The energy market is currently one of the most observed in the world, in one aspect because of the necessity that it is in most of our lives, more than ever. It should also be noted that the market is being watched due to the impact of climate change on the world. Both of these factors have influenced Energy and Utilities VCs when making their investments. Top VCs in the market are investing in companies at the forefront of change. The amount of funding going into climate technology alone increased from $5.2 Billion in 2016, to $16.4 Billion in 2020.
1. Clean Energy Venture Group
Year Founded: 2005
HQ: Brookline, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Dan Goldman, David S. Miller
Clean Energy Venture Group is an Energy and Utilities VC that was founded in 2005 and is currently based in Brookline, USA. The business provides early-stage funding to startups that are looking to improve the current state of the clean energy market. The firm is supported by experts in the energy industry and environmental experts are also on hand to help identify viable businesses.
Since being founded, the company has made a total of 50 investments and from these investments, the firm has successfully made an exit from 9 of these.
2. Element 8
Year Founded: 2006
HQ: Seattle, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Martin Tobias
Element 8 is an Energy and Utilities venture capital firm that was founded in 2006 and is currently based in Seattle, USA. In addition to providing funding for early-stage cleantech companies, the firm also helps these firms with guidance and networking opportunities to discover potential partnerships.
Since the firm was founded, it has managed to make a total of 17 investments into these businesses. As it stands at the time of writing, Element 8 has currently made an exit from two of these investments.
3. Energize Ventures
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: Chicago, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Amy Francetic, Michael Polsky
Energize Ventures is a VC fund for energy and utilities that was founded in 2016 and is currently based in Chicago, USA. It focuses on providing investments to companies that are creating new digital technologies for use in the energy and renewable energy sectors. This funding is provided in the early stages of the company's life cycle.
Since being founded, the firm has managed four investment funds. Through the use of these funds, the company has managed to make a series of 28 investments into growing startups. From these investments, the company has currently made an exit from 3 of these.
4. Powerhouse Ventures
Year Founded: 2018
HQ: Oakland, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Emily Kirsch
Powerhouse Ventures is an Energy and Utilities VC that was founded in 2018 and is currently based in Oakland, USA. The company focuses its investment on startups that create software in an effort to accelerate the decreasing use and emission of carbon into the atmosphere. This creates a better environment for the energy industry.
Since being founded, the company has made a total of 25 investments into these types of companies. At the time of writing, the firm has made an exit from one of these investments so far.
5. National Grid Partners
Year Founded: 2018
HQ: San Francisco, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Lisa Lambert
National Grid Partners is the venture arm of the English National Grid. The company was founded in 2018 and is currently based in San Francisco, USA. The business is behind innovations in the current systems that the parent company operates in, investing in changes for infrastructure and energy as a whole.
Since being founded, the firm has operated two investment funds and from these funds, the business has made investments into 42 businesses. From these investments, the company has successfully made an exit from 3 of these.
6. Breakthrough Energy Ventures
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: Paris, France
Size: 11-50
Founders: Bill Gates, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos, John Doerr, Vinod Khosla
Breakthrough Energy Ventures is a French Energy and Utilities VC that was founded in 2015 and is currently based in Paris, France. The company invests in technologies and methods that make energy more affordable whilst also reducing the environmental impact in the generation of that energy.
The business has managed four investment funds since being founded, with the funds allowing the company to make 83 investments. From these investments, at the time of writing, the firm has successfully made an exit from four,
7. Energy Impact Partners
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: New York, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Hans Kobler, Steve Hellman
Energy Impact Partners is an Energy and Utilities venture capital firm that was founded in 2015 and is currently based in New York, USA. The business mainly pours its funding into companies that utilize technologies that optimize the consumption of energy, creating more efficient and less polluting businesses.
Since being founded, the firm has managed five investment funds and has made a series of 73 investments as a result of these funds. From these investments, at the time of writing, the company has made an exit from 13 of these.
8. Chrysalix Venture Capital
Year Founded: 2001
HQ: Vancouver, Canada
Size: 11-50
Founders: Dr. Wal Van Lierop
Chrysalix Venture Capital is an Energy and Utilities VC that was founded in 2001 and is currently based in Vancouver, Canada. The company invests in industrial innovation, with a large part of this being related to startups involved in energy saving and efficiency technologies.
Since being founded, the company has managed a total of five investment funds. From these funds, the business has made a series of 83 investments. As a result of these investments, the business has currently made an exit from twelve of these investments.
9. Future Energy Ventures
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Essen, Germany
Size: 11-50
Founders: Jan Lozek
Future Energy Ventures is a Energy and Utilities VC firm that was founded in 2020 and is currently based in Essen, Germany. The company is a subsidiary of E.on and invests in companies producing technologies that will transform and redefine the future energy landscape. With its backing, the company has rapidly been making investments.
Since being founded, the company has made a series of 62 investments into various startups. At the time of writing, the firm has currently made a successful exit from four of these investments.
10. Braemar Energy Ventures
Year Founded: 2002
HQ: New York, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Neil S. Suslak
Braemar Energy Ventures is a venture capital firm for energy and utilities that was founded in 2002 and is currently based in New York, USA. The company focuses on providing investment in technologies and communications specifically for the energy industry. Funding and support is provided over the entire life cycle of the startup.
Since being founded, the firm has successfully managed a pair of investment funds. The company has used these funds to make a series of 100 investments. As it stands currently, the firm has made an exit from 17 of these investments.
11. Quantum Energy Partners
Year Founded: 1998
HQ: Houston, USA
Size: 51-100
Founders: Wil VanLoh
Quantum Energy Partners is a VC firm that was founded in 1998 and focuses on energy and utilities. The company is based in Houston, USA and provides funding for responsible methods of generating energy and transitioning to new methods. Furthermore, technologies allowing for decarbonization are also frequently invested in.
Since the business was founded, it has managed four investment funds and these funds have been used to make ten investments and three acquisitions. As it stands, the company has made an exit from two of its investments.
12. Statkraft Ventures
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: Dussledorf, Germany
Size: 11-50
Founders: Statkraft
Statkraft Ventures is a German VC firm that was founded in 2015 and is based in Dusseldorf, Germany. The company predominantly provides early-stage funding to a variety of different technology startups within the energy industry.
Since being founded, the company has made a series of 25 investments into various companies, with the business having successfully made an exit from two of these investments so far.
13. Angeleno Group
Year Founded: 2001
HQ: LA, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Daniel Weiss, Yaniv Tepper, Zebediah Rice
Angeleno Group is an American Energy and Utilities VC that was founded in 2001 and is currently based in LA. The company focuses its investment efforts on fast-growing companies within the energy industry which can bring a great return on investment. This also means that there is a large emphasis on sustainability.
Since being founded, the company has successfully managed two investment funds, with these funds being used to make 31 investments. As it stands, the company has made an exit from eight of these investments.
14. EDP Ventures
Year Founded: 2008
HQ: Lisbon, Portugal
Size: 11-50
Founders: EDP
EDP Ventures is an Energy and Utilities VC that was founded in 2008 and is currently based in Lisbon, Portugal. The company specializes in making investments in energy efficiency technologies, energy storage and infrastructure, energy mobility and more.
The company has made a total of 33 investments since being founded, with the business only making an exit from one of these investments at the time of writing.
15. Energy Foundry
Year Founded: 2013
HQ: Chicago, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Jason Blumberg, Sara Chamberlain
Energy Foundry is an American Energy and Utilities VC that was founded in 2013 and is currently based in Chicago, USA. The business focuses on making early-stage investments into cleantech and energy startups. They also bring connections with the energy companies at the forefront of the market to support these startups.
Since being founded, the firm has managed to make a total of 27 investments into energy-related startups. Out of these investments, the business has successfully made an exit from three of them.
16. BP Ventures
Year Founded: 2012
HQ: Palo Alto, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: BP
BP Ventures is a VC firm that is backed by the oil and energy giant, BP. The business unit was founded in 2012 and is currently based in Palo Alto, USA. The firm focuses on making investments into high-growth startups that are leveraging technology in the energy market as a whole.
Since being founded, the firm has managed to make a series of 71 investments into various startups. As it stands, from these startups, the company has made an exit from twelve.
17. Altira Group
Year Founded: 1996
HQ: Denver, USA
Size: 1-10
Founders: Dirk McDermott, Robert Shorr
Altira Group is a VC firm that was founded in 1996 and is currently based in Denver, USA. The company focuses its investment efforts on the oil and gas sector, pouring money into innovative service and technology companies within this realm of business.
Since the firm was founded, it has managed to make a total of 36 investments in various startups. So far, the business has managed to make an exit from eight of these investments.
18. Generate Capital
Year Founded: 2014
HQ: San Francisco, USA
Size: 101-250
Founders: Jigar Shah, Matan Friedman, Scott Jacobs
Generate Capital is a finance provider that specializes in energy which was founded in 2014 and is based in San Francisco, USA. The company operates and finances a variety of assets within the energy market, along with others. This helps to create reliable and cost-effective solutions for these markets.
Since being founded, the firm has made a total of twelve investments into various businesses. Out of these investments, the firm has only made an exit from two of these, at the time of writing.
19. MoreVC
Year Founded: 2006
HQ: Ra'anana, Israel
Size: 1-10
Founders: Glen Schwaber, Jack Levy, Meir Ukeles
MoreVC is an Israeli VC firm that was founded in 2006 and is currently based in Ra'anana, Israel. The company focuses on early-stage technology companies and these investments have included notable forays into energy and utilities. With offices across the world, the company has investments in multiple countries,.
Since being founded, the company has managed three investment funds and has used these funds to make 44 investments. So far, the company has managed to successfully exit from five of these investments.
20. Grid VC
Year Founded: 2017
HQ: Helsinki, Finland
Size: 1-10
Founders: Lasse Vuola
Grid VC is a Finnish VC firm that was founded in 2017 and is currently based in Helsinki, Finland. The firm provides early-stage funding for businesses in the energy sector that are innovating new technologies.
As it stands, the company has made two investments since being founded and it has not yet made an exit from these investments,
21. Hull Street Energy
Year Founded: 2014
HQ: Bethesda, USA
Size: 11-50
Founders: Sarah Wright
Hull Street Energy is a Private Equity firm for energy and utilities that was founded in 2014 and is currently based in Bethesda, USA. The company makes investments to improve the overall aspect of life for middle-market energy businesses.\
Since being founded, the company has managed a single investment fund and this fund has been used to make three acquisitions.
FAQs
How Much Is The Energy Industry Worth?
In 2018 it was suggested that the energy industry is worth $1.85 Trillion.
How Much Investment Is In The Energy Industry?
Global energy investment in 2021 reached a figure of $1.9 Trillion.
How Many Energy Startups Are There?
It is impossible to get a global figure for this, however, in Europe there are currently more than 800 cleantech startups.
