United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund Wins Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Award

Fast Company named United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund^SM (SFF) as the winner in the impact investing category of its 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards, designed to honor the businesses and organizations that are developing creative solutions to the most pressing issues of our time. The recognition honors funds “in changemaking organizations or initiatives that generate societal benefit along with financial return.”

Sidley played a significant role in this transaction, representing United Airlines Ventures in connection with the launch and closing of SFF, a first-of-its-kind venture capital fund designed to support start-ups focused on decarbonizing air travel by accelerating the research, production, and technologies associated with sustainable aviation fuel. The fund closed with over US$200 million in capital commitments from United and its partners.

The Sidley team was led by Kevin P. Lewis (Transportation), Benson R. Cohen (Investment Funds), and Brad Meissen (Investment Funds; Emerging Companies and Venture Capital; Private Equity).

Sidley has a premier, global practice in advising private fund managers and institutional investors in connection with the formation of private equity and venture capital funds and other committed capital vehicles. Sidley’s private equity and venture capital funds team is part of the firm’s larger investment fund practice group, which consists of 130 lawyers dedicated to fund formation, fund regulatory, and related matters worldwide with lawyers practicing in our New York, Chicago, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and San Francisco offices.