Fonds de solidarité FTQ Invests $3.5 Million in Habitat

The Fonds ventures into biodiversity investing

MONTRÉAL, March 21, 2024 /CNW/ - The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is pleased to announce its first foray into the biodiversity space with a $3.5 million investment in Habitat, a company specializing in environmental services. This historic investment will advance the Fonds' goal to attain $12 billion in sustainable assets and will allow Habitat to embark on a new stage of growth.

The brainchild of three university professors, including Jérôme Dupras of Université du Québec en Outaouais, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Ecological Economics and more recently appointed co-holder of the UNESCO Chair in Socio-Economic Evaluation of Biodiversity and Ecosystems. Habitat was founded in 2017 to respond to biodiversity and climate change issues. The Fonds' investment will enable Habitat to strengthen its positioning in the field of biodiversity-focused analytical services and invest in its digital transformation and growth.

"Thanks to the Fonds' support, Habitat will be able to continue growing and remain a leading biodiversity expert in Québec. I'm proud to partner with an investor like the Fonds, an organization that shows its commitment to sustainability with concrete actions," said Habitat co-founder and CEO Jérôme Dupras. "Our aim is to contribute to a greener, healthier future for our ecosystems and for Québec, and we believe the Fonds is the ideal partner to help us achieve these goals," added Mr. Dupras.

"The addition of Habitat to the Fonds' portfolio is proof once again of our pledge to help Québec build a sustainable future. We are proud to announce our first investment in biodiversity," said Christian G. Brosseau, Vice-President, Private Equity and Impact Investing - Strategic Capital, Energy, Environment and Technology, at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. "The Fonds has everything in place to help Habitat tap new markets," concluded Mr. Brosseau.

Habitat is a Montréal-based environmental solutions company born out of the shared vision of three university researchers. Together with its 25 employees, the company supports organizations by proposing nature-based land-use strategies aimed at creating balanced and healthy ecosystems, resilient environments and a sustainable supply of ecological services.

The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is a source of pride in Québec, fulfilling its mission through a unique business model created 40 years ago. Since then, the Fonds has rallied Québec into action thanks to the retirement savings of 769,459 shareholders.

With net assets of $18.9 billion as at November 30, 2023, the Fonds supports more than 3,700 companies through venture and development capital investments based on the belief that impact is created as much by financial as social returns. For more information, visit fondsftq.com or our company page on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Fonds de solidarité FTQ