SMI, Bank of America Launch $40 Million Lighthouse Initiative for Nature Investments
November 2, 2026: The Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), Bank of America and Eurazeo have partnered to launch the Lighthouse Initiative, a dedicated investment allocation aimed at mobilising private capital for nature and biodiversity solutions globally.
Managed by Eurazeo through its Future Industries Fund III, the initiative was launched on September 23, 2026, with aggregate capital commitments of $40 million. Bank of America and Eurazeo are its cornerstone investors. The initiative is structured to accommodate further investment from additional partners, with the aim of expanding its scale and reach.
The Lighthouse Initiative seeks to channel private capital into emerging business models in nature and biodiversity, areas that remain underfunded. It will make minority investments in project development platforms and selected technology-enabled solutions across developed and emerging markets.
The initiative aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with each investment expected to contribute to at least one of its targets. These include Target 3, also known as “30x30”, which calls for the conservation and effective management of at least 30% of the world's terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030.
It also aligns with the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Terra Carta, launched by the former Prince of Wales in 2021, which seeks to place sustainability at the centre of private-sector activity.
The initiative will focus on four investment priorities. These include ecosystem protection and nature regeneration through investments in areas such as regenerative agriculture and forestry; supporting the transition of industries and global supply chains towards nature-positive models through bio-based materials, biological agricultural inputs and circular solutions; and developing the nature finance ecosystem through project platforms capable of attracting institutional investors, development finance institutions and public partners.
The fourth priority is improving transparency, standardisation and comparability of impact. This includes supporting technologies and solutions such as environmental DNA (eDNA)-based biodiversity monitoring, digital measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) platforms, and supply-chain traceability tools.
Eurazeo’s Future Industries team will manage the initiative, drawing on its global investment activity across sustainable industries, including nature and biodiversity. Investments will be monitored through Eurazeo’s impact framework, supplemented by dedicated biodiversity indicators such as biodiversity footprint assessments.
Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, President and Global Envoy, the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: “The Lighthouse Initiative’s launch represents the global economic leadership and impact of the Sustainable Markets Initiative. Nature is a fundamental pillar of our mandate and is the true engine of our economy. The Lighthouse Initiative will mobilise much needed private capital into Nature and Nature-based solutions. It represents our unique ability to harness the power of the private sector to deliver results for Nature, people and planet.”
Brian Moynihan, Chair and CEO of Bank of America and Chair of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: “Companies and investors are seeking opportunities to invest in Nature and biodiversity. Eurazeo has a demonstrated track record supporting hundreds of companies and the Lighthouse Initiative can help create even more opportunity.”
Matthieu Bonamy, Partner Future Industries at Eurazeo, added: “We are honoured that the Sustainable Markets Initiative and Bank of America have entrusted us with the management of this project. Nature is the foundation of the industries we invest in, yet biodiversity remains one of the most underfunded investment themes. With this initiative, we want to demonstrate that protecting and restoring Nature makes commercial sense, at scale. At Eurazeo, and within the Future Industries team, sustainability and impact are at the core of our business strategy model and we look forward to working to bring more investors behind the entrepreneurs building Nature-positive businesses.”
The Lighthouse Initiative aims to support businesses developing nature-positive solutions while creating opportunities for additional investors to participate in financing nature and biodiversity projects.
