Investors in the sustainability, environmental and cleantech sector – updated 2023
If you are in the sustainability, environmental and cleantech sector and you need to raise investment it obviously makes sense to speak to potential investors who specialise in, and have a track record of investing in this sector.
Here are some firms you may want to check out depending on the stage of your business, your location, what you are looking for, and the amount of funding you need. The investors are listed alphabetically and the information shown is taken from their websites.
Location:
UK
They say:
We are Europe’s leading early-stage tech for good VC. We back ambitious founders using technology to tackle big social and environmental problems that aim to radically improve millions of lives.
Type/Stage/Size:
Early stage – Accelerator
Investment – £30,000 in cash for 7% equity in your venture
Learning – A tailored three-month programme of workshops, talks and 1:1 mentoring
Life-long support and the opportunity for follow-on funding
Peer support
Mentoring
Partnerships – Additional support from our expert partners
Connections
Office space
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Location:
Not stated
They say:
The goal of Breakthrough Energy is to make sure that everyone on the planet can enjoy a good standard of living, including basic electricity, healthy food, comfortable buildings, and convenient transportation, without contributing to climate change. Our strategy links cutting-edge, government-funded research to patient, risk-tolerant capital so that more clean energy innovations get to market faster. The Breakthrough Energy Coalition created Breakthrough Energy Ventures, an investor-led fund, to build the new, cutting-edge companies that will deliver on that promise.
In December 2016, BEC created Breakthrough Energy Ventures—an investor-led fund with more than $1 billion in committed capital—to build cutting-edge companies that will help stop climate change. Since then, the fund has been building its team and refining its investment strategy.
Type/Stage/Size:
Not stated
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Location:
UK
They say:
A strong team of highly qualified investment professionals with deep sustainable investment experience and hands on, detailed sector knowledge. Part of Earth Capital Holdings, the $1.1bn international group of sustainable private equity investors, allowing us to support management teams to develop great businesses. 30 year sustainable investment track record in venture capital, growth capital and infrastructure.
Type/Stage/Size:
Growth capital. £3-£10M
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Location:
US
They say:
Elemental Excelerator helps startups change the world, one community at a time. Each year, we find 15-20 companies that best fit our mission and fund each company up to $1 million to improve systems that impact people’s lives: energy, transportation, water, agriculture, and beyond. What makes us unique? We co-fund, co-design, and co-develop projects and strategies that improve infrastructure and sustainably enhance communities.
Type/Stage/Size:
Up to $1M
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Location:
UK
They say:
Green Angel Syndicate is the only angel investment syndicate in the UK specialising in the fight against Climate Change and Global Warming. Founded in 2013, Green Angel Syndicate is based in London and serves investors throughout the UK.
Type/Stage/Size:
Angel investors. Typically £150-500,000
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Location:
US
They say:
We’re comprised of passionate entrepreneurs solving big energy and environmental problems. Our startups represent the engineers, business experts, physicists, chemists, botanists, roboticists and other industry pioneers who are working day and night to build the next product to address society’s environmental challenges.
Our campus in Somerville, MA, just 3.5 miles from downtown Boston, offers just under 100,000 sq. ft. of prototyping lab and co-working space, a shared machine shop, a wet lab, and an electronics shop. Members of our community are immersed in a growing network of local, national and international cleantech resources and fellow entrepreneurs. We host more than 150 events and 10,000+ visitors every year, and those numbers continue to climb.
Type/Stage/Size:
Incubator
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Location:
Global
They say:
There’s a global movement – driven by a new generation of diverse entrepreneurs – who believe the world can and must change. These creative entrepreneurs are launching dynamic new enterprises that offer innovative solutions to our most pressing social and environmental challenges.
INCO seeks out and provides support to a wide range of entrepreneurs in 35 countries and leverage new technologies to tackle the most pressing social and environmental challenges.
Through a unique model, we support entrepreneurs at every stage of development, helping them refine their ideas and grow their enterprises while ensuring they develop economically viable models with impact embedded.
Type/Stage/Size:
Training / Accelerator / Investment. Early stage – Growth capital. $100k – $5M
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Location:
Global
They say:
Powerhouse is an innovation firm that works with leading global corporations and investors to help them find, partner with, invest in, and acquire the most innovative startups in clean energy, mobility, and climate.
Type/Stage/Size:
Seed capital
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Location:
US
They say:
Prime Coalition is a 501c3 public charity that partners with philanthropists to invest charitable capital in extraordinary companies that combat climate change, have a high likelihood of achieving commercial success, and would otherwise have a difficult time raising sufficient financial support.
Type/Stage/Size:
Pre-revenue (typically seed or Series A stage)
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Location:
UK
They say:
We are a full service ecosystem empowering sustainable startups to scale through community, investment, innovation and workspace.
Type/Stage/Size:
Early stage.
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Location:
UK
They say:
Since inception, Zouk has invested in the sustainable economy and views sustainability and ESG considerations as core drivers for superior investment performance and risk mitigation across both its Technology Growth and Infrastructure portfolios.
Type/Stage/Size:
Not stated
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If you know of any other investors in the sustainability, environmental and cleantech sector please let us know and we’ll add them to our growing list.