ImpactAlpha, Aug. 18 – More than 1,000 terawatt-hours of energy are needed to pump, treat, and distribute water globally each year. Portland, Ore.-based InPipe makes a smart valve that converts excess water-pipe pressure into carbon-free energy.
The energy-as-a-service solution helps municipal water providers save money and water and reduce emissions. FullCycle led the $6.5 million Series A round.
Policy push
The deal comes amid an increasing focus on sustainable infrastructure. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate earmarks at least $55 billion for investment in the country’s aging water infrastructure.
There’s a “massive” opportunity “to innovate at the intersections of water and energy, especially in a way that makes the infrastructure of tomorrow more resilient than our current systems,” FullCycle partner Stephan Nicoleau told ImpactAlpha.
Project finance
FullCycle invests equity into companies as well as their projects. Its model involves a right of first refusal to finance deployment projects. As part of the deal with InPipe, for example, FullCycle will exclusively finance the company’s projects around the world.
“We are thrilled to have FullCycle as our long-term scaling partner, enabling us to deliver our solutions to municipalities worldwide” said InPipe Energy CEO Gregg Semler, citing the firm’s “infrastructure expertise and urgency to battle climate change.”
The investment is the third for FullCycle, which focuses on pre-commercial, post validation climate solutions. Other investments include circular plastics recycler Synova and controlled agriculture startup Sustainitech.
