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SEB Greentech VC gears up with new recruitment

SEB has recruited Samira Aissi as investment manager in its Greentech VC unit. Aissi has extensive experience in impact investments and consulting for start-up companies.

“It really feels like I have found home. It is a small, but incredibly knowledgeable, dedicated, and passionate team and we can also benefit from SEB's network, knowledge and long-term focus,” she says.

SEB launched the Greentech VC unit in 2020 to invest venture capital in green technology and thereby accelerate the green transition. Markus Hökfelt is heading the unit, which has so far made four investments.

Kristina Söderberg, investment manager, Daniel Sjöstrand, investment analyst, and Susanne Gløersen, who is Greentech VC's ambassador to Norway, already worked in the unit when Samira Aissi joined in February.

Strategic advice

Aissi previously worked at consultancy firm KPMG, providing strategic advice to venture capital companies in various types of acquisition and merger processes. There she was also responsible for the technology sector within their deal advisory business. 

In 2018, Aissi transferred to Swedfund, the Swedish state's development financier, where she was responsible for impact investments. Since 2020, she has run her own company and joined start-up companies both operationally and as an advisor and investor.

“Being an entrepreneur is very demanding. You need the right team, the right timing, plenty of money and networks, and everything needs to coincide. You become very humble about the journey that start-ups go through and what they need for support,” she says.

Finding new interesting companies

As part of the team within SEB Greentech VC, Aissi will work partly to scale and grow the investments made by the unit, and partly to find new interesting companies.

“The challenge we face globally is about changing to a green climate-neutral society quickly. Making that happen requires courageous investments and perseverance.”

“SEB Greentech VC is a unique player. We enter relatively early, but unlike many other venture capital companies, we have a longer-term focus that allows us to invest in start-up companies that focus on innovation and take a little longer to commercialise and reach the market.”

So far, all investments have been made in Sweden, but all markets where SEB have a presence could be relevant going forward.

“Here we benefit from SEB's organisation, not least internationally. Right now, we are looking at Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish companies,” she says.

Read more about SEB Greentech