Featured Investments

VanDyson Investments has founded, co-financed and actively developed a number of ESG businesses in Australia. From time-to-time we may showcase some of the projects we support below.

Tellus Holdings

Tellus Holdings Ltd (Tellus)

Duncan was the founder and Managing Director of Tellus for 11 years. Tellus is an innovative Australian environmental services group in the business of partnering with its clients to find a permanent disposal solution for hazardous waste and removing it safely and responsibly from our society and environment to a world class, remote near-surface geological repository. The company also has the opportunity to reinvest in its communities through the circular economy and recycling technologies.

Tellus worked with federal, state and local governments and undertook extensive community consultation to achieve several firsts in Australia and Asia: the first to market with a commercial repository waste solution; the first industrial air dome; pioneer of Permanent Isolation Certificates (Tellus PIC™) used as evidence to remove contingent liability; a unique multiple layer assurance (bonds and trust fund) package and over $500m of construction and operational insurance; plus innovative funding packages from major debt and equity investors.

At the end of 2020 Duncan retired from Tellus after achieving his mission with an operational facility (Sandy Ridge), an expanding team, growing balance sheet, rising order book and a strong project pipeline. The company was valued at over A$400M and is growing in reputation as a safe, innovative “contracted-infrastructure-like company”, leading the ESG space and cleaning up the environment.

VanDyson Investments has also invested in a number of other leading ESG businesses developed by like-minded entrepreneurial pioneers.

Scipher

Scipher Technologies Pty Ltd (Scipher)

VanDyson Investments (Vandyson) is pleased to announce that we have helped co-found and have made multiple investments into Scipher Technologies Pty Ltd (“Scipher”), Australia’s leader in ESG urban mining.

Scipher recycles and recovers valuable metals and materials sourced from electronic waste and other complementary waste streams. Scipher adds additional value through IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services including IT Asset Recovery and data destruction.

Scipher currently owns and operates one of the largest urban mining facilities in Australia and has a platform for growth and consolidation.

Scipher manages one of Australia’s most advanced E-waste and commodity recovery process technology and is in exclusive talks to import an advanced and proven European technology which provides unrivalled recovery rates at a lower cost point that is a game changer in the
Australian market. Scipher has an experienced and growing management team and Board with a track record of commercialising companies.

VanDyson invests in companies that have exposure to attractive, high growth markets, a strong market position with high barriers to entry and an attractive business model with contracted supply and offtake.

VanDyson targets investments with the dual objective of generating a profitable financial return and positive ESG-related impacts. Scipher meets both these objectives. VanDyson has taken an active ownership position and Duncan van der Merwe has joined the board of Scipher.

Verity

Verity Nature Pty Ltd (Verity)

VanDyson Investments (Vandyson) is pleased to announce that we have helped found and have made multiple investments into Verity Nature Pty Ltd (Verity).

Verity’s objective is to build a portfolio of blue, teal and green ecosystem restoration projects that generate carbon credits at scale across a range of jurisdictions.

The Company’s projects are focused on helping to restore large-scale nature-based solutions like blue carbon ecosystems (mangrove forests, tidal marsh and sea grass beds), teal carbon ecosystems (non-tidal freshwater wetlands) and green carbon ecosystems (terrestrial ecosystems like savannah forests).

Verity has developed an attractive business model that is supported by a strong pipeline of large restoration areas for carbon projects.

Verity aims to be a leader in the development and financing of carbon projects. This successful implementation of this goal positions Verity as a true ESG impact investment, achieving numerous UN SDGs, including carbon sequestration benefits, cultural core benefits and multiple environmental & social economic co-benefits.

VanDyson invests in companies that have exposure to attractive, high growth markets, a strong market position with high barriers to entry and an attractive business model with contracted offtake.

VanDyson targets investments with the dual objective of generating a profitable financial return and positive ESG-related impacts. Verity meets both these objectives. VanDyson has taken an active ownership position and Duncan van der Merwe has joined the board of Verity as Chair and CEO.