TLDR:
- Chris Skidmore launched Desmos Capital Partners to support scale-up firms focused on future clean technologies.
- The investment bank will raise private capital for companies seeking to decarbonize and meet net zero goals.
In a bid to support scale-up firms and new markets focused on future clean technologies, former Energy Minister Chris Skidmore has launched a new private investment bank called Desmos Capital Partners. The bank aims to raise private capital to fund impact-driven companies seeking to raise capital of £5m or more via Series A or B funding rounds or future growth rounds.
Desmos will focus on green sectors such as clean heat, digital energy management, low-carbon transport and mobility, and green grid technologies. Skidmore’s goal with this venture is to support the delivery of a net zero emissions economy and provide much-needed capital to companies seeking to innovate and scale up their solutions for decarbonization.
The new firm will establish offices in London and Paris initially, expanding to Dubai and Toronto in the future. Desmos plans to match scale-ups with investors and utilize creative funding structures and alternative sources of capital, such as private family funds. Skidmore urged ministers to create a roadmap to provide investors and private capital markets with confidence the UK is open for net zero businesses.
In addition to Desmos Capital, Skidmore has launched Better Earth, a consultancy to help governments deliver climate policy frameworks needed to accelerate decarbonization efforts. This launch comes amid a landmark week for green policy in the UK, with plans for a wide-ranging legislative agenda to boost investment in the green economy and accelerate the pursuit of clean power goals.
