The Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan is financing a European online brokerage platform.
The pension fund was the lead in a financing round for Trade Republic Bank, a technology company operating a digital investment marketplace. According to Trade Republic, the €250 million raised during the round will be used to develop the platform’s product offerings designed to benefit users in the current market environment.
Founded in 2015, the platform offers commission-free investing in equities, exchange traded funds and fractional stock savings plans to more than a million users. It’s supervised Germany’s central bank and financial regulator.
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In a press release, Maggie Fanari, managing director and global group head of the high conviction equities team at the Ontario Teachers’, said the decision to finance Trade Republic was made because of its use of technology to tackle a pressing issue facing investors across the globe. “Through their savings platform, Trade Republic democratizes access to financial markets for millions of Europeans, providing the tools for wealth accumulation and empowering them to have brighter financial futures.”
In other news, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is investing in Swedish wind energy generation facilities through its renewables platform.
While the exact terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, the CPPIB said it will provide its subsidiary European energy platform, Renewable Power Capital Ltd., with €260 million ($361 million) to acquire four onshore wind energy generation sites and to fund their further development.
Read: CPPIB investing in energy storage provider, Ontario Teachers’ in Indian roads
Following the developments, which are expected to be completed by the end of 2024, the four sites should generate 528 megawatts. RPC, founded by the CPPIB in 2020, will be responsible for completing the procurement and overseeing the construction management of the projects.
In a press release, Bruce Hogg, managing director and head of sustainable energies at the CPPIB, said the investment was part of a long-term strategy to invest in post subsidy renewable power and storage infrastructure across Europe. “We established [RPC] with deep capabilities and flexible capital and we continue to support the business with additional long-term financial support to invest in attractive renewables opportunities.”