Where does Tom Ferguson work?

Tom Ferguson is FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES and Board director at Cala Systems and Board director at Daupler and Board director at Aclarity.

What check size does Tom Ferguson write?

Tom Ferguson typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.

What boards does Tom Ferguson sit on?

Tom Ferguson holds tracked board seats at Aclarity, Daupler.

Where did Tom Ferguson go to school?

Tom Ferguson studied at Harvard Business School (Master of Business Administration (MBA), Business Administration and Management); The University of Edinburgh (MA, Politics).

Tom Ferguson

Investor

FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES · Board director at Cala Systems · Board director at Daupler · Board director at Aclarity

San Francisco, California

Writes $100K – $5M checks · typically $1.5M

About

Tom Ferguson focuses solely on water, applies pattern recognition from screening hundreds of companies with an 18-section diligence checklist, hosts a water-tech podcast, and reframes conservatism as structural moats.

Invests in

AI & Machine LearningClimate TechData & InfrastructureDeep TechHardwareSaaS

Board director at Cala Systems

Intro paths

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In turn, Tom can intro founders to Cala Systems's investors below.

Cala Systems's investors · 4

BURNT ISLAND VENTURESBrooklyn Clean Energy VentureBoston Climate CapitalMenlo Park · $25K – $250K checks Leap Forward VenturesLarkspur

Board director at Daupler

Intro paths

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In turn, Tom can intro founders to Daupler's investors below.

Daupler's investors · 6

BURNT ISLAND VENTURESBrooklyn · since 2024 KCRise FundKansas City · $1M checks · since 2020 Knoll VenturesAtlanta · $500K – $3M checks Runway Venture PartnersNew York · $1M checks Sandalphon CapitalChicago · $100K – $2M checks TechstarsBoulder · $220K checks

Co-founders at Daupler

John BertrandFounder and CEO

Board director at Aclarity

Intro paths

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In turn, Tom can intro founders to Aclarity's investors below.

Aclarity's investors · 6

BURNT ISLAND VENTURESBrooklyn · since 2023 DCVC (Data Collective)Palo Alto · $5M – $25M checks Echo River CapitalMarin County · $10K – $250K checks HG VenturesIndianapolis · $1M – $10M checks MassVenturesWaltham · $250K – $500K checks The Alchemy FundPioneer Valley · $1M – $3M checks

Co-founders at Aclarity

Julie Bliss MullenExecutive Officer, Director

Leanne HerseyFounder

Experience

Burnt Island VenturesManaging Partnercurrent2020 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
DauplerBoard Membercurrent2021 — presentKansas City, Missouri, United States
Imagine H2OAccelerator Judgecurrent2021 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
Imagine H2OVP Programming2015 — 2020San Francisco Bay Area
Project FrogBusiness Strategy2014 — 2015San Francisco Bay Area
Harvard Business SchoolStudent2012 — 2014
Tamar Energy LtdStrategy Manager2013London Area, United Kingdom
ERMProject Manager2009 — 2012
Clinton FoundationIntern2007

Skills & more

Energy Efficiency7Business Case Design2Political Economy2Environmental Policy14Environmental Consulting9Environmental Management Systems6Energy Management3Energy Conservation4Online Journalism2Climate Change20Sustainable Development11Environmental Impact Assessment3

+12 more

StrategyCarbon FootprintingRenewable EnergySustainabilityWaterEnergy PolicyStart-upsCorporate Social ResponsibilityWaste ManagementBusiness StrategyStrategic PlanningManagement

Languages French · Spanish

From Tom's professional profile.

Deals · 3

DauplerBoard seat

via BURNT ISLAND VENTURES · filed Oct 2024 · $10M raise

AclarityBoard seat

via BURNT ISLAND VENTURES · filed Jul 2023 · $15M raise

BiotaQuoted

via BURNT ISLAND VENTURES · filed Jul 2026

press ↗

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Colleagues at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

Christine E. Boyle

Partner at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

Colleen Calhoun

Investor at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

David Stanton

Investor at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

Debra Coy

Investor at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

Eliza Harrison

Investment Intern at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

Jennie Graham

Senior Investment Associate at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

Jessica Pascolini

Head of Operations at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

Marissa Sterling

Senior Platform Associate at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES

Frequently asked questions

Who is Tom Ferguson?: Tom Ferguson focuses solely on water, applies pattern recognition from screening hundreds of companies with an 18-section diligence checklist, hosts a water-tech podcast, and reframes conservatism as structural moats.
Where does Tom Ferguson work?: Tom Ferguson is FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES and Board director at Cala Systems and Board director at Daupler and Board director at Aclarity.
What does Tom Ferguson invest in?: Tom Ferguson invests in AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, Hardware, SaaS.
What check size does Tom Ferguson write?: Tom Ferguson typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
What boards does Tom Ferguson sit on?: Tom Ferguson holds tracked board seats at Aclarity, Daupler.
Where did Tom Ferguson go to school?: Tom Ferguson studied at Harvard Business School (Master of Business Administration (MBA), Business Administration and Management); The University of Edinburgh (MA, Politics).