Prelude Ventures
Venture capitalSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Series B · 17 people tracked
Investment thesis
Prelude Ventures focuses on climate as its central investment theme, backing early-stage startups with significant potential to mitigate climate change. Its areas of interest span the built environment, carbon management, compute, food and agriculture, energy, manufacturing and industrials, and mobility. The firm provides both capital and support to these companies.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 17 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 46 of 182 portfolio companiesClimate Tech ×24Cleantech ×17Energy ×17Deep Tech ×11AI & Machine Learning ×10Hardware ×9Advanced Manufacturing ×8AgTech ×7
HQs:United States×50Australia×1
Investments · 182 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)
Ginkgo Bioworks develops autonomous laboratory systems that automate manual benchwork in biotechnology R&D, enabling scientists to conduct experiments through natural language requests rather than manual lab work.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtechBoston, US
Jason Kelly(Founder)inAustin Che(Founder)inTom Knight(Founder)inBarry Canton(Founder)inReshma Shetty(Founder)in
BoardReshma Sohoni
Cambridge, US
Katie Rae(Director)Theodore A. Wiley(Executive Officer, Director)Yet-Ming Chiang(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D · $451.8M raise · filed Oct 2022
Woburn, US
Shyan Kamadolli(Director)Irina Gorbounova(Director)Katie Rae(Director)Tadeu Carneiro(Executive Officer, Director)Rick Cutright(Director)Christopher Poirer(Director)
Board seatMark Cupta· per SEC Form D · $100M raise · filed Mar 2026
Berkeley, US
Samuel Calisch(Executive Officer)Tucker Gilman(Executive Officer, Director)Mark Cupta(Director)
BoardSarah Sclarsic(Director)Eric Wilhelm(Director)
Board seatMark Cupta· per SEC Form D · $20M raise · filed Aug 2025
Citrine provides an AI platform for product development used across organizations, with expertise in materials discovery and advanced manufacturing optimization.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareNew MaterialsRedwood City, US
Greg Mulholland(Co-founder & CEO)inRahim Lakhani(Executive Officer)inBryce Meredig(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardScott Brady(Director)Amar Hanspal(Director)
Board seatMark Cupta· per SEC Form D
Ebb develops electrochemical water treatment technology that recovers freshwater from desalination brine while removing carbon dioxide and producing industrial chemicals.
CleantechClimate TechSan Carlos, US
Kevin Tidwell(Director)Mike Biddle(Director)Ben Tarbell(Executive Officer, Director)Matthew Eisaman(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D
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 seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D
Chicago, US
Tyler Huggins(Executive Officer, Director)Justin Whiteley(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatMark Cupta· per SEC Form D · $289.9M raise · filed May 2024
Advanced energy management solution for commercial buildings using patented Swarm Logic software technology.
Toronto
Lindsay Coates(Executive Officer)Robert Christie(Executive Officer, Director)Richard Cilento(Director)Stephen Alexander(Executive Officer)Larry Lam(Director)Tim Woodward(Director)
Board seatTim Woodward· per SEC Form D · $1.3M raise · filed Jan 2020
Vila Nova Conceicao, Sao Paulo
John Gabor Sarvary(Director)William Blaustein(Director)Juan Pablo Soulier(Director)Rachel Holt(Director)
Board seatJuan Pablo Soulier· per SEC Form D · $8.5M raise · filed Sep 2022
Oakland, US
Hal Zarem(Executive Officer, Director)Peter Nieh(Director)Arian Aghababaie(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Mark Cupta(Director)
Board seatMark Cupta· per SEC Form D · $10M raise · filed Oct 2019
LevelTen Energy operates a platform that connects renewable energy developers with customers and market participants, facilitating project visibility and deal-making in the renewable energy sector.
B2B MarketplacesCleantechClimate TechEnergySaaSSeattle, US
Bryce Smith(Executive Officer, Director)Smith Bryce(Executive Officer, Director)William Thomas(Executive Officer)
BoardDavid Cohen(Director)Karly Wentz(Director)Greg Lyons(Director)
Board seatTim Woodward· per SEC Form D
All-electric sustainable and efficient towable RVs
Victor Westerlind(Director)Tobias Kraus(Executive Officer, Director)Ben Parker(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardAndrew Beebe(Director)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D
EnergyPiedmont, US
Gabriel Kra(Manager)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D · $5.5M raise · filed Jan 2021
Vancouver
Victor Aguilera(Director)Ian Pearce(Director)Jeff More(Executive Officer, Director)Richard MacKellar(Director)Tim Woodward(Director)Fadi Kanafani(Executive Officer)
Board seatTim Woodward· per SEC Form D · $10M raise · filed Mar 2018
San Francisco, US
Julian Green(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Daniel Rothenberg(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Ryan Keisler(Executive Officer, Promoter)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D · $10M raise · filed Aug 2024
Boston, US
Stephen Lacey(President and director)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D · $2M raise · filed Feb 2022
Quaise Energy develops superhot geothermal drilling technology using millimeter-wave powered drilling to access deep geothermal energy sources at unprecedented depths and temperatures for large-scale clean power generation globally.
CleantechDeep TechEnergyHouston, US
Carlos Araque(Executive Officer, Director)Colleen Calhoun(Director)Vinod Khosla(Director)William Restrepo(Director)Frohman Anderson(Director)Ali Azad(Director)
Board seatMark Cupta· per SEC Form D
Oakland, US
Jeff Deutschman(Director)Gabriel Kra(Director)Peter Grubstein(Director)Yaniv Tepper(Director)Joanna Karger(Executive Officer)Jack Bernard(Director)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D · $119M raise · filed Apr 2017
Ripple Foods makes plant-based milk, shakes, and half & half products from yellow peas, marketed as sustainable alternatives to dairy and other plant-based milks.
Climate TechConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechImpact & Social Good<UNKNOWN>, US
Adam Lowry(Co-founder)Dr. Neil Renninger(Co-founder)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D
Cambridge, US
Izhar Armony(Director)Gabriel Kra(Director)Christopher M. Micali(Executive Officer)Matthew Nordan(Director)Michael Phillips(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D · $105.9M raise · filed May 2022
Trove operates a platform for brand resale and recommerce, enabling iconic brands to sell returned and excess inventory through secondary markets.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesCircular EconomyRetail TechBrisbane, US
SHELLEY BRANSTEN(Director)KRISTA ANDERSON-COPPERMAN(Director)ANDREW RUBEN(Director, Promoter)GAYLE TAIT(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardBROOK PORTER(Director)
Board seatGabriel Kra· per SEC Form D
Voltus provides software that reduces data center energy consumption during peak grid demand periods.
Climate TechEnergySaaSSan Francisco, US
Philip Deutch(Director)Veery Maxwell(Director)Matthew J. Plante(Executive Officer, Director)Tim Woodward(Director)Raj Atluru(Director)Gregg Dixon(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatTim Woodward· per SEC Form D
Cambridge, US
Christopher Savoie(Executive Officer, Director)Reed Sturtevant(Director)Al?n Aspuru-Guzik(Director)Russ Wilcox(Director)
Board seatMark Cupta· per SEC Form D · $20M raise · filed Jul 2023
Integrates field, air, and space data to detect agribio risks and provide sustainability monitoring insights.
AMP builds AI-powered automated sorting systems for waste recycling infrastructure, enabling material recovery and improving separation purity for recycling facilities globally.
AI & Machine LearningCircular EconomyRoboticsColorado, US
Matanya Horowitz(Founder & CEO)inTimothy Stuart(Executive Officer, Director)Justin Ross(Executive Officer)Robert Norris(Executive Officer)Beth Dec(Executive Officer)Robert Kreamer(Executive Officer, Director)
Princeton, US
Brian Mixer(Director)Adam Wolf(Executive Officer, Director)Benjamin Siegfried(Director)
Atom Computing develops large-scale quantum computers using optically-trapped neutral atoms for on-premises deployment.
Deep TechHardwareQuantum ComputingBerkeley, US
Ben Bloom(Founder & CEO)inDror Berman(Director)Ethan Batraski(Director)
Bedrock Robotics develops autonomous robotic systems for construction sites, applying self-driving vehicle technology to address skilled labor shortages in building, energy, data centers, and factories.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechRobotics
Boris Sofman(Founder & CEO)inKevin Peterson(Founder)Ajay Gummalla(Founder)
project44 is a supply chain software company serving logistics and supply chain operations teams to improve visibility and efficiency across supply networks.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaSChicago, US
Jett McCandless(Founder and CEO)in
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 Prelude Ventures invest at?
- Prelude Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B stages.
- What is Prelude Ventures's typical check size?
- Prelude Ventures typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
- What sectors does Prelude Ventures focus on?
- Prelude Ventures focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AgTech, Circular Economy, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Construction Tech, Energy, FoodTech, Mobility & Transportation, New Materials.
- Where is Prelude Ventures located?
- Prelude Ventures is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
- Does Prelude Ventures lead rounds?
- Prelude Ventures typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamTim Woodward, Prelude Ventures - Cleantech Forum Testimonials - YouTube
Cleantech Group · Tim Woodward
Images
Co-investors · 48
Google Ventures is a venture capital investor that backs innovative founders across multiple industries, focusing on long-term partnerships and providing value across multiple funding stages and company milestones.
New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is a venture capital firm that invests in and provides long-term support to founders building new companies.
Alumni Ventures (AV) is a venture firm that gives accredited individual investors access to professionally managed, diversified venture portfolios by co-investing alongside leading lead VC firms. It offers annual funds, syndicate deal-by-deal investing, and various investor clubs.
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.
True Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that writes the first check for founders and supports them through subsequent stages of growth.
Mayfield Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm that positions itself as the first institutional investor for AI founders, with the majority of its investments beginning at company inception.
Hardware Club is a selective community for hardtech companies worldwide that facilitates knowledge-sharing and networking among members to accelerate growth and reduce costly mistakes.
AME Cloud Ventures is a venture fund led by Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!, that invests in technology-heavy companies building infrastructure and value chains around data.
Innovation Endeavors is an early-stage venture fund that invests in founders and supports venture creation through pre-team and pre-idea programs. The firm provides portfolio companies with access to mentors, advisors, and an entrepreneur ecosystem.
Obvious is a venture capital firm focused on supporting founders building solutions to humanity's largest challenges across planetary health, human health, and economic health.
Ulu Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on finding and funding early-stage founder teams, emphasizing diversity and data-driven investment decisions.
Venrock is a venture capital firm investing across technology and healthcare, backing companies in fintech, developer infrastructure, life sciences, therapeutics, semiconductors, and consumer products.
▶36 more co-investors
DCM VenturesSalesforce Japan Co.,Ltd.Comcast VenturesEnergy Impact PartnersQualcomm VenturesNFXThird Point VenturesBreakthrough Energy VenturesFounders' Co-opFifth Wall VenturesCollaborative Fund (Collab Fund)Helium-3 VenturesGigascale CapitalG20 Ventures8090 IndustriesPrime Movers LabPiva CapitalInvariantes FundPowerhouseVerve VenturesSafar PartnersVantagePoint Capital PartnersAcre Venture PartnersGenoa VenturesMercury FundTekfen VenturesiSelect FundM34 CapitalThe Westly GroupLam CapitalPlaneteer CapitalChrysalixWIND VenturesSaudi Aramco Energy VenturesUnanimous CapitalEV Private Equity
Firms observed investing alongside Prelude Ventures, from public investor directories.
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