By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media

In a strategic move for sustainable agriculture investing, Sydney, Australia-based climate specialist investor Wollemi Capital Group has secured a $150 million cornerstone commitment from Rest, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, for its climate-focused strategy. This investment backs Wollemi Capital’s strategy dedicated to decarbonization and next-generation infrastructure, targeting natural capital in part to deliver both financial returns and high-impact climate solutions with a current focus on Australia.

The investment is a coup for Wollemi Capital, founded in 2021 by Macquarie Capital alum Tim Bishop and former BCG executive Paul Hunyor. The Sydney-domiciled firm has achieved a notable breakthrough with its reported first major commitment from a leading Aussie superfund, a capital infusion that will establish the foundation for its debut managed fund vehicle, paving the way for third-party investors.

Wollemi’s Bishop stated, “We’re excited to be partnering with Rest, one of Australia’s leading superannuation funds with a long-standing commitment to sustainability and climate impact, to create our first Wollemi-managed investment vehicle.”

Wollemi backs climate solutions that are often overlooked: too capital-intensive for venture capital but not yet scalable enough to draw in traditional infrastructure investors. As a strategy, natural capital has been gaining traction among institutional investors, including Wollemi.

Rest Interim Co-Chief Investment Officer Simon Esposito, stated, “We believe decarbonization will continue to influence the global economy and society for many decades to come and expect this long-term trend to create valuable investment opportunities for our members. Through this commitment with Wollemi, our members will gain exposure to a strong pipeline of innovative climate solutions we expect will contribute to and benefit from decarbonization.”

Rest Head of Growth Alternatives Marina Pasika commented, “This commitment will allow Rest to deploy capital at scale, through our Growth Alternatives strategy, into opportunities that do not necessarily fit with traditional asset classes and portfolio structures, which we believe will benefit from the next major tailwinds and will form an important part of investment portfolios in the future.”

Named after one of the world’s rarest and most ancient trees, Wollemi Capital draws inspiration from the resilience and fragility of its namesake — a prehistoric pine species found only in a hidden grove of Australia’s Blue Mountains. Nearly lost to history and saved from extinction during the country’s most devastating bushfires, the Wollemi pine symbolizes the urgent choices facing humanity. Wollemi Capital’s mission is to transform climate risk into climate resilience through intelligent capital deployment.

Wollemi views nature-based carbon projects through the lens of an infrastructure-like asset class. As of last year, Wollemi had deployed more than A$50 million (US$32.3 million) into natural capital initiatives, chiefly through project-level financing for roughly a dozen carbon sequestration projects throughout Australia. Collectively, these ventures are projected to capture upwards of 20 million tons of carbon across their lifespans, encompassing several million hectares of land. This effort includes planting more than 1 million trees last year alone.

Of the investment, Wollemi’s Hunyor said, “Wollemi’s focus on supporting today’s innovative climate solutions to become tomorrow’s sustainable infrastructure is well aligned with Rest’s own commitment to helping build a more sustainable future.”

The content put forth by Global AgInvesting News and its parent company HighQuest Partners is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. All information or other material herein is not to be construed as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Global AgInvesting and HighQuest Partners are not a fiduciary in any manner, and the reader assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content on this site.