Buoyant

Buoyant Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with an additional office in Denver. The firm invests at the seed and Series A stages in companies building what it calls the "intelligence layer for the physical world" — AI, software, analytics, sensors, platforms and simple hardware that improve resource efficiency, resiliency and decarbonization across large infrastructure and industrial sectors. Stated focus areas include climate intelligence, efficient computing, energy, industrials, food and agriculture, mobility and water.

The firm was founded in Chicago in 2020 by Amy Francetic and Allison Myers. Francetic, Managing General Partner, previously founded and led the $165M digital energy fund Energize Ventures, co-founded and led technology accelerator Evergreen Climate Innovations (formerly Clean Energy Trust), and held roles at MVC Capital and Stanford Research Institute. Myers, co-founder and General Partner based in Denver, previously spent nearly a decade as an executive at Accenture Strategy working on energy, mobility and built-environment strategy, and is a founding board member of Michigan Climate Venture. Other team members include Partner Alex Behar (joined 2024, previously Vice President at Cultivian Sandbox and a manager at Deloitte), Partner Laura Katzman (joined 2021, promoted to Partner in 2025, previously a CPA at Deloitte and at Ares Management), CFO Lori DeLuca and Executive Assistant Joanna Taddeo.

Buoyant closed its debut fund in February 2023 with $76 million in commitments plus $5.7 million in co-investments, for $81.7 million in total assets under management. Limited partners include Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, Xcel Energy, Bank of America, NiSource, WovenEarth Ventures and the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, along with technology general partners, energy companies, software entrepreneurs and impact investors.

Founding story

Buoyant Ventures was founded in Chicago in 2020 by Amy Francetic and Allison Myers as a female-owned and female-led fund investing in digital solutions to climate risk. Francetic brought experience founding Energize Ventures and Clean Energy Trust (now Evergreen Climate Innovations), while Myers came from Accenture Strategy, where she worked on energy, mobility and built-environment transformation.

Business model

Buoyant operates as a venture capital fund manager, raising capital from limited partners — including corporations, institutions, entrepreneurs and impact investors — and deploying it as minority equity investments in early-stage private companies. Reported check sizes range from $500,000 to $5 million, and the firm both leads rounds and participates alongside other investors.

As a venture fund manager, the firm's economics derive from managing limited partner capital and from returns on its portfolio investments; the fund closed with $76 million in commitments and $81.7 million in total assets under management including co-investments.

Traction

The debut fund closed with $76 million in commitments and $81.7 million in total AUM, and nine investments had been made as of February 2023. A later profile describes a portfolio of 15 companies, with a target of 15-20 companies. Named portfolio companies include Raptor Maps, StormSensor, SupplyShift, FloodFlash, Shifted Energy, Audette, ReelData, Beni, Canopy, HData, ElectroTempo, SkyFi, Sunairio, Gravity and Hammerhead AI.

Latest developments

Partner Laura Katzman was promoted to Partner in 2025 and has led investments in Hammerhead, Gravity and SkyFi; Partner Alex Behar, who joined in 2024, led the firm's investment in Sunairio. The firm's current public positioning centers on the "intelligence layer for the physical world," adding efficient computing and data center-related themes to its earlier climate focus.