15 recent climate tech VC deals, including...
Voltus, Mainspring, ESS, Solid Power, Navitas Semiconductor, and 10 more. Plus 8 climate accelerators or challenges to apply for (Joules, LACI, 100+, AirMiners, Clean Energy Trust, Amazon, ADB, GS).
15 climate tech deals in the last few weeks.
In case you blinked, you might have missed these. The number of headlines and size of the capital raises are enough to give even the most confident players a healthy dose of FOMO. (Ahem…clearing my own throat.)
Battery/Energy Storage
C4V raised a $5M Angel round.
Summary — Provider of lithium-ion battery materials
CEO — Frank Poullas
Sample investors — Magnis Resources, Start-up NY
ESS received $250M in funding through a reverse merger with a Spac holding company.
Summary — Long-term battery storage provider using iron based electrolyte
CEO — Eric Dresselhuys
Sample investors — Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BASF Venture Capital
Navitas Semiconductor received $253M in funding through a reverse merger with a Spac holding company.
Summary — Advanced semiconductor manufacturer with electric vehicle charging applications
CEO — Gene Sheridan
Sample investors — Capricorn Investment Group
Solid Power raised a $130M Series B.
Summary — Solid-state battery provider targeting EV and mobile storage applications
CEO — Douglas Campbell
Sample investors — BMW Group, Equinor Ventures
CleanTech (Other)
Bird Rides raised a $160M PIPE.
Summary — Electric scooter micro-mobility service
CEO — Travis VanderZanden
Sample investors — Fidelity Management, Switchback Acquisition Corp
EnergyX raised a $20M Series A.
Summary — Lithium extraction technology
CEO — Teague Egan
Sample investors — Helios Capital
Ndustrial raised $22.8M in its 4th round of VC funding.
Summary — Provider of industrial optimization software intended to reduce resource waste
CEO — Jason Massey
Sample investors — Clean Energy Ventures, Engie New Ventures
Precision.ai raised a $20M Seed round.
Summary — Drone-based crop monitoring software
CEO — Daniel McCann
Sample investors — At One Ventures, Fulcrum Global Capital
Pretred raised a $3M Seed.
Summary — Manufacturer of barriers and blockades from recycled plastic and tires
CEO — Eric Davis
Sample investors — HG Ventures
TemperPack raised a $31.3M Series C round.
Summary — Producer of thermal packaging for food delivery
CEO — Brian Powers
Sample investors — SJF Ventures, Wheatsheaf Group
Territory Foods raised a $22M round.
Summary — Sustainably sourced prepared food delivery platform
CEO — Ellis McCue
Sample investors — U.S. Venture Partners
Transcend raised a $10M Series B.
Summary — Developer of engineering design software for wastewater and solar facilities.
CEO — Ari Raivetz
Sample investors — Aspen Capital Group, HG Ventures
Voltus raised a $31M Series C.
Summary — Distributed demand response aggregator
CEO — Gregg Dixon
Sample investors — Activate Capital Partners, Prelude Ventures
Renewable Energy
Mainspring raised a $95M Series D.
Summary — Developer of a low carbon onsite generator technology
CEO — Shannon Miller
Sample investors — 40 North Ventures, Chevron Ventures, Equinor Ventures
Universal Hydrogen raised a $20.5M Series A.
Summary — Developer of aviation-focused hydrogen storage technology
CEO — Paul Eremenko
Sample investors — Playground Global, Future Industry Ventures
Climate tech — Accelerators, competitions, and due dates.
The spark for this list of programs and due dates comes largely from the good folks at…
Third Derivative, a climate tech accelerator, and…
Cofounder Ryan Kushner, the Godfather of Startup Accelerator Resources. (Ryan, I tried to think of a better acronym than GSAR, but no luck, man.)
…plus…
Innovate Climate, a newsletter showcasing climate tech startups.
Written by Daniel Kriozere, a generous “giver” in the climate startup space, contributing to Cleantech Open and Techstars, as well as being an author (The Impact) and tech scout.
May 25 - AirMiners Launchpad - Developed in partnership with XPRIZE and Creative Destruction Lab, this is a 6-week program for early teams or individuals interested in the Elon Musk-funded $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal. Apply here.
May 31 - Joules Accelerator, Cohort 8 - Run by my savvy colleagues just down the road in Charlotte, NC, this program works with early stage cleantech startups and makes quick connections to potential pilots and business development opportunities. We reduce the time it takes to find the right stakeholder within an organization and advise startups on how to take the next step in the direction of a revenue generating pilot.” They do not take equity. They do not have fees. And they cover the cost of travel. Apply here.
May 31 - Young Green Tech (YGT) 2021 Global Competition - “Seeks to empower young entrepreneurs to address environmental challenges through innovative actions. YGT provides a public platform to showcase your solution and helps you succeed by providing mentorship, access to investors, corporations, strategic partners, and most importantly, the skills to become a world-changing company.” Apply here.
May 31 - 100+ Accelerator - Partners include AB InBev, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever. Focused on circular packaging, smart agriculture, water stewardship, climate action, upcycling, and plastic free challenge. Apply here.
June 6 - GS Beyond Energy Innovation Challenge - It “celebrates purpose-driven startups that address persistent and emerging energy transition problems. The winner of the challenge will receive a $100,000 cash prize, the top three semi-finalists will receive special consideration for a pilot project with GS Group and the top five startups will be invited to pitch energy industry leaders and investors in a virtual event. Apply here.
June 8 - Clean Energy Startup Accelerator! - Clean Energy Trust is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Freshwater Advisors to empower 10 startups in a 5-week program. Apply here.
June 11 - Innovation Challenge by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) - The focus is innovation towards disease-resilient and energy-efficient centralized air-conditioning systems in public buildings, especially for the Asian context. Apply here.
June 18 - Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) Cohort 3 - The program “offers hands-on incubation services for supporting cleantech startups' growth in Southern California. The first six months of the program are dedicated to intensive curriculum workshops, one on one sessions, and roundtables focused on Market and Investor Readiness. After the initial six-month period, the program is focused on achieving the objectives outlined in a custom roadmap around fundraising, product development, market access, team growth, and partnerships.” Apply here.
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P.S.
Have you ever considered joining a CEO Mastermind (Peer) Group led by a former private equity investor, a founder, a professor, a podcaster, a long-haired “monk,” a rainforest researcher, an impact investment banker, an author, and an ax throwing champion, too?
Well, if so, I’m your guy. :)
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—
Dr. Chris Wedding
Founder and Chief Catalyst, Entrepreneurs for Impact
Peer-to-Peer Advisory Groups + Executive Coaching + Investor Intel for Climate CEOs
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