Our ongoing support for La Solive since 2022 reflects our deep belief in the power of education and skill development to drive the transition to a more sustainable future. We were incredibly excited by what Ariane and Côme were building, not only because of their unique skillsets and vision but also because of the critical global problem they're tackling: accelerating the transition to a greener economy, starting with the construction sector. When we discovered that over 30% of greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, it was eye-opening. We never looked back and our partnership with La Solive is more than just a financial commitment—it's a shared vision for the future. We aim to build and equip the next generation of energy retrofit professionals in Europe with the skills needed to meet both the challenges and opportunities of the green economy.
The global push towards sustainability has faced a significant challenge in recent years: a shortage of qualified green energy professionals. Europe alone is projected to face a shortfall of over 600,000 energy retrofit specialists by 2030, while globally, this gap could reach 7 million workers. La Solive's efforts come at a crucial time, as Europe sets ambitious climate goals, aiming to renovate 5,000 flats or houses daily to meet energy efficiency targets. As we highlighted in our report on Addressing the Sustainability Skills Gap in Europe, the future of the green economy depends not just on creating renewable energy technologies, but on ensuring we have the human capital to implement them at scale. Unfortunately, as our report noted, the European educational system has been slow to adapt to the demands of this emerging green economy.
This is when La Solive comes into play. The team is building a skills platform for energy retrofit professionals (such as heat pump installers, solar panel installers, and renewable energy project managers). This platform offers short training programs for artisans looking to broaden their skills and increase their revenue by tapping into a new market, and it also caters to companies that need to upskill or reskill their workforce.
Ariane and Côme bring a rare combination of passion, drive, sharpness, and pragmatism to the table. Their ability to navigate the complexities of this market while expanding their offerings and launching new programs demonstrates the kind of leadership we seek in founders. Their approach stood out immediately—after talking to numerous players in the space, we realized they were the only ones focusing on what truly matters to unblock the bottleneck: rapidly creating a supply of qualified green professionals. As a result, they've trained over 700 professionals across several programs in less than 36 months, achieving an impressive 91% job placement rate while partnering with more than 500 companies. Their goal is to train at least 5,000 professionals annually in the coming years.
Looking ahead
As the world races to meet climate goals, we are incredibly proud to support La Solive’s mission and welcome Partech (@Alison and @Ariadne) to continue the journey alongside existing investors including Evolem (@Thomas) and incredible BAs such as Thibaud Hug de Larauze (Backmarket), Henri Tilloy (Singular), Romain Paillard (Le Wagon), Cedric Sellin, Vincent Bryant (IAD), Marc Laurent (Carbonfact), amongst others.
La Solive has an ambitious roadmap in the short and medium term including strengthening its programme offering, expanding faster in France and beyond, and launching a new exciting product to empower green artisans (more info soon!). 🤫 Stay tuned!
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