Chile runs on sun and wind. The Atacama has the world's best solar. But startup equity is thin here. Most cash is grants, loans, and project finance. Here are 14 investors backing Santiago cleantech startups in 2026.
Chile is a clean-energy power, and solar and wind already lead its grid. The country has turned its sun and wind into one of the cleanest power systems in the region.
Yet few venture funds write equity cheques into cleantech startups here. The pure startup equity pool stays small, even as the sector grows.
Most of the big money arrives as grants and loans, with project finance funding the plants themselves. To raise, you will pitch funds, utilities, and public agencies alike, and Ellty keeps all your data behind one shareable link.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayyak Ventures | Chilean VC (climate/impact) | Up to US$5M | Clean energy, agtech, SaaS | kayyakventures.com |
| Fen Ventures | Chilean VC (climatech) | Early stage | Climatech, SaaS, biotech | fenventures.com |
| ChileGlobal Ventures | Chilean VC + connector | ~US$100K-$5M | Cleantech, software, agtech | chileglobalventures.cl |
| Genesis Ventures | Chilean VC + project fund | US$1M-$10M (H2) | Green H2, solar, storage | genesisventures.vc |
| Aurus | Chilean VC (water/energy) | Early to growth | Water, energy, deep tech | aurus.cl |
| ENGIE Factory | Corporate accelerator (utility) | Early stage | Clean energy, EVs, efficiency | engiefactory.com |
| Copec Wind Ventures | Corporate VC (Copec) | US$1M-$10M | Energy, mobility, climate | windventures.vc |
| EDP Ventures | Corporate VC (EDP utility) | ~US$2M | Renewables, grid software | edp.com |
| Draper Cygnus | Pan-LatAm deep-tech VC | ~US$250K-$1M | Deep tech, energy, climate | drapercygnus.vc |
| IDB Lab (Green Hub) | DFI (debt, not equity) | Loans up to ~US$40K | Climatech, resilience | bidlab.org |
| CORFO | Govt grants / co-funding | Grants, not equity | Green H2, innovation | corfo.cl |
| Start-Up Chile | Govt accelerator (grants) | Equity-free grants | Generalist, cleantech eligible | startupchile.org |
| NESsT | Impact fund (mostly debt) | Small-ticket debt | Clean energy, circular, agri | nesst.org |
| Devlabs | Micro-VC (US-Chile) | Seed | SaaS, fintech, renewables | devlabs.vc |
Pitch funds and utilities from one link
Cleantech investors study tech, costs, and carbon closely. Ellty shows who opened your numbers so you follow up first.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a cleantech investor backs
Cleantech investors want proven technology and early traction, and real cost savings matter most of all. They look for evidence that the product works in the field, not just on a slide.
They study the cost curve, the carbon impact, and the path to scale before they commit. Your margins have to hold up under that scrutiny, so the numbers need to be honest and clear.
A clear pitch deck helps a lot, but it is the data behind it that wins the room. Ellty gives each fund one link to that data, and you see exactly who opens your deck and when.
We need to mobilize more private financing into innovation and impact investment to support exceptional entrepreneurs.
14 Santiago cleantech investors
1. Kayyak Ventures
Kayyak backs climate and impact startups.
Recent Activity: Led EV-charging startup Enerlink's 2026 round
LinkedIn: Kayyak Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Clean energy, agtech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed to Series B
Check Size: Up to US$5M
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: kayyakventures.com
2. Fen Ventures
Fen backs climatech and tech founders.
Recent Activity: Backed grid-AI startup Splight's 2024 seed
Sector Focus: Climatech, SaaS, biotech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
Check Size: Early stage
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: fenventures.com
3. ChileGlobal Ventures
ChileGlobal backs cleantech and software.
Recent Activity: Co-launched an IDB climate fund in 2025
Sector Focus: Cleantech, software, agtech
Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
Check Size: ~US$100K-$5M
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: chileglobalventures.cl
4. Genesis Ventures
Genesis runs a green-hydrogen fund.
Recent Activity: Runs a green-hydrogen project fund
LinkedIn: Genesis Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Green H2, solar, storage
Stage Focus: Stage-agnostic
Check Size: US$1M-$10M (H2)
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: genesisventures.vc
5. Aurus
Aurus backs water and energy tech.
Recent Activity: Water and energy thesis; recent deal unconfirmed
Sector Focus: Water, energy, deep tech
Stage Focus: Early to growth
Check Size: Early to growth
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: aurus.cl
6. ENGIE Factory
ENGIE Factory backs sustainability startups.
Recent Activity: Backs sustainability startups in LatAm
Sector Focus: Clean energy, EVs, efficiency
Stage Focus: Early stage
Check Size: Early stage
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: engiefactory.com
Give each clean-energy fund one trackable link
Ellty logs when a fund or utility opens your data room. Chase the keen ones first, not days too late.
Start free 14-day trial7. Copec Wind Ventures
Wind Ventures backs energy and mobility.
Recent Activity: Deployed US$150M across 23 companies
LinkedIn: Wind Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Energy, mobility, climate
Stage Focus: Series A to C
Check Size: US$1M-$10M
Location: San Francisco, USA
Website: windventures.vc
8. EDP Ventures
EDP's fund backs renewables and grid tech.
Recent Activity: Invested ~US$2M in Splight in 2024
Sector Focus: Renewables, grid software
Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
Check Size: ~US$2M
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Website: edp.com
9. Draper Cygnus
Draper Cygnus backs LatAm deep tech.
Recent Activity: Backed grid-AI startup Splight
Sector Focus: Deep tech, energy, climate
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to seed
Check Size: ~US$250K-$1M
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Website: drapercygnus.vc
10. IDB Lab (Green Hub)
IDB Lab lends to climatech startups.
Recent Activity: Launched the Green Hub fund in 2025
Sector Focus: Climatech, resilience
Stage Focus: Growth, post-accelerator
Check Size: Loans up to ~US$40K
Location: Washington, USA
Website: bidlab.org
11. CORFO
CORFO grants and co-funds clean energy.
Recent Activity: Awarded US$25.6M to electrolyser makers in 2025
Sector Focus: Green H2, innovation
Stage Focus: Any
Check Size: Grants, not equity
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: corfo.cl
12. Start-Up Chile
Start-Up Chile gives equity-free grants.
Recent Activity: Runs equity-free grant cohorts
Sector Focus: Generalist, cleantech eligible
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to growth
Check Size: Equity-free grants
Location: Santiago, Chile
Website: startupchile.org
13. NESsT
NESsT funds green enterprises with debt.
Recent Activity: Runs a green-enterprise accelerator
Sector Focus: Clean energy, circular, agri
Stage Focus: Early, SME
Check Size: Small-ticket debt
Location: International / Chile
Website: nesst.org
14. Devlabs
Devlabs backs early Chile and US startups.
Recent Activity: Renewable thesis; portfolio mostly SaaS
Sector Focus: SaaS, fintech, renewables
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Seed
Location: Oakland and Temuco
Website: devlabs.vc
Why grants and loans lead
In Chile, public money funds plants more readily than startups, so grants and development-finance loans dominate the landscape. The equity that flows in tends to come later, once a company has shipped something real.
CORFO backs green hydrogen hard, co-funding projects and handing out grants to push the sector forward. That public support sets the pace for much of the cleantech that gets built here.
To stand out, lean on real revenue and a credible cost story rather than a pure vision. See our fintech investors guide too, and let Ellty show you who actually studies your deck so you can track every open in one place.
How utilities back cleantech
Several big utilities run their own venture arms, and ENGIE and Copec both invest directly in cleantech founders. These strategics fund clean energy because it sits close to their core business.
EDP backed grid-AI startup Splight, a sign of how seriously utilities now treat early-stage tech. When you approach them, pitch like a future partner rather than a passive grantee.
Keep your investor relations warm across every conversation, because these relationships compound over time. Ellty logs who reads your numbers and shows you real intent, so you know which utility is genuinely leaning in.
Raising cleantech money in Santiago
Line up funds, utilities, and grant programs together, and let a committed lead set the pace for the round. A clear anchor makes every other conversation move faster.
Run clean due diligence prep before the first call, because being ready builds trust fast. Keep your documents in one virtual data room so you can share everything in a single click.
Ellty logs reads with document analytics and lets you lock files with granular permissions. Together they tell you who is serious and keep your sensitive numbers under control.
How to pitch a cleantech investor
Show proven tech and real users.
- 1.Show proven tech and real users.Prove the savings are real, not modeled. Point to live deployments and the customers already paying for them.
- 2.Map cost, carbon, and scale.Lay out your cost curve, carbon impact, and path to scale in plain numbers. Keep every figure clear enough to defend in a single slide.
- 3.Name your raise and runway.State exactly how much you are raising and how long it lasts. Keep the ask tight and tie it to the milestones it buys.
- 4.Send one Ellty link to your data.Share a single trackable Ellty link instead of loose attachments. Then watch who digs in and follow up with the funds that do.
How Ellty helps you land a cleantech investor in Santiago
You have your Santiago cleantech list ready. Set up a data room first.
- 1.Upload your deck, metrics, and tech.Set access per fund.
- 2.Share one trackable link per fund.Each fund gets a unique link.
- 3.Watch opens and reply on time.Use analytics to time each nudge.
Santiago cleantech investor questions
- A few VCs and utilities. Grants and loans add more.
- No, the equity pool is small. Grants lead instead.
- Clean energy and grid tech. Water and storage too.
- Yes, ENGIE, Copec, and EDP. They back clean energy.
- Often US$1M to US$5M. Grants and loans add more.
- Before your first investor call. Track who opens your numbers.
