Breakthrough Energy Ventures
Funding platformActively deployingBoston · Seed–Series A · 39 people tracked
Also known as Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe SCSp · BREAKTHROUGH ENERGY VENTURES MANAGEMENT, L.P.
Investment thesis
Breakthrough Energy backs clean energy innovation aimed at meeting the world's rapidly growing energy demand without sacrificing prosperity or the planet. It works across the five major sources of emissions—manufacturing, electricity, agriculture, transportation, and buildings—following a discover, develop, deploy approach. The organization surveys the landscape for opportunity, builds companies from the ground up, and partners with leading innovators to turn breakthrough technologies into scalable businesses. Its guiding principle is superior performance: clean technologies must be affordable and reliable to achieve global scale and address climate change.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 39 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 37 of 50 portfolio companiesEnergy ×22Cleantech ×19Climate Tech ×14Hardware ×12Deep Tech ×11Advanced Manufacturing ×8AI & Machine Learning ×7New Materials ×7
HQs:United States×37Australia×1France×1Zambia×1
Investments · 50 tracked
founders shown can be your intro path
Fervo Energy develops next-generation geothermal technology using advanced drilling and sensing techniques to unlock carbon-free, 24/7 power generation in previously uneconomic locations.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyHouston, US
Tim Latimer(Founder & CEO)inJack Norbeck(Founder)inDavid Thomas Danielson(Director)Nicholas Walrod(Director)Ion Yadigaroglu(Director)
Board seatChristina KarapatakiDavid Danielson· per SEC Form D · $462M raise · filed Dec 2025
Airloom engineers next-generation utility-scale wind turbines designed for mass production and deployment in diverse locations, offering low-cost, reliable energy generation with reduced infrastructure requirements.
CleantechEnergyHardwareLaramie, US
James Singer(Executive Officer, Director)Neal Rickner(Executive Officer, Director)John Singer(Director)Sarah Lewensohn(Director)Robert Lumley(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatPhil Larochelle· per SEC Form D
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
Board seatDavid Danielson· per SEC Form D
Blackburn Energy manufactures RelGen, a hybrid charging system for class 5-8 trucks that generates up to 5X more energy than standard alternators to charge auxiliary batteries used for electric APUs and power liftgates.
CleantechEnergyHardwareBoston, US
Andrew Amigo(CEO & Founder)Dan Tobin(Director)
Dioxycle develops electricity-driven technology to convert waste carbon emissions into chemical feedstocks for industrial manufacturing.
Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyCleantechClimate TechDeep TechParis, FR
SarahDavid
Heart Aerospace develops electric regional aircraft for commercial airline operators.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechClimate TechHardwareSpace TechLos Angeles, US
Anders Forslund(Founder/CEO)in
Mantle8 is a natural hydrogen exploration company developing proprietary geoscience technology—including its GeoLogix prospect-generation algorithm and HOREX multiphysics imaging—to locate and quantify naturally occurring hydrogen resources.
CleantechClimate TechDeep TechEnergy
Emmanuel Masini(Founder)
Sunnyvale, US
Andrew Ponec(Executive Officer)Justin Briggs(Executive Officer, Director)David Bierman(Executive Officer, Director)Christina Karapataki(Director)Clay Dumas(Director)Scott Himmelberger(Director)
Board seatChristina Karapataki· per SEC Form D · $550M raise · filed Aug 2026
Cambridge, US
Katie Rae(Director)Theodore A. Wiley(Executive Officer, Director)Yet-Ming Chiang(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatDavid Danielson· per SEC Form D · $1.6M raise · filed May 2018
Boulder, US
Quoc Pham(Executive Officer, Director)Sandeep Nijhawan(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Alan Chang(Director)
BoardRussell Tham(Director)Dipender Saluja(Director)
Board seatDavid Danielson· per SEC Form D · $256.7M raise · filed Jan 2025
Electric Hydrogen develops hydrogen production technology to support decarbonization.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechClimate TechEnergyMassachusetts, US
Margaret Deane(Executive Officer)Dipender Saluja(Director)David Danielson(Director)Shayle Kann(Director)Gabriel Kra(Director)Rich Hossfeld(Director)
Board seatDavid Danielson· per SEC Form D · $750K raise · filed Oct 2023
EnergyScotts Valley, US
Andrew Baglino(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Dipender Saluja(Director)
Board seatDavid Danielson· per SEC Form D · $140M raise · filed Feb 2026
EnergyRockledge, US
David T. Danielson(Director)Daniel P. Leff(Director)Nicholas Stork(Director)Paul E. Yelvington(Chief Technology Officer)Clara Andreoletti(Director)Nicholas Schwartz(Chief Manufacturing Officer)
Board seatDavid Danielson· per SEC Form D · $50M raise · filed Mar 2026
Boston, US
Ian Randall(Executive Officer, Director)Ian M. Randall(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Rod Randall(Director)
BoardRoderick Randall(Director)
Board seatPhil LarochelleChristian GarciaCarmichael RobertsCarmichael M. Roberts· per SEC Form D · $3.2M raise · filed Feb 2025
Houston, US
Mark Land(Director)Glenn Sandgren(Executive Officer)
Board seatCooper Rinzler· per SEC Form D · $70M raise · filed Dec 2023
Prolific Machines develops light-controlled cell line and bioprocessing solutions for biotherapeutic manufacturing, enabling precise control over protein expression to improve yields and quality for monoclonal antibodies, bispecifics, and other complex biologics.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechEmeryville, US
Maximilian HörnerShahram MisaghiAmritha MenonKiana MohajeriAlex TodaIan Ronningen
Board seatCooper Rinzler· per SEC Form D · $57.6M raise · filed May 2024
Quidnet Energy develops geomechanical energy storage technology that repurposes existing oil, gas, and hydroelectric infrastructure to provide grid-scale, long-duration energy storage.
CleantechDeep TechEnergyHardwareHouston, US
Aaron Mandell(Executive Officer)Christina Karapataki(Director)Matthew Nordan(Director)Michael Biddle(Director)Howard Schmidt(Director)Dagong Zhou(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatChristina Karapataki· per SEC Form D · $8M raise · filed May 2018
EnergyOxford
Volker Bernd Beckers(Director)Robert Macklin(Director)Marc Adrian Borrett(Director)Zahir Kasmani(Director)Sila Kiliccote(Director)Steven Derek Clarke(Director)
Board seatSila Kiliccote· per SEC Form D · $1.1M raise · filed Mar 2024
Redwood Materials deploys large-scale energy storage systems for data centers and grid power while recycling batteries to recover critical minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper as a domestic source of these materials.
Circular EconomyEnergyNew MaterialsCarson City, US
JB Straubel(Founder & CEO)inKevin Kassekert(Executive Officer)Jason Thompson(Executive Officer)David Danielson(Director)
Board seatDavid Danielson· per SEC Form D · $154.7M raise · filed Dec 2022
Rondo manufactures thermal battery systems that store energy by heating refractory bricks with renewable electricity and release it as continuous industrial heat and power for manufacturing processes.
Climate TechDeep TechEnergyCalifornia, US
John O'Donnell(Co-founder & CEO)David Rogers(Director)Peter von Behrens(Executive Officer, Director)Samuel Bursten(Director)John ODonnell(Executive Officer, Director)Mark Hartney(Director)
Board seatMark Hartney· per SEC Form D
Washington, US
Daniel Schnitzer(Executive Officer, Director)Raymond Jay Dunn(Director)Daniel Goldman(Director)Bunmi Adekore(Director)Tokunboh Ishmael(Director)Allison Archambault(Director)
Board seatSila Kiliccote· per SEC Form D · $10.1M raise · filed Feb 2023
Stoke Space develops fully reusable rockets for space transportation and mobility services.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareSpace TechSeattle, US
Andy Lapsa(Founder)inTom Feldman(Founder)inKelly Hennig(Executive Officer)Morgan Beller(Director)
BoardPhil Harris(Director)
Board seatChristian Garcia· per SEC Form D · $350M raise · filed Apr 2026
Durham, US
Ben Gardner(Executive Officer, Director)Phil Larochelle(Director)Raghubir Gupta(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Shantanu Agarwal(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
BoardKevin Tidwell(Director)David Myers(Director)
Board seatPhil Larochelle· per SEC Form D · $10M raise · filed Dec 2021
Space-based solar power generation via satellite constellation
20 companies in the agriculture sector
Albedo develops a flight-proven platform for Very Low Earth Orbit operations, providing satellite-based insights and connectivity services for national security and critical infrastructure systems.
Advanced ManufacturingClimate TechDeep TechDefense TechSpace TechDenver, US
Topher Haddad(Founder)inAyJay Lasater(Founder)inWinston Tri(Executive Officer, Promoter)Dylan Betts(Executive Officer)
BoardChristian Garcia(Director)Raj Shah(Director)
11 companies in the building and construction sector
C16 Biosciences produces high-value lipid ingredients using fermentation of naturally occurring microorganisms for manufacturers of beauty, personal care, home care, and food products.
BiotechCleantechClimate TechConsumerHealthtechNew MaterialsNew York City, US
Shara Ticku(Founder/CEO)inDavid Heller(Founder)inHarry McNamara(Founder)inAndrew Shumaker(He resigned as a Director effective November 20, 2018.)
Commonwealth Fusion Systems develops commercial fusion power plants using high-temperature superconducting magnet technology to provide grid-scale energy.
CleantechClimate TechDeep TechEnergyUnknown, US
Brandon Sorbom(Founder)Robert Mumgaard(Executive Officer, Director)Daniel Brunner(Executive Officer)Massimiliano Pieri(Director)Katie Rae(Director)Alan Eustace(Director)
PartnerCarmichael Roberts· quoted
Cowboy Space builds a satellite constellation system that provides power and compute infrastructure in low Earth orbit to serve artificial intelligence applications.
AI & Machine LearningEnergySpace TechSan Carlos, US
Baiju Bhatt(Executive Officer, Director)Daniel Gallagher(Director)
Dandelion Energy designs and installs geothermal heating and cooling systems for homes, positioning geothermal as a primary heating and cooling solution for both new and existing residential buildings.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyHardwarePalo Alto, US
Kathy Hannun(Founder & CTO)inDan Yates(CEO)inRajeev James Quazi(Executive Officer, Director)Craig Shapiro(Director)
26 companies in the electricity generation and distribution sector
GALY develops biocrafted alternatives to conventionally extracted materials like cocoa and cotton, positioning grown products as sustainable replacements for industries reliant on extractive supply chains.
AgTechBiotechCircular EconomyFoodTechNew MaterialsBoston, US
Ryan Panchadsaram(Director)Carmichael Roberts(Director)Luciano Bueno(Executive Officer, Director)
Guidewheel builds a FactoryOps platform that helps factory teams reduce downtime, improve output, and optimize performance through a simple, scalable solution.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareIoT
Lauren Dunford(CEO)Weston McBride(CTO)
Heron Power develops power electronics and energy storage systems, leveraging expertise in software and manufacturing.
CleantechDeep TechEnergyHardwareCalifornia, US
Drew Baglino(Founder and CEO)
KoBold Metals applies AI and scientific computing to mineral exploration for critical minerals including copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel needed for electrification and the clean energy economy.
AI & Machine LearningCleantechDeep TechHardwareNew Materials<UNKNOWN>, ZM
Kurt House(Chief Executive Officer)Jeroen van der Hoek(Director)
BoardJosh Goldman(President)John Thompson(Director)Connie Chan(Director)Karl White(Director)
Koloma explores and produces natural hydrogen to support global decarbonization efforts.
CleantechClimate TechDeep TechEnergyDenver, US
Peter Johnson(Executive Officer, Director)Jeff Knupp(Executive Officer)Bunmi Adekore(Executive Officer, Director)Paul Harraka(Executive Officer)
BoardChristian Garcia(Director)Shayle Kann(Director)
29 companies in the manufacturing sector
Mariana Minerals is a vertically integrated minerals supplier that uses software to source critical minerals for energy, AI, and defense technologies.
AI & Machine LearningEnergyNew MaterialsSan Francisco, US
Turner Caldwell(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inJuan Lozano Van De Ven(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Schuyler (Baker) Tilney(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Erin Price-Wright(Director)Samir Kaul(Director)
Pivot Bio develops agricultural innovations focused on transforming farming practices through microbiology and genetics.
AgTechBiotechEmeryville, US
Alvin Tamsir(Executive Officer, Director)Karsten Temme(Executive Officer, Director)John Hamer(Director)Matt Ocko(Director)
BoardRoger Wyse(Director)
Rumin8 develops feed supplements for ruminant livestock that reduce methane emissions by applying anti-methanogenic solutions derived from nature.
AgTechClimate TechImpact & Social GoodWestern Australia, AU
David Messina(Co-founder & CEO)inDr Stewart Washer(Co-founder & Chairman)inMatt Callahan(Co-founder and Head of Regulatory)in
Still Bright develops electrochemical copper extraction technology that replaces traditional smelting, enabling faster, cleaner copper production from previously unrecoverable sources.
CleantechNew MaterialsNew Jersey, US
Sygaldry develops quantum-accelerated AI servers that combine multiple qubit modalities to speed up training and inference for AI models.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningHardwareQuantum ComputingAnn Arbor, US
Chad Rigetti(Founder)inIdalia Friedson(Founder)inMichael Keiser(Director)
BoardChristian Garcia(Director)Andrew Sather(Director)
17 companies in the transportation sector
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 Breakthrough Energy Ventures invest at?
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Breakthrough Energy Ventures's typical check size?
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures typically writes checks of $500K – $50M.
- What sectors does Breakthrough Energy Ventures focus on?
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AgTech, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Energy, Impact & Social Good, Mobility & Transportation, New Materials.
- Where is Breakthrough Energy Ventures located?
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures is headquartered in Boston, US.
- Does Breakthrough Energy Ventures lead rounds?
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamBill Gates, Chair of the Board, Breakthrough Energy Ventures
The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. · Bill Gates
The economics of clean energy explained
Breakthrough Energy
Images
Co-investors · 85
Congruent Ventures is an early-stage venture firm backing North American teams innovating across hardware, software, and business models, with a focus on climate and sustainability.
Prelude Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in and supports early-stage startups with the potential to mitigate climate change.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm known for backing bold, contrarian bets in world-class teams that can reshape entire industries.
Energy Impact Partners is an investment firm that connects entrepreneurs with major corporates to help transform the global economy toward a more sustainable future.
Baruch Future Ventures is a climate-tech focused family investment firm that backs entrepreneurs building companies in the climate economy.
Collaborative Fund is a venture capital firm that invests across multiple thematic areas including consumer brands, healthcare, climate and energy, and financial inclusion.
DCVC (Data Collective) is a venture capital firm that backs founders building companies which apply technology to major challenges across areas such as energy, biotech, agriculture, and machine learning.
Gigascale Capital is an early-stage investment firm backing founders building physical systems and infrastructure across energy, factories, supply chains, and infrastructure for climate impact.
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Lowercarbon Capital is a climate-focused venture capital firm that invests in companies developing technologies to reduce emissions, remove carbon from the atmosphere, and address climate adaptation.
Initialized Capital is a venture capital firm that backs seed-stage founders across a wide range of sectors, providing hands-on guidance from company formation onward.
Piva Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in companies aiming to shape the future for humanity.
Darco Capital is the family office of David Adelman, investing across real estate, climate technology, deep technology, consumer products, sports, and enterprise technology.
▶73 more co-investors
Clean Energy VenturesGV (Google Ventures)New Enterprise Associates (NEA)Kleiner PerkinsSOSVFifth WallComcast VenturesHOF CapitalJetstreamNational Grid PartnersPillar VCBMW i VenturesShield CapitalNeva Sgr.Safar PartnersCleo CapitalCubit CapitalTekfen VenturesStarlight Venturesbp venturesWIND VenturesFJ LabsEniac VenturesMayfield FundFreestyle CapitalInnovation EndeavorsLookout VenturesAdditionTrajectory VenturesLowercase CapitalPolaris PartnersAtlas VentureEQT VenturesSalesforce Japan Co.,Ltd.Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ)Serena VenturesGalaxy Digital Assets FundFifth Wall VenturesSweet CapitalMassMutual VenturesGE VenturesStrawberry Creek VenturesNorthpond VenturesOUP (Osage University Partners)Geek Ventures8090 IndustriesWorld FundCalibrate VenturesFrialeAglae VenturesWellington ManagementBusiness Growth FundJLL Spark1955 CapitalFuture Energy VenturesVoLo Earth VenturesCreative VenturesFinancial Technology Partners / FT PartnersM34 CapitalApplied VenturesSeaX VenturesTDK VenturesThe Westly GroupAqua SparkPlaneteer CapitalAberdare VenturesBraemar Energy VenturesBuckhill CapitalWovenEarthEcosystem IntegrityEV Private EquitySynthesis CapitalAiiM Partners
Firms observed investing alongside Breakthrough Energy Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Breakthrough Energy Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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