Frédéric de Mévius founded Planet First Partners in 2020, with the support of a team of sustainability and finance experts, alongside a set of seasoned advisers. He has decades of experience across investment banking, as well as steering growth and company strategy. 

Having helped grow AB-InBev into the world’s largest brewer, in 1995 he set up a new investment vehicle called Verlinvest, where he built a portfolio of brands, including Oatly & Vita Coco. In 2019, he stepped down and turned his attention to becoming a strategic investor in companies which provided solutions to the climate crisis. Subsequently, Planet First Partners was founded; a growth equity investment platform that invests in and partners with disruptive entrepreneurs to scale tech-enabled businesses that combine a purpose-driven mission, profitable growth, and a people-centric culture.

Frédéric is also a supporter of a number of charities, in 2015 he became involved in ‘Out of the Box’, an alternative school targeting those who drop out of mainstream education. He has also served as a Trustee of the Science Museum and is heavily involved in the Zoological Society of London, the leading British conservation charity.

Nathan Medlock is a Managing Partner with 30 years’ experience in private equity, M&A, corporate finance, government advisory and C-level operational roles, Nathan brings significant direct investment and operational experience to Planet First Partners.

Previously, Nathan was a Partner at Zouk Capital for 10 years, where he ran the growth equity technology funds focussed on sustainability. He sourced and led investments in, and was a Board Director of, iZettle (sold to PayPal), Taulia (sold to SAP), Huddle (sold to Ideagen), Readly (IPO, STO:READ) and Workable. He was the CEO of a Swedish listed mining company, which he sold to a strategic player, and CFO of a private US biotech company, where he led a management buyout. He worked at Warburg Pincus in a direct investment role, managing and restructuring over a $1bn of investments in European growth capital companies. Prior to those roles, Nathan was at Lehman Brothers, where he was a director in the private equity division.

Nathan holds a Master of Business Administration with Honours from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Energy Systems (Nuclear) from the University of Manchester. He is a Dowling Fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge, a qualified mountain guide and a Life Member of Marylebone Cricket Club.

Manu Gupta is a Managing Partner with 20 years of experience spanning venture capital, investment banking, product management, and software development. He brings deep investment and technology expertise to Planet First Partners, with dedicated US coverage.

Manu is the founder and Chairman of Blue Lion, an early-stage tech venture fund backing founders advancing society. Previously,he was a founding Partner at Lakestar, helping raise $1.4 bn in six years to build one of Europe’s leading tech VC firms. He also served as Executive Director and Head of European Internet coverage at Goldman Sachs in London and San Francisco. Earlier in his career, he was a Product Manager at Oracle and Software Developer at Sun Microsystems.

He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from UC Berkeley.

Manu has lived in San Francisco, New York,Chicago, London, and Zurich. He is an avid traveler and tennis fan, always seeking fresh perspectives—on and off the court.

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Jérémie is in charge of accelerating value creation with our portfolio companies, by bringing key strategic and operational support.

Prior to joining Planet first, Jérémie was a Partner at Bain & company in the Performance Improvement & Transformation practice. He leverages 16 years+ hands-on consulting experience working with Corporate and Private Equity owned portfolio companies across the globe, to deliver value creation and EBITDA growth. His experience spans a range of industries and geographies – he has operated in over ten countries across sectors including Energy and Natural Resources, Transportation and Logistics, Aerospace and Defence and Consumer Goods.

Jérémie graduated from Ecole Nationale de Techniques Avancées (MsC mechanical engineering), Imperial college London (MsC Aeronautics) and INSEAD (MBA)

Beyond his passion for the decarbonisation agenda, Jérémie is a waterskiing coach and is a member of INSEAD business angels.

Sergio is Planet First Partners’ Head of Sustainability. Having spent more than 15 years in various technical and managerial positions in the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment and associated agencies, Sergio turned to sustainable finance in 2017 and joined Planet First Partners in 2021. 

During his time in Brazil’s government he was appointed as Director of Protected Areas and then deputy National Secretary for Biodiversity, having raised USD 230 million for the third phase of the Amazon Region Protected Areas Program. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and a MPhil in Animal Biology from the University of Brasilia and is currently finishing his PhD at the University of Oxford. 

Sergio grew up in the Cerrado Biome in Brazil and his passion for sustainability comes from seeing first hand how nature can be resilient, and how humans will always be intrinsically connected to it.

Emil is a Partner, focusing on the Energy Transition, Green Cities and Industrials verticals. Prior to joining Planet First Partners, he was an investor in early-stage companies within energy transition at Global Cleantech Capital, a Netherlands-based venture capital firm. Previous experience includes roles within structured finance at Benteler Trading International and investment banking at UBS.

Emil holds a BSc in Business and Economics from Stockholm School of Economics.

Swedish by background, Emil is an avid home cook with a deep appreciation for the arts.

As Head of Capital Formation, Tosca leads the firm’s capital-related initiatives alongside her continued work supporting investments and portfolio companies.

Having spent nearly five years on the investment team at Planet First Partners, she brings an integrated perspective across capital raising, portfolio financing, and deal execution. Her role spans three areas: fundraising and investor engagement; advising on the structuring and syndication of equity and debt across the portfolio; and sourcing deal opportunities.

Prior to Planet First, Tosca worked in Equity Research at Goldman Sachs before joining Morgan Stanley’s Technology Investment Banking team in Silicon Valley. There, she advised on transactions including Broadcom’s $10Bn acquisition of Symantec Enterprise and the public listings of Asana, Coursera and Poshmark. She holds an M.A. in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry) from the University of Cambridge, with a minor in Entrepreneurship from Cambridge Judge Business School and has completed CFA levels I & II. 

Away from work, Tosca is a PADI Rescue Diver and has supported several marine conservation initiatives. She is also a keen distance runner and has a longstanding passion for the arts. 

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Madeleine is a Principal, focusing on the HealthTech and Financial Inclusion verticals.

Prior to joining Planet First Partners, Madeleine spent over six years working at Zouk Capital as an Investment Manager in the Growth Technology team focused on climate technology and sustainability.  Before transitioning to venture capital, she worked as a Podiatric Doctor in a private clinic in Australia. Madeleine holds a bachelor’s degree in Podiatric Medicine from the University of Western Australia and postgraduate diploma in Corporate Finance from Deakin University Australia.

Madeleine is passionate about health and well-being, and enjoys painting and spending time outdoors.

Marcel is a Senior Associate at Planet First Partners, responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing investment opportunities in the Farm 2 Fork and Industry 4.0 verticals. Prior to Planet First Partners, Marcel completed a PhD in Climate Risk Management at the University of Oxford. Previous experience includes roles at ESGine, an ESG data management platform, and Triodos Investment Management. He holds a PhD and MPhil from the University of Oxford. 

Away from work, Marcel enjoys cooking, running, and exploring the outdoors on a hike.

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Coline is a Senior Associate at Planet First Partners, responsible for sourcing and executing deals as well as supporting portfolio companies in the Green Cities vertical.

Prior to Planet First Partners, Coline worked within Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking team in Paris. She worked with several European Corporates and Sponsors on national and cross-border transactions across Consumer, Natural Resources, Industrial, Real Estate and Media.

Coline studied in London, Paris and Hong Kong. She holds a BSc in Business Administration and Master 1 in Finance from Paris-Dauphine University, and a Masters in Management from London Business School.

Away from the office, you may find Coline wandering in an art exhibition, practicing dancing in a studio or hiking up in the mountains.

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Alix is a Sustainability Analyst at Planet First Partners, responsible for the company’s sustainability mandate, supporting both due diligence on deals and portfolio management. She helps lead the firm's efforts to integrate sustainability-linked targets across all transactions and portfolio companies' operations.

Prior to Planet First Partners, Alix worked in Montreal, Paris, and London, developing sustainability strategies and sourcing deals at CocaCola Europacific Partners and Veolia. She was also a Consultant in a pure-play sustainability advisory firm, creating Net Zero roadmaps for companies in various sectors. Alix holds a dual BA from McGill University and an MSc from Imperial College London. 

Outside of work, she is passionate about applied arts and sports, having been a varsity track and field athlete. Alix enjoys drawing, visiting galleries, hiking volcanos, and practicing yoga.

Ed is the Chief Financial Officer at Planet First Partners, bringing over 20 years of experience across venture capital and private equity, spanning fundraising, financial reporting, fund operations, and investor relations.

Prior to Planet First Partners, Ed served as CFO at Blue Lion, an early-stage tech venture fund based in London and Los Angeles, backing founders advancing society across climate, health, and inclusive finance. Before that, Ed spent a decade in real estate private equity, initially at Westrock and subsequently within various private equity-backed developers, covering residential and commercial assets across the UK and US markets. He began his career at PwC in the Strategy team within Transaction Services, where he focused on the technology sector.

Ed holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Management from the University of Bristol.

Outside of work, Ed enjoys long walks with his dog, sports, and cooking.

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Melissa’s experience spans overs 25 years and has included a variety of different roles. She began her career at the London Stock Exchange, working in the Chairman’s office. She also spent a decade at financial management company SMA Group, before it was acquired by BestInvest. Melissa has worked with Frédéric de Mévius since 2013 and was one of Planet First Partners’ first team members.

Away from work, Melissa enjoys scuba diving, running and horse riding.

Zoe is an Executive Assistant at Planet First Partners supporting our partners and wider team.

Zoe started her career at Deutsche Bank where she began working in front of house, closely followed by nearly 4 years working as a personal assistant in the Procurement department.

Outside of work, Zoe enjoys travelling, live music and exercise classes with friends.

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