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§ Private Profile
An investment strategy investing in companies solving environmental & societal issues for climate & sustainability.
Key people at Aegon Climate Capital.
Aegon Climate Capital is a specialized investment strategy based in The Hague, Netherlands, that deploys institutional capital into companies addressing complex environmental and societal challenges. Operating as a dedicated vehicle within the broader Aegon Asset Management framework, the entity specifically targets energy and industrial businesses that are reaching critical commercial inflection points. The strategy functions as a subsidiary operation of the Dutch financial services organization Aegon Group, directing its investments toward sectors such as energy transition, industrial resilience, and advanced sustainability solutions. While specific assets under management and funding metrics remain undisclosed, the initiative's leadership eventually transitioned their financial expertise to establish CurvePoint Capital, a separate private credit firm focused on similar climate objectives. Aegon Climate Capital was originally founded within the corporate asset management division around 2017 by co-founders Brian Wayne and James Rich.
Key people at Aegon Climate Capital.
Aegon Climate Capital was an investment strategy under Aegon Asset Management (Aegon AM) focused on climate finance, deploying capital into growth-stage climate technology companies to drive environmental impact and financial returns.[1][2] Its mission centered on accelerating innovation in hard tech sectors like the built environment, renewable energy, resource and energy efficiency, and industrial technology, providing tailored capital solutions to companies at pivotal growth stages.[1][2] The strategy emphasized expertise-driven investments that supported a transition to a sustainable global economy, aligning with Aegon Group's broader commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its investment portfolios.[3][4]
The team demonstrated a strong track record in climate tech before spinning out in 2024 to form CurvePoint Capital, an independent firm backed by Aegon AM, maintaining continuity in investment philosophy while gaining flexibility.[1][2] This evolution highlights Aegon Climate Capital's role in nurturing the startup ecosystem through flexible, sector-specific funding that bridged gaps in the "overlooked middle of the market" for climate tech.[1][2]
Aegon Climate Capital emerged as a dedicated strategy within Aegon Asset Management, co-founded by James Rich and Brian Wayne around 2017, based on their combined expertise in climate finance and alternative investments.[1][2] Brian Wayne, with 18 years of experience including a decade at Congress Asset Management deploying over $1 billion in private capital, joined Aegon AM and spent seven years developing impact and sustainability-focused capabilities, culminating in the Climate Capital initiative.[2] James Rich, now Managing Partner at CurvePoint, brought complementary skills in revolutionizing climate finance.[1]
The strategy gained traction through successful investments in climate tech, building a demonstrated track record that positioned it for independence.[1] In 2024, the core team—including Rich, Wayne, and Alena Solonina—launched CurvePoint Capital in Boulder and Los Angeles, retaining Aegon AM's institutional backing while evolving to focus on structured solutions for energy and industrial tech amid the energy transition.[1][2] This pivot marked a pivotal moment, amplifying their ability to address climate challenges with greater autonomy.[1]
Aegon Climate Capital rode the surge in climate tech investments, capitalizing on global decarbonization trends amid rising emissions from sectors like buildings (nearly 40% of global total) and aviation (2-3% of GHGs).[1][7] Its timing aligned with market forces such as regulatory pushes for net-zero transitions and the need for resilient industrial solutions, as Aegon Group conducts annual climate risk assessments across its assets.[4][6] By funding growth-stage innovators, it influenced the ecosystem by de-risking hard tech scale-ups, challenging conventional finance paradigms, and supporting a climate-resilient economy—evident in spin-outs like CurvePoint that continue this momentum.[1][2][7]
Aegon Climate Capital's legacy endures through CurvePoint Capital, which is positioned to expand investments in energy transition tech as climate pressures intensify and technologies mature.[1][2] Trends like aviation and automotive decarbonization, alongside policy-driven net-zero goals, will shape its path, potentially amplifying influence via more structured funds akin to Aegon's climate transition offerings.[5][7][8] As the firm scales independently with Aegon backing, expect deeper penetration into industrial resilience, evolving from strategy to a broader force in sustainable finance that ties back to its origins in accelerating climate tech growth.[1][2]
