European energytech VC SET Ventures has appointed Eneco eMobility’s former CEO Leonie Baneke as its new Associate Partner. Baneke will add to SET’s leadership in investing in innovative, technology-driven businesses that support the energy sector and offer hands-on support from her experience as a scale-up executive.
Baneke joins SET Ventures after spending almost 12 years at energy company Eneco, where she served in a number of investment and venturing positions, including founding the company’s venture arm, Eneco Ventures. She later joined Eneco’s independent EV charging spinout, Eneco eMobility, as CEO. In this role, Baneke led a fast-scaling operating business, growing the organisation from 100 to 200 employees while doubling turnover and improving profitability in a competitive market. Before Eneco, Baneke worked in investment banking and mergers and acquisitions, giving her a foundation in transactions and strategic finance that complements her operational and investment experience.
Baneke brings extensive experience in the energy transition. She served as a board member for EV charging software provider Greenflux, virtual power plant operator Next Kraftwerke and energy efficient heating provider Thermondo. She consulted the startups through strategic decision-making in areas like market entry and team changes, supported them in keeping up with their growth internally and used her expertise in mergers and acquisitions to guide the companies to successful exits.
Baneke said: “Since my first role in venture capital, I have been captured by the startup world – there is something I enjoy about approaching the challenges of scaling and supporting companies through that. I’ve been through the growing pains of developing a scaleup myself, and I understand the big calls that need to be made to achieve success. I can be a guide for SET Ventures’ portfolio companies as they navigate these processes. Providing funding is only the start, since knowledge and experience are where VCs bring the real value for fast-growing companies.”
The appointment builds on a long-standing relationship between Baneke and SET Ventures, who previously worked together as coinvestors in Greenflux and continued collaborating via the firm’s expert network.
SET Ventures specialises in investing in solutions that challenge traditional business models and accelerate Europe’s digital energy economy. From cleaner ways to heat homes and power worksites, to improvements in electric mobility, to smarter ways to optimise and balance the grid, the firm’s portfolio reflects the wide range of innovations needed to build a hyperlocal, automated and resilient energy system.
Baneke said that joining SET Ventures was an actionable way for her to continue supporting the energy transition: “Over the years, I’ve seen the energy transition evolve from relatively straightforward themes like increasing green energy production into a far more complex, interconnected system that impacts industries well beyond the traditional energy sector. Today, challenges around affordability, resilience and flexibility require smarter, digital solutions — which is exactly why SET Ventures’ vision and investment focus resonate so strongly with me. I’m excited to contribute my experience to support the next generation of energy technology companies.”
About SET Ventures
SET has been Europe’s lead energytech VC since 2007. The firm was founded with the sole purpose of backing European innovation in clean energy. In that time, the SET has consistently leveraged its expertise, network and vision to propel early growth startups into European market leaders. With a portfolio of over 10 exits, SET knows precisely what it takes to scale in the energy industry and, when they invest, they commit to being a long-term partner.
Media contact
Samantha Dix
SET Ventures media kit