Banor Capital has renamed its Banor SICAV North America Long Short Equity Fund and refocused its strategy on companies active in the energy transition.
The £34 million fund has been renamed the Banor SICAV Volta Long Short Equity Fund and will focus investments across energy transition companies, but with a particular focus on the battery value chain.
To complement the sustainable vision for the fund, Banor has appointed Westbeck Capital as an advisor.
The Banor SICAV Volta Long Short Equity Fund will aim to maintain a concentrated portfolio that balances growth potential with capital preservation and ESG criteria.
The fund will invest long and short across five key segments including batteries, end markets, renewables, intermediaries, and raw materials.
An internal ESG rating is utilised by the fund to “promote environmental and social characteristics in accordance with Article 8 of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)”.
SFDR Article 8 funds are often referred to as ‘light green’ funds. They are defined as funds that “promote” environmental or social characteristics and invest in companies that “follow good governance practices”.
Andrew Sandler, head of UK development at Banor Capital, said: “We think the experience and primary research done by Westbeck Capital offer our institutional investors an attractive way to invest in the energy transition.
“Already the long-short approach has proven itself. After the excellent returns of 2019-21 the fund has preserved capital during 2022 and [this] means we are well set to take advantage of the market dislocations that are currently presenting themselves.”
Will Smith, co-chief investment officer at Westbeck Capital, added: “The topic of energy transition is more relevant today than ever before and continues to garner investor interest.
“There is a fundamental need to decarbonise across all industries, which requires investment in the primary building blocks of the energy transition.”
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