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Caring Entrepreneurship Fund
The Caring Entrepreneurship Fund, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is structured as a single-family office that directs private capital toward...
Caring Entrepreneurship Fund
The Caring Entrepreneurship Fund, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is structured as a single-family office that directs private capital toward early-stage and growth-stage enterprises with a social or environmental mission. Its founding family's wealth origin is not publicly disclosed, but the firm has been active in European impact investing since at least the mid-2010s. The fund's strategy spans seed-stage venture investments and later-stage growth equity, with a focus on sectors including healthcare access, education technology, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy. Known portfolio companies include the Belgian social enterprise Ecluse (which recycles coffee grounds) and the French inclusive-hiring platform NQT. The fund also participates in co-investment rounds alongside other impact-focused family offices and institutional impact funds, with a geographic focus on Western Europe and select emerging markets. Its approach prioritizes measurable social outcomes alongside financial returns, often holding positions for 7–10 years. Deployment pace is deliberate; the fund typically completes one to three new investments per year and supports portfolio companies with operational expertise from its small team. It maintains no separate philanthropic foundation, but its investment mandate itself carries charitable characteristics — the fund accepts below-market returns in exchange for higher social impact. The team size is not publicly specified, but leadership is understood to be a small, hands-on group based in Brussels. In 2023, the fund led a €5M Series A round in Re-leaf, a Belgian urban farming technology company (per press reports, 2023). The Caring Entrepreneurship Fund's structural differentiator lies in its explicit prioritization of impact over return maximization, a governance choice that sets it apart from conventional single-family offices. Its mandate is enshrined in its investment charter, which requires that at least 80% of deployed capital target enterprises with a certified social or environmental framework, such as B Corp status or EU Social Economy certification. This architecture creates a hybrid entity — part family office, part impact fund — with governance that protects mission even as the fund scales.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Belgium
City
Brussels
Corporate office
Brussels, Belgium
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What investment stages does the Caring Entrepreneurship Fund typically target?
The fund invests across seed to growth-stage companies, with a preference for Series A and later rounds. It typically holds positions for 7–10 years, reflecting its patient-capital mandate. The fund leads or co-leads rounds and is open to follow-on investments in portfolio companies.
How does the Caring Entrepreneurship Fund source deal flow?
The fund sources proprietary deal flow through its network of impact accelerators, university spinout programs, and partnerships with European impact investors. It also receives referrals from its portfolio companies and through its presence at events like the Social Impact Summit in Brussels.
Does the Caring Entrepreneurship Fund accept below-market returns?
Yes, the fund's investment mandate explicitly prioritizes measurable social or environmental impact over maximum financial return. It accepts risk-adjusted returns that may be lower than pure venture capital benchmarks, in exchange for achieving certified impact outcomes.
What sectors does the Caring Entrepreneurship Fund explicitly avoid?
The fund avoids weapons, fossil fuels, gambling, tobacco, and any enterprise not aligned with a recognized social or environmental certification framework. It also excludes companies with significant revenue from data monetization or extractive industries.
Is the Caring Entrepreneurship Fund a single-family office or a multi-family office?
The fund operates as a single-family office, backed by a single founding family based in Belgium. It does not accept external capital from other family offices or institutional investors. The fund's governance is controlled by the founding family.
How does the Caring Entrepreneurship Fund measure impact?
The fund requires all portfolio companies to certify under a recognized framework such as B Corp, EU Social Economy certification, or the UN Sustainable Development Goals alignment. It tracks standardized impact metrics including jobs created in underserved communities, carbon emissions reduced, and beneficiary reach, reporting annually.
What is the fund's relationship to philanthropic foundations?
The fund does not operate a separate philanthropic foundation. Instead, its investment vehicle itself blends philanthropic and commercial objectives, with a mandate that accepts below-market returns for higher social impact. This structure avoids the need for a separate grant-making entity.
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