Rest invests in healthcare PE specialist

Australia’s superannuation fund, Rest has announced it has moved closer to its impact investment ambition with investment in European-based specialist private equity (PE) firm, ARCHIMED, which invests exclusively in healthcare industries.

The decision is in line with the fund’s ambition to achieve a 1% allocation to impact investments across the total portfolio by 2026.

“Our investment in ARCHIMED aims, first and foremost, to help our 1.9 million members to grow their retirement savings with strong, long-term investment returns – but it also contributes to a better future,” Rest’s head of private equity, Marina Pasika, said.

“Following our first impact investment in Palisade Impact, it’s exciting to build on that momentum and expand our exposure to this area.”

ARCHIMED finds, supports and scales up companies which are “highly scalable, international, and have a strong scientific component” and have a mission to improve health outcomes, specifically companies that create and deliver products and services that aim to improve human and animal health.

The examples of ARCHIMED’s investments include:

• PlasmidFactory, a German company that manufactures DNA for vaccines and medical research; and
• Natus Medical, a global medical device provider that specialises in solutions for diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders of the nervous system.