Climate and Clean Tech
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 26, 2023
Climate tech venture Ecozen raises $25 million, giving early investors a partial exit
ImpactAlpha, January 26 – Ecozen, in Pune, India, launched a decade ago to provide affordable, clean energy-fueled products for India’s smallholder farmers. The …
Photo by Scythe Robotics.
Climate and Clean Tech | January 25, 2023
Scythe Robotics raises $42 million for ‘pay-as-you-mow’ landscaping equipment
ImpactAlpha, January 25 — Gas-powered equipment like lawn mowers and leaf blowers emit more than 240 million tons of pollutants each year, according …
Photo by Living Carbon.
Low-carbon transition | January 20, 2023
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Nature-based biotech
ImpactAlpha, January 20 — Forests, oceans and soils play a crucial role in absorbing greenhouse gas emissions – and they could use some …
Summit Nanotech Operations in Chile | Photo by Summit Nanotech.
Impact Tech | January 19, 2023
Summit Nanotech secures $50 million for sustainable lithium extraction
ImpactAlpha, January 19 — The scramble is on to commercialize sustainable lithium, which can overcome a major obstacle to the wholesale transition to …
Photo Triodos Investment Management.
Clean Energy | January 19, 2023
WeLight raises €19 million to bring solar mini-grids to rural Madagascar
ImpactAlpha, January 19 — The majority of Madagascar’s population lacks access to electricity. Triodos Investment Management, the European Investment Bank and EDFI ElectriFI …
Photo by Sublime Systems.
Low-carbon transition | January 18, 2023
Sublime Systems secures $40 million to commercialize electrified zero-carbon cement
ImpactAlpha, January 18 — Mining, grinding and heating limestone to make cement, the main binding agent for concrete, releases an enormous amount of …
Photo by Forum Mobility.
Climate and Clean Tech | January 18, 2023
Electrifying heavy-duty drayage trucks at California’s ports
ImpactAlpha, January 18 — The approximately 30,000 heavy-duty trucks that transport containers and bulk freight between ships and rail facilities at California’s 40 …
Photo by Sedron Technologies.
Dealflow | January 11, 2023
Generate bets on Sedron Technologies’ municipal wastewater treatment
ImpactAlpha, January 11 — Generate Capital, the San Francisco-based sustainable infrastructure financier and operator, launched Generate Upcycle last year to expand into recycling, …
Photo by Commerz Real.
Dealflow | January 10, 2023
Commerz Real’s Klimavest real assets impact fund crosses the billion-euro mark
ImpactAlpha, January 10 — Germany is one of several European nations that backslid on fossil fuels in order to generate power as Russia’s …
Photo by Silicon Ranch.
Clean Energy | January 9, 2023
A passel of clean energy deals to kick off the new year
ImpactAlpha, January 9 — Climate tech proved resilient last year relative to other VC sectors more impacted by the global economic slowdown. And …
Photo by Roodgally Senatus, ImpactAlpha.
Climate and Clean Tech | January 5, 2023
Electrifying ‘dollar vans’ to boost livelihoods and cut carbon in New York’s transit deserts
ImpactAlpha, January 5 — Along Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, several informal “dollar vans” pass by for every city bus. The rides are more …
Climate Finance | January 4, 2023
Investing in climate entrepreneurs who think like project developers
Progress is as much about implementation as it is about invention. I wish I could lay claim to these profound words. They were …
Impact Investing | December 21, 2022
Collaborative Fund raises $200 million fund for materials, ingredients, energy and supply chains.
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 21 – Designer Stella McCartney is anchoring the Collab SOS fund and is also a customer to many of the fund’s …
Impact Investing | December 20, 2022
General Atlantic’s BeyondNetZero mobilizes $3.5 billion climate fund
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 2 – BeyondNetZero is the global growth equity firm’s first fund dedicated to climate tech. It invests in innovative growth companies …
Climate Finance | December 19, 2022
Deadline 2030: Midway to climate marker, time to take deployment exponential
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 19 – Halfway there. When the ball drops in Times Square this year, it will ring in the critical midpoint in the …
Corporate Impact | December 14, 2022
Are Elon Musk’s Twitter escapades putting Tesla’s climate impact at risk?
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 14 – Some Tesla shareholders are frustrated that CEO Elon Musk is hurting the electric vehicle maker’s share price with his acquisition …
Climate Finance | December 13, 2022
Avarni clinches funding to help companies track Scope 3 emissions
ImpactAlpha, December 13 – As regulators and investors push companies to report their emissions, startups are coming to market with carbon accounting and …
Impact Investing | December 12, 2022
‘Net energy’ breakthrough fuels the race to commercialize fusion power
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 13 – Net energy is the starting line. The race for commercial fusion energy is on. Creating a net energy gain …
Photo by Maitheli Maitra on Unsplash
Dealflow | December 12, 2022
Varaha scores $4 million to help smallholder farmers create nature-based carbon credits
ImpactAlpha, December 12 — Gurugram-based Varaha has raised $4 million in a seed financing round backed by Omnivore, RTP Global, Better Capital and …
Photo by Sun King.
Clean Energy | December 7, 2022
Sun King gets $10 million to finance off-grid solar in Africa
ImpactAlpha, December 7 — In Africa, millions of off-grid low-income and rural households still use dirty and expensive kerosene lamps. Solar companies, like …
Fifty Years' Seth Bannon
Agents of Impact | December 2, 2022
Seth Bannon, Fifty Years: Big swings at big challenges (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 2 – Back in 1931, Winston Churchill predicted we’d grow real meat without the animals. Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug …
Dealflow | November 30, 2022
Swell Energy’s $120 million raise points to the energy grid of the future
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 30 – There’s a place for large, centralized power plants and the giant private equity firms that write big checks to …
Photo by Goodwell Investments.
Dealflow | November 23, 2022
Goodwell Investments raises €50 million to drive inclusive growth in Africa
ImpactAlpha, November 23 — Dutch impact investor Goodwell Investments is looking to raise €150 million for its second uMunthu fund to invest in …
Photo by BasiGo.
Impact Tech | November 22, 2022
Kenyan electric bus maker BasiGo scores $6.6 million to electrify mass transit
ImpactAlpha, November 22 — Kenya has emerged as Africa’s early leader in e-mobility, primarily for two- and three-wheelers. EV leaders in the country, …
Photo credit: Antoine Antoniol
Corporate Venture Capital | November 21, 2022
Schneider Electric commits €500 million for climate and industrial tech
ImpactAlpha, November 21 — French electrical equipment maker Schneider Electric launched SE Ventures, its corporate venture capital arm, with an initial €500 million …
Intersect Power’s Athos III solar and storage project is located in Riverside
Climate Finance | November 17, 2022
Climate Adaptive Infrastructure raises more than $1 billion for low-carbon real assets
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 17 – San Francisco sustainable infrastructure investment firm Climate Adaptive Infrastructure raised $825 in equity and $200 million for a co-investment program …
Photo by Impulse.
Climate and Clean Tech | November 17, 2022
Impulse scores $20 million for battery-powered induction stoves
ImpactAlpha, November 17 — Gas stoves, still used by one-third of U.S. households, emit methane even when turned off and release toxins linked …
Impact Investing | November 16, 2022
Energy Impact Partners seals $485 million early stage climate fund
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 16 – Energy Impact Partners’ Frontier Fund invests in big-bet climate startups that have proved their decarbonization technology and are poised …
Climate Finance | November 15, 2022
New narrative of climate action: Unstoppable progress and immense opportunity
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 15 – It has become fashionable to dismiss global climate confabs like COP27 as so much “blah blah blah.” But for …
Photo by Flickr.
Clean Energy | November 15, 2022
KKR bets $400 million on Serentica Renewable for clean energy in India
ImpactAlpha, November 15 — KKR, through its $3.9 billion Asia Pacific Infrastructure fund, is investing $400 million in New Delhi-based clean energy producer …
Photo by Eco Ltd.
Climate Finance | November 14, 2022
Philanthropic organizations commit $500 million for energy transition in developing countries
ImpactAlpha, November 14 — A three-year commitment by nine philanthropies will support energy transition projects by low- and middle-income countries and their partners …
Impact Investing | November 10, 2022
VoLo Earth raises $90 million for debut climate tech early-stage fund
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 10 – Snowmass Village, Colo.-based VoLo Earth launched in 2020 to invest in early stage climate deals across electricity, mobility, buildings, …
Photo credit: Havfram
Clean Energy | November 9, 2022
Havfram secures $250 million from Sandbrook Capital to finance offshore wind projects
ImpactAlpha, November 9 — Engineering and technological advances are pushing down the costs of offshore wind power. Stamford, Conn.-based climate infrastructure investor Sandbrook …
Photo by AMP Robotics.
Climate and Clean Tech | November 8, 2022
Climate funds deploy capital to waste-tech
ImpactAlpha, November 8 — Nearly two billion tons of waste have been dumped in the air, oceans, soils and waterways this year. The …
Dealflow | November 7, 2022
Amazon commits $53 million to support female climate tech founders
ImpactAlpha, November 7 — Amazon, through its $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund, says it will invest $50 million directly in climate tech companies …
Image credit: Origen Carbon Solutions / screenshot
Climate and Clean Tech | November 3, 2022
Elemental Excelerator stocks the climate tech pipeline for hard-to-decarbonize industries
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 3 – Early-stage climate tech investor and accelerator Elemental Excelerator has helped launch some of the hottest names in climate tech. Among …
Satgana's founding team | Photo by Satgana.
Women Rising | November 1, 2022
Satgana raises funds for climate tech startups in Africa and Europe
ImpactAlpha, November 2 — Luxembourg-based Satgana, which means “a good company” in Sanskrit, has raised an undisclosed amount in a first close from …
Photo by Freepik.
Climate Finance | October 28, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Climate and green infrastructure
ImpactAlpha, October 28 — Expectations may be low for the COP27 global climate summit, which kicks off in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt next …
Impact Investing | October 24, 2022
Lowercarbon doubles down on fusion energy with $250 million fund
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 25 – As global economies electrify and new solutions like carbon capture and water desalination come online, power demand could triple …
Brian Halligan | Photo by Hubspot.
Oceans | October 24, 2022
Propeller Ventures raises $100 million climate tech fund for ocean-based solutions
ImpactAlpha, October 24 — Trees get all the glory. But oceans absorb 20 times more carbon dioxide than trees. “Only a fraction of …
Photo by Baptist Press.
Catalytic Capital | October 24, 2022
Kresge Foundation backs three community solar organizations with $7 million in program-related investments
ImpactAlpha, October 24 — Troy, Mich.-based Kresge Foundation is aiming to catalyze investments for solar energy and storage in low-wealth communities and communities …
Photo by Envirofit.
Climate Finance | October 19, 2022
India’s EKI Energy Services commits $24.3 million to launch a climate impact fund
ImpactAlpha, October 19 — Indore-based EKI Energy is a global carbon credits supplier and project manager with its own trading platform. The company …
Photo by BP.
Climate and Clean Tech | October 19, 2022
BP acquires U.S. renewable natural gas producer Archaea Energy in a deal valued at $4.1 billion.
ImpactAlpha, October 19 — BP became one of the first oil majors to embrace the low-carbon transition when CEO Bernard Looney took over …
Climate Finance | October 17, 2022
Lightrock’s climate fund raises €860 million for net-zero growth companies
ImpactAlpha, October 17 — London-based private equity investor Lightrock has raised €860 million ($838 million) for its first climate impact fund. Lightrock raised …
Franz Hochstrasser (left) and Matthew Moroney, cofounders of Raise Green
Climate and Clean Tech | October 13, 2022
Raise Green snags $1.2 million to expand access to climate deals for retail investors
ImpactAlpha, October 13 — Somerville, Mass.-based Raise Green manages an online marketplace that helps small-scale solar developers and green ventures get financing for …