Stafford Capital Exceeds $1B in Funding for Sustainable Timberland Investments

Funding | Mar 17, 2025 | Stafford Capital

Stafford Capital Exceeds $1B in Funding for Sustainable Timberland Investments

Stafford Capital Partners has successfully raised over $1.1 billion, including co-investments, for its tenth timberland fund, SIT X. This fund has seen significant reinvestment from prior investors of SIT IX, along with a mix of pension schemes, an insurance company, and an investment trust. The fund saw commitments primarily from the UK, Germany, Korea, and North America. To date, Stafford has committed over $330 million to five investments spanning 27 timberland assets, totaling a land area of 1 million hectares. These efforts are estimated to sequester approximately 16 million metric tons of CO2e between 2023 and 2024. Stafford is actively pursuing more investments, with a pipeline set to deploy $470 million soon. The success of this fund underscores the attractiveness of timberland as an asset class addressing long-term climate risks, with strategic importance as highlighted by Stafford's strategic use of secondary markets.

Sectors

  • Private Equity
  • Sustainable Investments
  • Forestry and Timberlands

Geography

  • United Kingdom – 48% of the investment commitments came from the UK, indicating its significant role in the funding round.
  • Germany – 23% of the investment commitments originated from Germany, highlighting it as a key market for investors in the fund.
  • Korea – 19% of the fund’s commitments were from Korea, signifying its role in the geographical diversity of the investment.
  • North America – 10% of investment commitments were from North America, underscoring its part in the funding contributions.

Industry

  • Private Equity – The article discusses funding activities and investment strategies within a private equity firm, focusing on its timberland fund.
  • Sustainable Investments – Stafford Capital's investments in timberland highlight a strong focus on sustainability, sequestering carbon and addressing climate change.
  • Forestry and Timberlands – The core investment focus of the article is on timberland assets, relevant to the forestry and timberland industry sector.

Financials

  • 1.1 billion USD – Total raised for the SIT X timberland fund by Stafford Capital, including co-investments.
  • 330 million USD – Committed capital by Stafford so far, covering investments in 27 timberland assets.
  • 470 million USD – Expected capital to be invested by Stafford in the coming weeks.

Participants

NameRoleTypeDescription
Stafford Capital PartnersFund ManagerCompanyA private equity firm managing the SIT X timberland fund, focusing on sustainable investment assets.
Angus WhiteleyCEOPersonChief Executive Officer of Stafford Capital Partners, overseeing strategy and fund management.
Stephen AddicottCo-Managing PartnerPersonCo-Managing Partner at Stafford Capital Partners, involved in fund management and strategizing investments.