Azolla Ventures
Impact investorActively deployingCambridge · Pre-Seed–Seed · 17 people tracked
Also known as AZOLLA MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LP · Azolla Ventures Catalytic
Investment thesis
Azolla Ventures focuses on the earliest-stage climate ventures, prioritizing impact and seeking breakthroughs capable of gigaton-scale CO2e reductions. Founded by the nonprofit Prime Coalition and enabled by catalytic capital, the firm takes on high-risk, high-reward opportunities that fall outside conventional venture norms. It emphasizes both large-scale emissions reduction and a more just climate for all, backing bold entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds who are working to avert catastrophic climate change.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 17 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 15 of 54 portfolio companiesCleantech ×10Energy ×7Climate Tech ×6New Materials ×5AgTech ×3Biotech ×3Deep Tech ×2Advanced Manufacturing ×1
HQs:United States×20Germany×1
Investments · 54 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathSan Francisco, US
Board seatMatthew Nordan· per SEC Form D · $4M raise · filed Jun 2024
EnergyTukwila, US
Robin Langtry(Executive Officer, Director)Kyle Teamey(Director)Brian Riordan(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMatthew Nordan· per SEC Form D · $29.2M raise · filed Jan 2026
Philadelphia, US
Joanne Norris(Executive Officer, Director)Nick Martin(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatAmy Duffuor· per SEC Form D · $5.5M raise · filed Feb 2025
Develops cold plasma technology to degrade pathogens toxins and pests responsible for food waste
Holyoke, US
Daniel Cavanaugh(Director)Tom Boddez(Director)Justin Frankert(Director)Daniel White(Executive Officer, Director)Pete Oberle(Director)Amy Duffuor(Director)
Board seatAmy Duffuor· per SEC Form D
BiotechSan Francisco, US
Matthew Nordan(Director)Rik Wehbring(Director)Jeffrey Anderson(Executive Officer, Director)Sarah Richardson(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMatthew Nordan· per SEC Form D · $15.7M raise · filed Jan 2022
Palo Alto, US
Christopher Ronald Graves(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Richard M. Swanson(Director)Amy Duffuor(Director)Mary Kalee Whitehouse(Executive Officer, Promoter)
Board seatAmy Duffuor· per SEC Form D
Sunnyvale, US
Board seatMatthew Nordan· per SEC Form D · $5M raise · filed Jul 2023
Cambridge, US
Izhar Armony(Director)Gabriel Kra(Director)Christopher M. Micali(Executive Officer)Matthew Nordan(Director)Michael Phillips(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMatthew Nordan· per SEC Form D · $105.9M raise · filed May 2022
Scarsdale, US
Kimberly Zou(Executive Officer, Director)Sophie Purdom(Director)
BoardJason Kalira(Director)George Chalmers(Director)Mark Taylor(Director)
Board seatMatthew Nordan· per SEC Form D · $7.2M raise · filed Aug 2024
Uses novel membranes to recycle lithium-ion batteries and enable industrial separations
Cambridge, US
Jacob Bro(Director)Jeffrey Grossman(Director)Brendan Smith(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMatthew Nordan· per SEC Form D
Platform for floating offshore wind turbines to transform wind energy economics
Designs and builds fusion power systems that fit on a desktop
Uses UV light signals to boost seed and seedling genetic potential; domiciled in the USA.
Palmerston North
Mark Brown(Director)Mary Dimou(Director)Adrian Percy(Director)Steven Sibulkin(Executive Officer, Director)John Bedbrook(Director)Jason Wargent(Executive Officer)
Reinvents electric motor design for high torque at low speeds enabling efficient wind turbines
Advanced ManufacturingMadison, US
DANIEL COLIN LUDOIS(Executive Officer)KATHERINE GERAMITA(Executive Officer)Leigh Cagan(Director)Paul Reckwerdt(Director)William A. Henrickson(Director)Barbara Ziemer(Executive Officer)
Decarbonizing shipping with carbon capture technology on ocean vessels
Altadena, US
Jess Adkins(Executive Officer, Director)
Charm Industrial converts agricultural residues into bio-oil and injects it underground to remove carbon from the atmosphere at scale.
AgTechCleantechClimate Tech
Shaun Meehan(Chief Scientist and co-founder)
Clean Crop Technologies makes DriPRIME, a cold plasma seed and crop treatment that uses air and electricity to remove pathogens, boost seed vigor, and reduce post-harvest losses for farmers.
AgTechCleantechFoodTech
Daniel Cavanaugh(Co-Founder)
Reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in industrial and commercial electrical heating
Erg Bio operates a biomanufacturing platform that converts agricultural and forestry residues into fuels and essential chemicals, aimed at diversifying energy and chemical supply chains.
BiotechCleantechEnergy
Creates quiet and efficient HVAC systems that are low-profile and easy to install
Lilac Solutions develops direct lithium extraction technology using ceramic ion exchange media, enabling fast, clean, and affordable lithium production from brines for the electric vehicle and battery industries.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyNew MaterialsOakland, US
David Snydacker(President & Chief Technology Officer)inNicholas Goldberg(Chief Legal Officer of Issuer)Ian Pearce(Director)inDavid Gelinas(Chief Financial Officer of Issuer)inSamuel Romer(Director)Raef Sully(Chief Executive Officer of Issuer)in
Developing sustainable methods to process critical metals
Cambridge, US
Ricardo Repenning(Executive Officer)Tancredi Botto(Executive Officer, Director)Johanna Wolfson(Director)
BoardJoanna Wolfson(Director)
Developing biological nitrogen fixation solution for rice cultivation
Oxylus Energy develops electrolyzer technology that converts captured CO2 into methanol using renewable electricity, enabling industrial facilities and biogenic CO2 sources to monetize emissions while producing low-carbon fuels and chemicals.
CleantechClimate TechEnergy
Perry Bakas(Cofounder)Harrison Meyer(Cofounder)Conor Rooney(Cofounder)
Developing autonomous aircraft for rapid wildfire response
Sustainable mineral processing startup revolutionizing the mining industry
Rock Zero develops a proprietary chemical process for refining hardrock lithium, converting lithium-bearing minerals into battery-grade chemicals at lower cost and environmental impact.
CleantechEnergyNew Materials
Modularizes electric vehicle drivetrains to enable higher-performance, lower-cost EVs
Still Bright develops electrochemical copper extraction technology that replaces traditional smelting, enabling faster, cleaner copper production from previously unrecoverable sources.
CleantechNew MaterialsNew Jersey, US
Producer of zero-carbon cement for scalable, sustainable building materials.
PartnerJohanna Wolfson· led
Tynt develops dynamic light control film based on Reversible Metal Electrodeposition (RME) technology, enabling tunable tint for glass and plastic surfaces in buildings, vehicles, and wearables.
CleantechDeep TechNew MaterialsBoulder, US
Ameen K. Saafir(President)Sebastian Peck(Director)Johanna Wolfson(Director)Michael McGehee(Chief Scientist)Chris Collier(Director)Tyler Hernandez(CEO & Co-founder)
Develops electroswing adsorption technology for scalable and cost-effective carbon capture and removal
Advances coastal carbon capture by accelerating natural weathering of olivine rock
PartnerJohanna Wolfson· led
Cambridge, US
Brent Keller(Executive Officer, Director)Katie Rae(Director)Shreya Dave(Executive Officer, Director)Arunas Chesonis(Director)
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Azolla Ventures invest at?
- Azolla Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What sectors does Azolla Ventures focus on?
- Azolla Ventures focuses on Cleantech, Climate Tech, Energy, Impact & Social Good.
- Where is Azolla Ventures located?
- Azolla Ventures is headquartered in Cambridge, US.
- Does Azolla Ventures lead rounds?
- Azolla Ventures typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamAmy Duffuor | Co-Founder & General Partner, Azolla Ventures
ZNRG - The ZENERGY Podcast · Amy Duffuor
Matthew Nordan, General Partner with Azolla Ventures, on #catalyticcapital
macfound · Matthew Nordan
Climate Investors Series: Matthew Nordan (Azolla Ventures)
Work on Climate · Matthew Nordan
Images
Co-investors · 8
Propeller VC operates through a formal multi-year partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, giving it direct access to scientists and IP while building companies out of ocean science labs through a defined tech-transfer process that spins out startups with scientists as founders. The fund refuses capital from oil companies and has helped establish the three-vertical framework (Ocean Carbon, Ocean Industrials, and Ocean Organics) that major institutions like J.P. Morgan now use to define the blue-tech investment landscape.
Avila is an investment firm focused on companies at the intersection of software and physical/hardware technologies, aiming to modernize foundational industries.
Silicon Badia is a venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs to solve major global problems, having invested in over 100 startups across more than 15 tech industries since 2012.
Clean Energy Ventures is a climate-focused venture capital firm that has invested for nearly two decades in breakthrough climate technologies, backing founders who combine defensible science with strong commercial fundamentals.
GV (formerly Google Ventures) is a venture investment firm that backs founders across many industries, aiming to build long-term relationships and support companies across multiple stages and milestones.
Redalpine is a multi-stage venture investment advisor with Swiss roots and a pan-European focus, active since 2006, that invests at the intersection of software and science.
Zero Carbon Capital invests in hard science companies developing climate change solutions. The firm focuses on commercialization across various development stages.
Firms observed investing alongside Azolla Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Azolla Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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