Achmea Launches €250M Impact Fund For People And Planet

Achmea Investment Management has announced the launch of its new private equity impact fund, the Achmea IM PE Partnership Fund - Healthy People & Planet 2025. The goal is to combine competitive financial returns with measurable social and environmental results. This closed-end fund has a target size of €250 million and an investment term of 10 to 12 years. It aims to direct capital toward companies tackling urgent global issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, healthy nutrition, and improved health outcomes.

The fund has already secured strong support from Dutch pension funds, gaining €225 million in commitments at its first close. While this amount covers most of its target, the fund will still welcome new institutional investors who are interested in joining. Initial investments are expected to start in the last quarter of 2025. Achmea IM hopes this approach will lead to long-term and scalable impact investing in the private equity sector.

The Achmea IM PE Partnership Fund was designed with the specific needs of pension funds and institutional investors in mind. These groups face increasing pressure to balance their financial responsibilities with sustainability goals. The fund offers a cost-effective way to enter the private equity impact market. It aims to provide a reliable path for institutional capital to flow into high-growth and buy-out firms that are financially solid and also contribute positively to the planet and society.

To strengthen its investment strategy, Achmea Investment Management has teamed up with Neuberger Berman Private Markets, a well-known firm with deep experience in private equity impact investing. This partnership will focus on co-investments in buy-out and growth opportunities, combining Achmea IM’s insight into Dutch institutional investors with Neuberger Berman’s ability to source and manage impact-driven private equity investments. This collaboration highlights the need for scale and cooperation to achieve significant impact while ensuring strong financial results.

At the launch, Maureen Schlejen, Chair of the Achmea IM Board, highlighted the fund's dual goals: to provide market-competitive returns while allowing investors to positively contribute to society and the environment. “There is enormous interest in impact investing among our clients, and we’re proud to offer this impact fund,” she said. “Collaboration is essential to us. It speeds up impact and increases scale. This fund offers pension funds and other institutional investors the chance to help achieve the goal of healthy people in a healthy society while getting returns that align with market rates.”

The fund's investment thesis recognizes that the private sector plays a key role in tackling systemic challenges like climate change and public health. By focusing on companies that actively support climate action, biodiversity protection, nutrition, and healthcare, Achmea IM seeks to build a portfolio that drives measurable impact alongside financial growth. The closed-end fund structure allows for a long-term perspective, giving portfolio companies the time needed to implement and scale solutions that can create a meaningful difference.

This initiative reflects a wider trend in the financial industry, where asset managers and institutional investors are increasingly aligning their portfolios with sustainability goals. According to Achmea IM, demand for impact strategies has risen significantly, especially among pension funds. These funds must manage risks related to environmental and social issues while addressing the preferences of their beneficiaries. The Achmea IM PE Partnership Fund directly responds to this demand by integrating sustainability into its main design instead of treating it as a secondary element.

The timing of the fund’s launch is especially relevant as investors face the dual challenges of financial security and sustainability. Pension funds have long-term obligations to their beneficiaries. Aligning investment strategies with the health of the planet and the well-being of future generations is now seen as essential rather than optional. Achmea IM’s actions show how institutional investors can lead by proving that positive impact and financial returns can go hand in hand.

The fund’s open status for new investors indicates that Achmea IM sees continued demand for impact-driven private equity strategies in the market. As more pension funds and institutional investors look for credible and scalable solutions, this fund could serve as a model for similar efforts in Europe and beyond. By pairing the expertise of a seasoned Dutch investment manager with a global partner like Neuberger Berman, the fund is well-positioned to attract a varied investor base and direct capital into impactful solutions.

With the first investments expected to begin in late 2025, the Achmea IM PE Partnership Fund - Healthy People & Planet 2025 will soon start to implement its dual goals. Its success will be measured not only by financial returns but by its ability to support companies that work on ecosystem protection, improve global health, and create sustainable food systems. For Achmea IM and its partners, this launch marks a significant step in impact investing and reinforces the belief that investment capital can and should play a vital role in building a sustainable future.