Octopus Energy Group has launched a new clean energy fund, Astris, designed to offer pension schemes and private wealth investors a streamlined route to support renewable energy projects across 15 countries.
With a cornerstone investment of £165 million, Astris provides access to more than 50 renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, and large-scale battery initiatives. The fund, which has received the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new ‘Sustainable Focus’ label, aims to facilitate monthly access for investors, offering a flexible pathway into the global energy transition. It is now available to private wealth investors and pension schemes through major investment platforms.
Matt Setchell, co-head of Octopus Energy Generation, emphasized the fund’s innovation, stating, “For too long, pension schemes and private wealth have had limited investment opportunities in private markets due to a lack of innovative solutions. The launch of this fund changes that.”
Setchell added, “It’s been built from the ground up to remove the structural barriers for investors wishing to participate in the $275 trillion generational investment opportunity to fund the energy transition and invest alongside professional investors and institutional funds from around the world.”
Astris aims to help investors back renewable technologies while maintaining strong financial returns. The fund has been designed to meet the highest standards for green investing, positioning it as a key player in the push for net zero.
Octopus Energy Group, which already manages £7 billion in green energy assets and powers over 2.4 million homes annually, has set a target of investing £20 billion into the energy transition by 2030.
Jeremy Soutter, managing director of Carne Group, which oversees the fund’s governance, commented on the significance of Astris in facilitating access to the growing energy transition market: “At a time of heightened attention on the UK’s role within the global green transition, the fund is an important enabler of private wealth and pension fund exposure to both private infrastructure and the energy transition.”
Astris provides investors with a globally diversified portfolio of renewable projects, offering a combination of positive environmental impact and competitive financial returns, according to Octopus.
