Since beginning its German operations, the EIF’s equity mandates today total nearly €7 billion, alongside long-standing debt financing partnerships, including InvestEU.
Before Berlin emerged as a tech hub, the EIF worked to bridge funding gaps, including the launch of the 2004 ERP-EIF Facility in partnership with the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) – a flagship equity instrument that has inspired similar initiatives across Europe. By 2023, the EIF had signed 327 transactions with financial intermediaries and aims to continue to expand support with local partners.
In the past, batteries were thrown into furnaces, burned, and then the nickel and cobalt extracted - a process that, although economically viable, is environmentally unsustainable. German startup Cylib offers a better way. "We break down the battery into its raw form, so that we can then re‑use it again to make new batteries. That way we don't have to keep mining for new minerals," explains Lilian Schwich, co‑founder and CEO.
Supported by equity investment from World Fund - a German VC backed by the EIF under the InvestEU programme - Cylib has been able to develop its holistic recycling process built on mechanical and thermal treatment with minimal chemicals.