Keenest, a Paris-based climate-focused investment club, has achieved a significant operational milestone, facilitating over €5 million in cumulative investments into impact startups within just 18 months of its launch. This substantial capital deployment underscores the growing potential of individual savings to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-free economy, positioning Keenest as a notable player in the burgeoning sustainable finance landscape.
The platform was co-founded in 2023 by serial entrepreneur Jérémie Sicsic and Renan Labrunie, with strategic backing from Mehdi Coly, CEO of Team for the Planet. Sicsic, a distinguished alumnus of EM Lyon, brings a robust entrepreneurial background to Keenest, having previously established successful ventures such as Unow, an online tutored training platform, and Briq, an employee engagement measurement platform notably acquired by the French unicorn Swile in 2020. Their foundational vision for Keenest emerged from a keen observation of a critical market inefficiency: the vast, often dormant, pool of individual savings that remained largely disconnected from direct, impactful investment opportunities in climate solutions. Sicsic articulated this core philosophy, emphasizing that "Individual savings are a considerable lever for financing the sustainable economy. By investing directly in impact projects, every citizen becomes a driving force for transition, while participating in the creation of a greener, more resilient and more sovereign economy." This guiding principle is central to Keenest's operational model, empowering everyday citizens to actively contribute to the ecological transition while simultaneously pursuing tangible financial returns.
Keenest's innovative solution manifests as a streamlined direct investment platform designed to make climate technology projects readily accessible to a broad spectrum of individual investors. Launched initially with a foundational group of 300 investors, the club has experienced rapid growth, expanding its engaged community to 3,500 members. This community is predominantly composed of individuals who are motivated to align their financial decisions with their personal values and contribute positively to environmental change. The platform significantly lowers the barrier to entry for impact investing, allowing participation in climate projects with investments starting from as little as €500. This accessibility has been instrumental in enabling Keenest to channel capital into a diverse and impactful portfolio of climate startups. Notable beneficiaries include Feedback, Sapiologie, Loewi, OpenClimat, Zilo Énergie, Kolverr, Arkeon Energy, and Fenix Energy, all of which are actively developing and deploying solutions critical to the broader ecological transition.
A standout feature that distinctly differentiates Keenest in the sustainable investment arena is its pioneering "climate dividends" mechanism. This innovative approach directly links investor returns to the measurable environmental impact generated by the projects they finance, specifically quantified by the tonnes of CO₂ avoided. The more substantial the environmental benefit delivered by a particular project, the higher the potential return for the investors. Keenest asserts that this unique mechanism cultivates a virtuous cycle, creating a powerful incentive for investments that not only promise financial viability but also deliver significant, verifiable ecological impact. The club sets an ambitious target of an average annual return of 20% on investments, coupled with offering liquidity prospects, thereby striving to harmoniously blend robust financial performance with profound environmental stewardship.
Building on this impressive initial momentum, Keenest has articulated a clear roadmap for future growth and enhanced transparency. By the close of 2025, the club intends to implement a comprehensive non-financial dashboard, designed to provide transparent monitoring of key impact indicators, including the inaugural distribution of its climate dividends. From a financial perspective, Keenest aims to further scale its deployed capital, targeting a cumulative total of €10 million by March 2026.
