Climate tech has grown into one of the largest and most diverse categories in venture capital, spanning everything from grid-scale energy storage and carbon removal to climate software and sustainable materials. The sector's capital intensity and long development timelines mean that founders need investors who understand both the technology risk and the market dynamics involved. Here are active venture firms investing in climate technology today.
Breakthrough Energy Ventures
Founded in 2016 by Bill Gates and a coalition of high-net-worth investors from the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. The firm manages over $3 billion across several funds and is dedicated to financing companies that can significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions at a gigaton scale. What distinguishes BEV is its "patient capital" approach, which accommodates the long development cycles and high capital intensity of "hard tech" climate solutions. The firm employs an internal team of scientists and engineers to perform rigorous technical diligence on innovations across electricity, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and buildings. Notable portfolio companies include QuantumScape, a solid-state battery pioneer that achieved a public listing via SPAC in 2020 with a multi-billion dollar valuation; and Boston Metal, which is commercializing molten oxide electrolysis to decarbonize steel production—a process BEV has backed from early Series A through late-stage growth rounds. By collaborating with governments and research institutions, BEV bridges the gap between basic research and commercial scale-up for technologies that are critical to reaching a net-zero future.
Lowercarbon Capital
San Francisco-based Lowercarbon Capital was founded in 2020 by legendary venture investor Chris Sacca and his wife, Crystal Sacca. The firm manages over $2 billion and has built a reputation for moving with extreme speed and "bonkers ambition" on technically ambitious bets. Lowercarbon invests across three main pillars: slashing new emissions, sucking carbon out of the sky, and buying humanity time to decarbonize. Unlike more conservative funds, Lowercarbon is known for its "hustle," providing deep operational support from the inception of an idea to national product launches. What distinguishes the firm is its pragmatic, market-driven thesis: fixing the planet is simply "good business," not charity. Notable portfolio companies include Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which is developing commercial fusion energy and raised a massive $1.8 billion Series B that Lowercarbon participated in; and Carbon Engineering, a direct air capture leader that was acquired by Occidental Petroleum for $1.1 billion in 2023. By writing "first checks" and continuing to invest deep into the growth stages, Lowercarbon has become a primary catalyst for the carbon removal and clean energy sectors.
DCVC
DCVC (Data Collective) is a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm founded in 2011 by Zachary Bogue and Matt Ocko. The firm manages over $3 billion across 13 funds and specializes in "deep tech"—companies that leverage artificial intelligence, exascale computing, and advanced materials to solve massive real-world problems. What distinguishes DCVC is its heavy concentration of partners who are published scientists rather than just MBAs, allowing for a level of technical underwriting that is rare in Silicon Valley. The firm focuses on industries that are traditionally "dirty, dangerous, or dull," applying AI to automate and decarbonize these sectors. Notable portfolio companies include Pivot Bio, which developed a microbial nitrogen fertilizer that reduces the need for synthetic alternatives and has raised over $600 million with DCVC as a lead early investor; and Rocket Lab, the space launch provider that went public in 2021 and provides critical infrastructure for climate monitoring satellites. By backing entrepreneurs who address trillion-dollar problems, DCVC seeks to multiply the benefits of capitalism while reducing its environmental costs, particularly in the energy, water, and agricultural sectors.
Congruent Ventures
Founded in 2017 by Joshua Posamentier and Abe Yokell, Congruent Ventures is a San Francisco-based firm exclusively focused on early-stage climate technology. The firm manages over $1 billion in assets and specializes in partnering with "audacious founders" at the critical intersection of sustainability and innovation. Congruent invests across "atoms, bits, and business models," meaning they back hardware, software, and systemic service innovations in the energy transition, mobility, and built environment. What distinguishes the firm is its deep sector expertise and commitment to being the "first institutional check" for startups, often providing formation capital. They are one of the most active seed-stage investors in the climate space, focusing on companies that "do more with less." Notable portfolio companies include Span.IO, which reinvented the home electrical panel to enable easier adoption of solar and storage, and was backed by Congruent in its early rounds; and Fervo Energy, a leader in next-generation geothermal power that has successfully demonstrated commercial-scale carbon-free electricity production. By maintaining a disciplined focus on technical risk and resource efficiency, Congruent has built one of the most robust early-stage climate portfolios in North America.
Prelude Ventures
Prelude Ventures is a San Francisco-based firm founded in 2013 by Nat Simons and Laura Baxter-Simons. Managing capital exclusively for the Simons family's philanthropic entities, Prelude operates with a unique dual mandate: achieving venture-level returns while maximizing positive climate impact. The firm invests across the full spectrum of the low-carbon economy, including carbon management, manufacturing, and food and agriculture. What distinguishes Prelude is its long-term perspective and ability to accept informed technical risks in sectors like "frontier" manufacturing and industrials. They often collaborate with other major climate funds to syndicate large rounds for capital-intensive hard-tech companies. Notable portfolio companies include Boston Metal, which uses electricity to produce steel without carbon emissions and received early backing from Prelude alongside Breakthrough Energy Ventures; and Natron Energy, a leader in sodium-ion battery technology that went public in 2026 to provide safer, long-duration energy storage. By championing the boldest entrepreneurs with a deep understanding of frontier markets, Prelude has established itself as a cornerstone investor in the transition to a sustainable global economy, focusing on solutions that can scale to mitigate climate change globally.
Energy Impact Partners
Energy Impact Partners (EIP) is a New York-based investment platform founded in 2015 by Hans Kobler. EIP manages over $4.7 billion in assets and operates a unique "strategic coalition" model, where its limited partners include more than 80 major utilities and industrial companies like Southern Company and Duke Energy. This model allows EIP to act as a bridge between startups and the massive corporations that will eventually buy and deploy their technology. What distinguishes EIP is its focus on commercialization; the firm facilitated over 300 new contracts between its portfolio companies and corporate partners in 2024 alone. They invest across venture, growth, and credit strategies to support decarbonization throughout the energy value chain. Notable portfolio companies include Form Energy, a developer of iron-air batteries for multi-day grid storage that has successfully scaled with EIP’s support; and Dragos, the leader in industrial cybersecurity that protects critical energy infrastructure from digital threats. By leveraging their industrial ecosystem, EIP provides founders with unprecedented market access, helping to accelerate the energy transition while delivering strong, risk-adjusted financial returns for their diverse set of investors.
Khosla Ventures
Founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, Khosla Ventures is a legendary Menlo Park-based firm that manages approximately $15 billion in assets. The firm is famous for its "black swan" investing philosophy—backing high-risk, high-impact technologies that have a low probability of success but can change the world if they do. Khosla Ventures has been a pioneer in climate investing, maintaining a dedicated energy and sustainability practice since the early 2000s. What distinguishes the firm is Vinod Khosla’s deep personal conviction and willingness to fund "science experiments" that others avoid. They focus on disruptive innovation in agriculture, energy, and materials that can reach massive scale. Notable portfolio companies include Impossible Foods, the plant-based meat leader that reinvented the food system and achieved a multi-billion dollar valuation after seed-stage backing from Khosla; and QuantumScape, which developed solid-state batteries to revolutionize electric vehicles and went public in 2020. By providing "venture assistance" beyond just capital, Khosla Ventures helps founders navigate the technical and commercial hurdles of building category-defining companies that address the planet’s most pressing challenges.
Clean Energy Ventures
Based in Boston, Clean Energy Ventures (CEV) was founded in 2017 by Daniel Goldman, David Miller, and Temple Fennell, though the team has been investing in the sector since the early 2000s. The firm manages over $400 million and focuses exclusively on early-stage climate tech, specifically companies that can mitigate at least 2.5 gigatons of CO2 by 2050. What distinguishes CEV is its rigorous "technical operator" approach; the partners are former engineers and entrepreneurs who apply deep scientific rigor to every investment. They often take active board roles and provide hands-on support in engineering, recruitment, and commercial scaling. The firm closed its second fund of $305 million in 2024, emphasizing capital-efficient "hard tech" solutions. Notable portfolio companies include LineVision, which provides non-contact sensors to increase the capacity of existing power grids and has secured contracts with major global utilities; and 6K, which uses microwave plasma technology to produce advanced materials for batteries and additive manufacturing with significantly lower emissions. By focusing on proven science with clear commercial paths, CEV ensures that their investments deliver both massive environmental impact and superior financial returns in the rapidly growing climate sector.
How These Firms Differ by Stage and Check Size
Climate tech investors are not interchangeable, and founders raising capital should understand roughly where each firm plays. Breakthrough Energy Ventures and DCVC tend to write larger, more patient checks into capital-intensive hard-tech bets with long development timelines, while Congruent Ventures and Clean Energy Ventures focus on seed and early Series A rounds where technical risk is still being proven out. Energy Impact Partners sits further downstream, typically investing at growth stage where a company has already demonstrated commercial traction and is looking to scale with the operational support of strategic utility partners. Matching your stage and capital needs to the right investor saves time during an already lengthy fundraising process, and founders should research a fund's typical check size and stage focus before reaching out.
The Role of Strategic and Corporate Investors
Climate tech is unusual among venture categories in how central corporate and strategic capital has become. Firms like Energy Impact Partners are backed directly by utilities and energy companies that are also potential customers and commercialization partners for portfolio companies, which can accelerate pilot deployments in a way that purely financial investors cannot. Founders evaluating strategic investors should weigh this commercialization benefit against the potential for information asymmetry or conflicts of interest if a strategic investor also competes with other potential customers in your target market.
Due Diligence in Climate Tech
Climate tech diligence often extends well beyond the standard startup checklist, requiring technical review of hardware performance, independent validation of emissions-reduction claims, and in some cases regulatory and permitting assessments. Founders should review our general due diligence for startups guide and be prepared to go deeper on technical validation than a typical software diligence process would require. Many investors in this category employ in-house engineers or technical advisors specifically to evaluate hardware and process claims, so founders should expect site visits and detailed technical sessions as a standard part of the process, not an exception.
Capital Structure Considerations
Many climate technology companies require capital-intensive pilot projects or manufacturing facilities that don't fit cleanly into a traditional equity-only financing stack. Structures like project finance, grants, and venture debt are increasingly common complements to equity; our piece on venture debt as an alternative financing option is a useful starting point for founders weighing non-dilutive options alongside a venture round. Government programs, including grants and loan guarantees administered through federal agencies, have also become a meaningful part of the capital stack for first-of-a-kind facilities, and founders should factor the timeline and milestone requirements of these programs into their overall fundraising plan well before they need the capital.
Building a Realistic Financing Timeline
Because climate tech rounds often combine equity, debt, and non-dilutive capital, the financing timeline tends to run longer than a typical software raise. Founders should build in extra runway for the diligence process described above, and should sequence conversations with equity investors, project financiers, and any grant or government programs in parallel rather than sequentially, since each source of capital can take months to underwrite independently.
Final Thoughts
Climate tech investing has matured into a sophisticated, well-capitalized category with investors specialized by sub-sector and stage. Founders should target investors whose technical expertise and check size match the capital intensity of their specific technology, rather than treating "climate" as a single homogenous category.
If you're raising capital for a climate technology company, Quantum Growth Advisors can help you identify the right investors for your growth stage and build a financing plan that blends equity with other capital sources. Book a free consult to get started.