal criteria of environmental benefits, market opportunities and creditworthiness for issuing a loan guarantee.

Emerald is a globally recognized venture capital firm building a sustainable future at the crossroads of industry and technology. Founded in 2000, it is a pioneer in open innovation, providing multi-national corporations with rich deal flow and insight in the sectors and markets of tomorrow. Emerald manages and advises assets of over €1 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm is dedicated to tackling big challenges in climate change and sustainability via over 500 venture transactions and five third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups.

South Pole, originally an ETH Zurich spin-off, has spread to almost every continent on the globe since its foundation in 2006. With 30 branches all around the world and more than 1300 employees, South Pole enables the implementation and operation of around 1000 projects globally in 50 countries that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, increased use of renewable energy sources and better energy efficiency.

Emerald manages around 2/3 of applications and South Pole manages around 1/3.

Should a business or private relationship exist between Emerald and a particular applicant, South Pole will take over the review of the application and monitoring of the loan guarantee. The same applies in the event of a relationship between South Pole and an applicant: Emerald will take over the application review and monitoring.

An application can also be handed over during the review process should a situation arise that places the independence of the reviewer in question. In this case, the handover will take place following the completion of the ongoing review stage, if possible, in order to avoid creating an additional burden for the applicant.

This measure allows the management agency to guarantee an independent, neutral application review process.