Investment Director - France

Transitioning global energy. Transforming every industry.

Investment Director France

Grenoble or Paris (hybrid)

About InnoEnergy

InnoEnergy is industrialising clean tech innovation to enable and grow a global net zero economy. Active in Europe and the US, the company invests in early-stage start-ups and the current and future workforce, building resilient clean tech value chains that drive sustainable economic growth. Through its ecosystem – with 1,400 partners including 39 shareholders spanning industry, finance, public policy, and academia – the company scales the energy transition at speed.

Since 2010, InnoEnergy has supported 500+ companies, helping to grow 4 into industrial unicorns. These companies have raised more than €34 billion to date, created 40,000 jobs, and are on track to generate €110 billion in revenue and reduce 2.1 gigatons of CO2e by 2030. Currently, InnoEnergy's equity portfolio comprises 160+ start-ups and scale-ups.

In support of the EU’s climate and industrial goals, InnoEnergy leads industrial alliances in batteries and solar and accelerates the uptake of green hydrogen. Pinpointing market gaps, InnoEnergy launches new industrial champions, in sectors including batteries, steel, and fertilisers.

Background

As part of the Innovation Group, the Investment & Asset Management team drives the sourcing, development, growth, and monetisation of cutting-edge ventures aligned with InnoEnergy’s strategic vision. We are now seeking an Investment Director to lead the France Investment team.

You are part of a team of 6 people (4 Investment Managers, 1 Assistant and the Investment Director).

This is a pivotal leadership role combining hands-on investment management with strategic oversight, focused on delivering high-impact results in the energy and climate tech ecosystem across France.

Key Responsibilities

As Investment Director, you will lead and develop the regional investment strategy, manage a portfolio of equity positions, and oversee a small local team. Your primary responsibilities include:

Investment Leadership

• Lead the origination and development of new business opportunities in France, ensuring high-quality investment proposals and decision materials (e.g., business cases, due diligence reports) for internal evaluation.
• Present and defend investment cases to the Investment Committee, aligning with strategic and financial objectives.
• Oversee and execute negotiations, working alongside Thematic Field Leaders, Portfolio Managers, and other relevant stakeholders to bring investment cases to successful closure.
• Be part of the global investment team to contribute to the development of InnoEnergy investment and asset management strategy and deployment working together with the central team and the other regional Investment directors.

Portfolio Management & Monetisation

• Actively manage the equity evolution of the regional portfolio, proposing follow-on investments or divestments where appropriate.
• Drive value creation, define and execute monetisation strategies, including orchestrating exit scenarios in close coordination with the central team.
• Mobilize the global sales and business development teams to generate commercial opportunities for portfolio companies.

Value Creation & Ecosystem Engagement

• Define the roadmap and deliver value-added services to strengthen the business cases of portfolio companies—making them bigger, faster, and de-risked.
• Support delivery of post-investment value creation initiatives through the activation of the innovation ecosystem (local, corporate, and external partners).
• Build and maintain a strong network of founders, co-investors, strategic partners, financing institutions, and relevant industry players to enhance deal flow and portfolio development.

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide leadership and guidance to the France investment team, fostering a high-performance culture and supporting the development of individual team members.
• Ensure efficient collaboration with other teams across functions and geographies, in alignment with both the regional and functional reporting lines.

Experience & Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in cleantech startups/ventures, venture capital, corporate finance, or relevant start-up ecosystems.
• Strong track record of leading investment processes, including origination, negotiation, execution, and exit.
• Extensive expertise in early-stage (pre-seed and seed) investments, with a strong track record in driving commercialization, industrial scaling, and international expansion within the climate tech and energy sectors. Proven experience collaborating closely with start-ups and scale-ups to accelerate growth.
• Building and developing effective teams.
• Proficiency in public funding instruments is a plus.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, fluent in French, and English.
• High proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and hands-on leader who thrives in dynamic environments. You are entrepreneurial, collaborative, and results-driven—with the ability to balance operational execution with long-term vision.

• Structured and analytical approach to complex investment and business creation decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills to engage across multiple stakeholder levels.
• Comfortable working in a multicultural, cross-functional, and evolving ecosystem.
• Passionate about innovation, sustainability, and creating tangible impact through investments.
• Team player
• Ability to sell and negotiate value propositions
• Ability to create relationships based on trust

Location

• This position can be performed (hybrid) from our Paris or Grenoble office.

What We Offer

• Purpose-Driven Impact: Be at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable future, investing in technologies that shape tomorrow’s world.
• Dynamic & Inspiring Environment: Join a passionate, entrepreneurial team working in a fast-paced and innovation-focused culture.
• Attractive Compensation: Competitive salary, performance-based bonus, and a flexible working environment.
• Growth & Development: Ample room for personal and professional growth, with access to learning & development opportunities, and a strong innovation ecosystem.

At InnoEnergy, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer

We welcome and celebrate diversity in all its forms - regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or identity. We believe diverse perspectives drive innovation, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment within our team and across our trusted ecosystem.

How to apply

Please send your CV and motivation letter to Marco Verburgh (Talent Acquisition) via marco.verburgh@innoenergy.com