13 cleantech investors back Auckland startups in 2026. Outset, Icehouse, and Climate VC fund clean energy. NZ runs on about 86% renewable electricity.
New Zealand runs mostly on renewable power already. Its cleantech startups build on that clean energy base.
Outset and Icehouse back the deep-tech rounds here. Climate VC Fund backs many of the emissions startups.
These funds want real impact and a clear path to scale. Ellty tracks every open when you share your deck.
This guide lists 13 active Auckland cleantech investors.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outset Ventures | Pre-seed to Series A VC | NZ$250K-$3M | Deep tech, cleantech, energy | outset.ventures |
| Icehouse Ventures | Pre-seed to Series A VC | NZ$100K-$5M | Cleantech, deep tech, agtech | icehouseventures.co.nz |
| GD1 | Seed / Series A VC | NZ$500K-$5M | Deep tech, cleantech, SaaS | gd1.vc |
| Movac | Series A to growth VC | NZ$2M-$10M | Tech, deep tech, cleantech | movac.co.nz |
| Pacific Channel | Seed / Series A VC | NZ$250K-$3M | Deep tech, cleantech, materials | pacificchannel.com |
| Climate VC Fund | Climate-tech VC | NZ$500K-$2M | Climate, emissions, cleantech | climatevcfund.com |
| Blackbird Ventures | Pre-seed / Seed VC | NZ$250K-$5M | Tech, deep tech, climate | blackbird.vc |
| Aera VC | Climate deep-science VC | US$500K-$3M | Climate, frontier tech | aera.vc |
| Hillfarrance | Pre-seed / Seed VC | NZ$1M-$6M | AI, climate, deep tech | hillfarrance.com |
| WNT Ventures | Pre-seed / Seed VC | NZ$100K-$1.5M | Deep tech, cleantech, materials | wntventures.com |
| Nuance Connected Capital | Seed / Series A VC | NZ$250K-$3M | Deep tech, cleantech | nuance.nz |
| NZGCP | Government investor | NZ$250K-$15M+ | Cleantech, deep tech | nzgcp.co.nz |
| Booster Innovation Fund | Managed innovation fund | NZ$250K-$2M | Cleantech, deep tech | booster.co.nz |
Run your Auckland cleantech raise tight
Climate VCs open your impact and cost data right away. Ellty logs every view in your data room.
Start free 14-day trialWhat an Auckland cleantech investor backs
A cleantech investor backs energy, climate, and materials. In NZ that means real impact and clear unit economics.
Most write seed and Series A into NZ deep-tech firms. Founders pitching Cape Town cleantech investors face it too.
They study your science, cost curve, and scale path. A really sharp pitch deck speeds up the whole round.
Ellty gives each fund one trackable link to your data room. You see who studied your model before the first call.
New Zealand cleantech could abate 19.2 Mt of CO2-e a year by 2030, yet raises just one-eighth the capital of peer economies.
13 Auckland cleantech investors
1. Outset Ventures
Outset Ventures is an Auckland deep-tech incubator and fund.
Recent Activity: Closed a NZ$41.5M second fund in 2025, backed OpenStar and Zincovery
LinkedIn: Outset Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, cleantech, energy
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$250K-$3M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: outset.ventures
2. Icehouse Ventures
Icehouse Ventures is an Auckland early-stage VC.
Recent Activity: Closed a NZ$70M seed fund in 2025, backs deep tech and cleantech
LinkedIn: Icehouse Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Cleantech, deep tech, agtech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$100K-$5M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: icehouseventures.co.nz
3. GD1
GD1 is an NZ deep-tech VC commercialising Kiwi science.
Recent Activity: Got a NZ$45M Elevate commitment, co-led Dawn Aerospace
LinkedIn: GD1 LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, cleantech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$500K-$5M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: gd1.vc
4. Movac
Movac is one of NZ's largest established tech VCs.
Recent Activity: Co-led Dawn Aerospace's NZ$20M Series A in 2024
LinkedIn: Movac LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Tech, deep tech, cleantech
Stage Focus: Series A, growth
Check Size: NZ$2M-$10M
Location: Wellington / Auckland
Website: movac.co.nz
5. Pacific Channel
Pacific Channel is an NZ early-stage deep-tech VC.
Recent Activity: Got a NZ$10M Elevate commitment, an active NZ cleantech VC
LinkedIn: Pacific Channel LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, cleantech, materials
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$250K-$3M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: pacificchannel.com
Share your impact data and track every climate VC
Ellty shows when Outset or Climate VC Fund opens your model. Follow up at the right time.
Start free 14-day trial6. Climate VC Fund
Climate VC Fund is Australasia's dedicated climate fund.
Recent Activity: Led a NZ$1M round in Mara Bio, made its first Fund 2 deal in 2026
LinkedIn: Climate VC Fund LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Climate, emissions, cleantech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$500K-$2M
Location: Wellington / Auckland
Website: climatevcfund.com
7. Blackbird Ventures
Blackbird is a trans-Tasman VC with an ANZ seed fund.
Recent Activity: Made 51 ANZ investments in 2025, an active NZ climate backer
LinkedIn: Blackbird Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Tech, deep tech, climate
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: NZ$250K-$5M
Location: Auckland / Sydney
Website: blackbird.vc
8. Aera VC
Aera VC is a climate and deep-science VC active in NZ.
Recent Activity: An active Australasian climate and frontier-tech investor
LinkedIn: Aera VC LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Climate, frontier tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$500K-$3M
Location: Singapore / NZ-active
Website: aera.vc
9. Hillfarrance
Hillfarrance is an NZ pre-seed VC in AI and climate.
Recent Activity: Writes NZ$1M to $6M cheques, an active NZ climate backer
LinkedIn: Hillfarrance LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, climate, deep tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: NZ$1M-$6M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: hillfarrance.com
10. WNT Ventures
WNT Ventures is an NZ deep-tech incubator fund.
Recent Activity: An active NZ cleantech and deep-tech early-stage backer
LinkedIn: WNT Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, cleantech, materials
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Check Size: NZ$100K-$1.5M
Location: Tauranga, New Zealand
Website: wntventures.com
11. Nuance Connected Capital
Nuance is an NZ early-stage deep-tech and cleantech VC.
Recent Activity: An active NZ cleantech and deep-tech early-stage investor
LinkedIn: Nuance Connected Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, cleantech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$250K-$3M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: nuance.nz
12. NZGCP
NZGCP is the government-owned NZ startup investor.
Recent Activity: Added NZ$15M to Outset's fund, backs Zincovery and OpenStar
LinkedIn: NZGCP LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Cleantech, deep tech
Stage Focus: Seed, fund-of-funds
Check Size: NZ$250K-$15M+
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Website: nzgcp.co.nz
13. Booster Innovation Fund
Booster channels KiwiSaver money into NZ innovation.
Recent Activity: An investor in Zincovery, a zinc decarbonisation startup
LinkedIn: Not listed
Sector Focus: Cleantech, deep tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$250K-$2M
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Website: booster.co.nz
Renewable energy and grid tech
NZ already runs mostly on renewable electricity now. Grid and storage startups build right on top of that.
Funds want real cost savings and a clear market here. A lab science demo alone will rarely raise a round.
Show your cost curve and a clear path up to scale. Share your results with secure file sharing.
Run commercial due diligence on your market early. Ellty logs exactly who opened each file and when.
Climate and carbon tech
Carbon and emissions tech are a growing NZ focus. LanzaTech and Mint Innovation both started right here.
Funds want measurable impact and a real business. Impact with no real revenue is a very hard sell here.
Show your real abatement numbers and unit economics. Lock down all of your IP with strong security.
Vague climate claims lose these NZ investors fast. Ellty shows who read your numbers and exactly when.
Clean transport and batteries
Clean transport and batteries are a fast NZ niche. Startups build EV and storage tech right across NZ.
Funds want hardware that scales without heavy cost. Thin hardware margins scare most of these funds off.
Show your cost curve and a clear path up to volume. Capture real demand with a sharp lead capture page.
Read how operational due diligence works early. Ellty tracks who reads each file you send to funds.
How to pitch an Auckland cleantech investor
Lead with impact, cost curve, and clear economics.
- 1.Show real impact and a clear cost curve.Climate VCs fund proof, not just plans.
- 2.Prove a path to scale without heavy cost.Weak economics stall cleantech rounds.
- 3.Share one Ellty link to your data room.Track who opens it and which files.
- 4.Follow up the moment a fund digs in.Ellty tells you exactly when they do.
How Ellty helps you land a cleantech investor in Auckland
You've shortlisted your Auckland cleantech investors already. Set up a data room before the first call.
- 1.Upload your impact data, model, and deck.Set access per fund or per partner.
- 2.Share one trackable link with each fund.Each fund gets its own tracked link.
- 3.Watch opens and follow up at the right time.Use Ellty analytics to time each nudge.
Auckland cleantech investor questions
- Outset and Icehouse lead in deep tech. Climate VC Fund backs emissions startups.
- Cheques run NZ$100K to NZ$15M in 2026. Funds and the state write larger ones.
- Real impact and clear economics. A clear path to scale also helps.
- It runs mostly on renewable power. LanzaTech and Mint both started here.
- Yes, NZGCP backs deep tech and cleantech. It funds startups and other funds.
- Before the first cleantech call. Track who opens your impact data.
