18 climate tech investors financing decarbonization in 2025

Climate tech raised $13.2 billion in H1 2025, down 19% from last year. But that's not the full story. Nuclear fusion, grid infrastructure, and carbon removal are getting record funding as AI's power demands create new urgency for clean energy. Policy uncertainty is pushing investors toward business models that work without subsidies.

Quick list

Finding investors who actually understand your tech

Experience: Look for funds that have backed companies through your specific commercialization phase. Series A climate investors often don't understand Series B burn rates for manufacturing scale-up. Check if they've funded similar capital-intensive business models before.

Network: Ask their portfolio companies about actual help during pilot plant construction or offtake negotiations. Generic "we have a great network" means nothing. You need specific intros to utilities, corporates, or DFI lenders who write checks for FOAK projects.

Alignment: Seed funds won't lead your Series B, no matter how good your deck is. Growth equity firms expect commercial traction that most climate tech doesn't have yet. Make sure their fund size and check size match your needs. A $50M fund can't write the $20M checks you need.

Track record: Look at whether portfolio companies raised follow-on rounds. Dead portfolio companies are red flags. Climate tech has long development cycles - investors who panic after 18 months without revenue aren't helpful. Check how many companies they've backed through commercial deployment.

Communication: Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see who actually opens your pilot plant economics vs. just skimming the executive summary. If investors skip your unit cost projections, that's useful information before you waste time on follow-ups.

Value-add: Most VCs promise operational support. Ask what they actually did when portfolio companies hit supply chain issues or permitting delays. Vague answers about "rolling up sleeves" are useless. You want names of engineers they helped recruit or specific customers they opened doors to.

How to reach them without wasting time

Identify potential investors: Search Pitchbook or Crunchbase for recent deals in your sector. Filter by stage and check size. Early-stage funds that write $2M checks can't suddenly write $15M checks for your Series B. Don't pitch battery investors with a hydrogen company - even if both are "clean energy," the tech risk profiles are completely different.

Craft a compelling pitch: Show actual unit economics, not hand-waving about future scale. Most investors are tired of sustainability claims without demonstrating cost parity pathways. If your tech needs a 50% cost reduction to compete, show the engineering roadmap to get there. Include current customers or LOIs with actual purchase commitments.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and send trackable links to each investor. Monitor which pages they spend time on. If they skip your manufacturing cost breakdown, that tells you something before the meeting. Most founders are surprised to learn investors read financial projections more carefully than market size slides.

Utilize your network: Message portfolio founders on LinkedIn and ask about response times and actual value-add during commercialization. Most will be honest. Warm intros matter - but only if the person introducing you actually knows your work. A generic LinkedIn intro from someone the investor barely knows is worse than a cold email.

Attend networking events: SOSV Climate Tech Summit, Greentech Media's events, and Bloomberg Green conferences are where deals actually happen. Skip the small local pitch competitions. Climate Week NYC in September is crowded but useful for meeting multiple investors efficiently. Go with specific targets, not hoping to stumble into conversations.

Engage on online platforms: Connect with partners on LinkedIn after you've been introduced through portfolio founders. Cold DMs rarely work. Comment thoughtfully on their posts about sector trends before you pitch. Don't spam 50 investors with the same generic message - they talk to each other. Prevent PDF forwarding with Ellty for sensitive materials shared online.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room with your financial model, cap table, and key contracts before investors ask. It speeds up the process when they want to move fast. Include technical specs, pilot data, and supply agreements. Messy email threads with version control issues kill momentum. Using DPA's document sharing regulations ensures secure, regulated handling of sensitive files and speeds up the process.

Set up introductory meetings: Lead with your key technical breakthrough or customer traction, not 20 minutes on market size slides they've seen 100 times. Be ready to discuss what de-risking you've done and what technical risks remain. Investors respect founders who are honest about what could go wrong.

Why climate tech funding matters in 2025

Climate tech raised $13.2B in H1 2025, but funding for carbon removal dropped 60% and several startups folded. The IRA's future is uncertain and tariffs are hitting hardware-heavy companies hard. But nuclear fusion, grid infrastructure, and policy-proof business models are attracting record capital. Clean energy funding actually rose 12% to $9.4B as AI data centers need massive amounts of power. Investors are backing technologies that work on pure economics, not subsidy-dependent models.

18 active climate tech investors

1. Lowercarbon Capital

Chris Sacca's fund backs everything from fusion to carbon removal with a "boring but huge" approach.

• Recent Deals: Stardust Solutions $60M (solar geoengineering, October 2025), Earthmover $7.2M seed (climate data infrastructure, 2025), Commonwealth Fusion Systems (ongoing fusion development)
• LinkedIn: Chris Sacca
• Sector Focus: Carbon removal, fusion, industrial decarbonization, climate data
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Jackson, Wyoming, USA
• Website: lowercarbon.com

2. Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Bill Gates-backed fund now focusing purely on tech after cutting policy teams in March 2025.

• Recent Deals: All Aboard Coalition $300M fund (September 2025), Verdox $80M (carbon capture, 2022), ongoing portfolio support through BEV Fund III ($839M raising)
• LinkedIn: Breakthrough Energy
• Sector Focus: Energy storage, sustainable aviation fuel, carbon capture, long-duration storage
• Stage Focus: Growth, late-stage
• Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
• Website: breakthroughenergy.org

3. Khosla Ventures

Vinod Khosla takes high-risk bets on breakthrough climate tech with decades-long patience.

• Recent Deals: Nitricity $50M Series B (organic fertilizer, 2025), All Aboard Coalition $300M fund (September 2025), Commonwealth Fusion Systems $115M Series A (fusion, 2019)
• LinkedIn: Vinod Khosla
• Sector Focus: Carbon capture, clean hydrogen, sustainable fuels, cement, agriculture
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Menlo Park, California, USA
• Website: khoslaventures.com

4. Energy Impact Partners

Works with 75+ utility and corporate partners to deploy proven climate tech at scale.

• Recent Deals: Closed $1.36B Flagship Fund III (October 2025), Innowatts exit (September 2025), Form Energy, Dragos
• LinkedIn: Energy Impact Partners
• Sector Focus: Grid technology, energy storage, EV charging, industrial electrification
• Stage Focus: Venture, growth, private equity, credit
• Location: New York, USA
• Website: energyimpactpartners.com

5. Pale Blue Dot

European seed fund backing climate startups across food, mobility, and industrial decarbonization.

• Recent Deals: Solarock Series A (July 2025), Brineworks (follow-on 2025), Nala Earth $3.8M seed (January 2025), Pelikan $4M seed
• LinkedIn: Pale Blue Dot
• Sector Focus: Food and agriculture, mobility, energy, industry, circular economy
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed, Series A
• Location: Malmö, Sweden
• Website: paleblue.vc

6. DCVC

Deep tech fund with dedicated climate vehicle backing commercially-ready breakthrough technologies.

• Recent Deals: DCVC Climate Select $400M+ (raising), Fervo Energy (geothermal), Twelve $645M (sustainable aviation fuel co-investment), Radionetics $140M from Lilly
• LinkedIn: DCVC
• Sector Focus: Advanced geothermal, carbon utilization, water resilience, industrial transformation
• Stage Focus: Mid-stage, growth
• Location: San Francisco, California, USA
• Website: dcvc.com

7. Generate Capital

Infrastructure investor with $10B+ raised, now focusing on M&A and consolidation after CEO change.

• Recent Deals: Raised $1.5B institutional + $1.2B loans (2024), unnamed solar and storage acquisitions (2025 strategy shift)
• LinkedIn: Generate Capital
• Sector Focus: Solar, storage, waste-to-energy, sustainable infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Growth, infrastructure, project finance
• Location: San Francisco, California, USA
• Website: generatecapital.com

8. Prime Coalition

Nonprofit mobilizing philanthropic capital for high-impact, neglected climate solutions.

• Recent Deals: Ample Carbon (BECCS), Ebb Carbon (ocean alkalinity), NetZeroNitrogen $6.6M seed, Nitricity plant funding (through Trellis Climate)
• LinkedIn: Prime Coalition
• Sector Focus: First-of-a-kind projects, carbon removal, industrial decarbonization, long-duration storage
• Stage Focus: FOAK deployment, catalytic capital
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Website: primecoalition.org

9. S2G Ventures

Agtech-focused fund that moved onto Growth leaderboard in 2025 with ocean data and fintech deals.

• Recent Deals: Ag fintech and ocean data investments (2025), food and agriculture portfolio expansion
• LinkedIn: S2G Ventures
• Sector Focus: Agriculture technology, food systems, ocean technology, regenerative practices
• Stage Focus: Venture, growth
• Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Website: s2gventures.com

10. Congruent Ventures

Seed and Series A fund focused on demonstrating clear pathways to gigaton-scale impact.

• Recent Deals: 2025 "50 by 2050" analysis published, ongoing seed and Series A investments in mobility, energy, materials
• LinkedIn: Congruent Ventures
• Sector Focus: Mobility, energy, materials, carbon, agriculture, built environment
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: San Francisco, California, USA
• Website: congruentvc.com

11. Planet A Ventures

European early-stage fund with in-house LCA team to quantify environmental impact.

• Recent Deals: 2025 portfolio expansion with focus on nature tech and industry solutions, public LCA methodology updates
• LinkedIn: Planet A Ventures
• Sector Focus: Nature-based solutions, industrial technology, circular economy
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
• Location: Munich, Germany
• Website: planeta.vc

12. Blue Bear Capital

AI and data software fund for energy, infrastructure, and climate applications.

• Recent Deals: Fund III closed at $160M (late 2024), active 2025 deployments in AI-driven climate and energy software
• LinkedIn: Blue Bear Capital
• Sector Focus: AI for energy, infrastructure software, climate data platforms
• Stage Focus: Early growth
• Location: San Francisco, California, USA
• Website: bluebearcap.com

13. Systemiq Capital

Fund targeting big abatement with realistic scale economics and technical diligence.

• Recent Deals: Fund II first close at $70M targeting $200M total (2025), ongoing portfolio expansion
• LinkedIn: Systemiq Capital
• Sector Focus: Materials, industry, food, nature, mobility
• Stage Focus: Early-stage
• Location: London, UK
• Website: systemiqcapital.com

14. Kiko Ventures

Evergreen cleantech platform backed by IP Group, funding long-horizon deep tech.

• Recent Deals: Ongoing portfolio expansion in DAC, materials, and energy with patient capital model
• LinkedIn: Kiko Ventures
• Sector Focus: Direct air capture, advanced materials, energy storage
• Stage Focus: Lab to scale, patient capital
• Location: London, UK
• Website: kikoventures.com

15. Union Square Ventures

Software-focused fund with climate practice targeting decarbonization platforms.

• Recent Deals: Climate software portfolio companies in energy management and carbon accounting
• LinkedIn: Union Square Ventures
• Sector Focus: Climate software, energy management, carbon accounting
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: New York, USA
• Website: usv.com

16. Voyager Ventures

Active cleantech investor with portfolio addressing energy transition challenges.

• Recent Deals: Energy transition and industrial decarbonization investments
• LinkedIn: Voyager Ventures
• Sector Focus: Energy transition, industrial efficiency
• Stage Focus: Early to growth
• Location: USA
• Website: voyagerventures.com

17. Amazon Climate Pledge Fund

Corporate venture arm backing companies helping Amazon reach net-zero by 2040.

• Recent Deals: Ongoing investments in logistics, packaging, renewable energy, and carbon removal supporting Amazon operations
• LinkedIn: Amazon Climate Pledge Fund
• Sector Focus: Logistics, renewable energy, carbon removal, sustainable materials
• Stage Focus: Growth, strategic
• Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
• Website: amazon.com/climatepledgefund

18. Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund

$1B fund investing in carbon removal, renewable energy, and water conservation.

• Recent Deals: Carbon removal purchases, renewable energy projects, water conservation technologies
• LinkedIn: Microsoft
• Sector Focus: Carbon removal, renewable energy, sustainable materials, water
• Stage Focus: Growth, strategic, project finance
• Location: Redmond, Washington, USA
• Website: microsoft.com/climateinnovation

Start tracking your climate tech outreach

These 18 investors closed deals from 2023 to November 2025. Before you start reaching out, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your unit economics. Most founders are surprised to learn investors skip market size slides but spend 5+ minutes on manufacturing cost breakdowns and offtake agreements.

When investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your financial model, cap table, technical specs, and pilot data in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know if they actually reviewed your materials before the follow-up call.

Common questions

How do I know if an investor is still active in climate tech?

Check their portfolio page for deals in the last 12 months and search Crunchbase or Pitchbook for recent announcements. If their latest climate investment was 3+ years ago, they've probably shifted focus. Look at whether they're hiring for climate-specific roles.

Should I cold email climate tech investors or get introductions?

Warm intros from portfolio founders work best. Message 3-4 founders from their portfolio on LinkedIn and ask about their experience. Most will respond honestly. If you can't get intros, a targeted cold email showing you've studied their portfolio beats a generic blast to 50 VCs.

What's the difference between seed and growth-stage climate investors?

Seed investors expect technical risk and no revenue. Growth investors want commercial traction - pilot customers, signed offtakes, or demonstrated unit economics. Don't pitch growth funds with just a prototype. And don't expect seed funds to write $20M+ checks for manufacturing scale-up.

How many climate tech investors should I reach out to?

Quality over quantity. Start with 5-10 that actually match your stage, sector, and check size. Track responses and iterate your pitch before expanding. Shotgunning 100 investors with a generic deck wastes everyone's time and burns your reputation in a small community.

When should I set up a data room for climate tech fundraising?

Before you start pitching. Have your financial model, cap table, technical documentation, and key contracts ready in Ellty. When an investor says "send me your materials," you want to respond in hours, not days. Speed matters when multiple investors are looking at the same round.

Do climate tech investors actually care about pitch deck analytics?

Yes, but not the way you think. They don't care that you tracked them - they assume you're doing it. What matters is using the data to improve your pitch. If 10 investors skip your tech slides, that's a signal to simplify. If they spend 10 minutes on unit economics, lead with that in meetings.