Sustainable and impact investment fund manager Bridges announced that it has added HSBC Asset Management’s climate technology team led by Christophe Defert and Mike D’Aurizio to launch of Bridges Climate Transition Partners, aimed at backing founders with proven technology solutions that can help mitigate and adapt to climate change.
The new platform will continue to manage the team’s existing Climate Growth Partners fund, with HSBC AM remaining a limited partner and maintaining its existing capital commitment in the fund. The firm added that HSBC also intends to be an anchor investor in a successor fund, to be established and managed by Bridges in the future.
Joanna Munro, CEO Alternatives at HSBC Asset Management, said:
“Christophe, Mike and team have built a strong platform with a differentiated approach and a solid foundation for growth. Our ongoing relationship with Bridges will support the scaling of this strategy, while continuing to serve the interests of existing investors.”
Defert and D’Aurizio both joined HSBC in 2021 to develop a venture capital investment strategy providing clients with opportunities to invest globally in technology startups who are addressing the challenges of climate change. They joined HSBC after holding senior positions at energy services and solutions company Centrica.
Defert said:
“Joining Bridges is a natural next step: it allows us to keep building on the strong foundations and networks we’ve developed over the last decade, with the support of HSBC. Bridges’ entrepreneurial spirit, impact expertise and specialist support will complement this perfectly.”
According to Bridges, as part of the new platform the team will continue to back scalable, commercially proven European and North American technology companies, with a focus on areas like energy transition, sustainable manufacturing and climate resilience.
Michele Giddens, CEO and Co-Founder of Bridges Fund Management, said:
“We’re thrilled to welcome Christophe, Mike and their outstanding team into the Bridges family. Their expertise and passion for solutions that are accelerating the transition to a more sustainable economy align perfectly with our mission. We firmly believe that investing in innovative climate technologies is one of the most powerful ways to achieve positive impact at scale, and we’re delighted to be spinning in this proven, expert team to spearhead our effort.”
