The climate tech sector continues to see rising investment interest as private and public funders alike seek innovative solutions to address the increasing global concern about climate change. As of August 2024, climate-focused venture capital funds had already raised $6.9bn since the start of the year (up from $5.2bn for all of 2023). VC funds around the world invested a whopping $50 billion in climate tech startups in 2023.
As part of our going series of free fundraising resources and investor lists for founders, this article will explore the top 10 active VC firms and investors focused on climate tech and sustainability startups, with details on each firm’s investment focus, history and fund size.
1. World Fund
As a climate tech VC, we are driven by tackling the climate crisis and only invest in technologies with scalable businesses and significant emissions savings potential. We support startups from early to growth stage, focusing on Energy, Food and Agriculture, Manufacturing, Buildings, and Mobility. Entrepreneurs who understand decarbonisation as a value driver are whom we back; those who think big, act macro; those who build tech for a regenerative world. Here’s an inside look at the LP deck World Fund used to raise $365M fund anchored by PwC.
- Founded: 2021
- Fund Size: €350M
- Website: worldfund.vc
2. Norrsken VC
Norrsken VC is one of Europe’s leading and largest impact focused early-stage VC funds. We were born out of Norrsken Foundation – a non-profit foundation founded in 2016 by Niklas Adalberth, co-founder of Klarna, with the belief that entrepreneurs building rapidly scalable businesses are our best bet to solving the hardest and biggest problems of our time. Norrsken VC operates independently, but shares the same values and mission with the Norrsken Foundation – we want to enable the next impact unicorn – a company that has a positive effect on one billion lives. When you become part of Norrsken VC – you join Europe’s largest ecosystem for impact tech entrepreneurs.
- Founded: 2017
- Fund Size: €100M
- Website: norrsken.vc
3. ACCELR8
Accelr8 is an impact fund that seeks to invest in companies that accelerates the reduction and sequestration of greenhouse gases. The fund partners with founders to take on the significant and unmet challenges to the climate. With its deep backgrounds in fundamental analysis, ACCELR8 seeks to understand the holistic dynamics of each ecosystem and invest behind technologies that will create reinforcing loops toward exponential change. It attracts significant new capital to climate change investing by proving that high social impact and profits are sustainably achievable outcomes. Accelr8 reinvests its profits into social impact research, philanthropy, and advocacy for a just economic transition. It also supports the innovation and investment ecosystem.
- Founded: 1982
- Fund Size: $55M.
- Website: accelr8.com
4. Pale Blue Dot
We invest in founders building climate tech companies to build the world we want to live in. It’s simply good business to protect our home – the dot – and it’s not too late. We still have time to use technology to outpace climate change, but we have less than a decade to reduce carbon emissions, reverse the climate crisis and prepare for a new world on the same beautiful blue dot.
- Founded:
- Fund Size: €87M
- Website: paleblue.vc
5. BPI France
Bpifrance, Banque publique d’investissement, accompagne les entreprises, de l’amorçage jusqu’à la cotation en bourse, du crédit aux fonds propres. Interlocuteur privilégié, Bpifrance propose dans chaque région des solutions de financement ou d’investissement adaptées à chaque étape de la vie des entreprises. Banque partenaire des entrepreneurs, Bpifrance les accompagne durablement pour soutenir leur croissance et leur compétitivité. Les équipes sont au cÅ“ur des régions, sur l’ensemble du territoire, à travers plus de 50 implantations régionales.
- Founded: 2012
- Fund Size: $949.6M
- Website: bpifrance.fr
6. 2150.vc
At 2150 we back mission driven tech entrepreneurs who are solving some of the largest problems facing the planet today. We focus on the full stack of the urban environment where most of the world’s CO2 emissions and resource waste is arising and which will double in the next decades.
- Founded: 2020
- Fund Size: €268M
- Website: 2150.vc
7. Octopus Ventures
For the people and ideas that will change the world, because we believe you can build a better tomorrow by investing in it. We can back you at every stage of your journey, from ideas on a page through to IPO. Each year we deploy more than £200 million across five areas where we see maximum potential for impact: health, fintech, deep tech, consumer and B2B software. With many years of experience and expertise investing in each of these areas, our team can help our portfolio companies scale at speed. For us, investment is about more than money. Being truly invested is about giving time, energy and focus; working with founders to give them the best chance of success. It means a shared commitment to solving the big problems that matter.
- Founded: 2008
- Fund Size: $1.2B
- Website: octopusventures.com
8. ENGIE New Ventures
ENGIE New Ventures (ENV) was founded in 2014 as the corporate venture arm of the global energy provider ENGIE. Its €180 million funds are dedicated to making a minority investment in technology startups that complement existing activities and resources to spur internal innovation within ENGIE. With offices in Paris, San Francisco, and Tel Aviv, ENGIE New Ventures’ strategic fund-to-fund portfolio is one element of ENGIE’s multi-pronged strategies to re-envision existing business models and spark new opportunities in the rapidly changing energy sector. To date, ENV has deployed over EUR110M of capital across 23 investments worldwide, with an emphasis on Europe, North America, Israel, and Asia.
- Founded: 2014
- Fund Size: €12.5M.
- Website: engieventures.com
9. Energy Impact Partners
Energy Impact Partners LP (EIP) is a global investment firm leading the transition to a sustainable future. EIP brings together entrepreneurs and some of the world’s most forward-looking energy and industrial companies to advance innovation. With over $4 billion in assets under management, EIP invests globally across venture, growth and credit – and has a team of over 80 professionals based in its offices in New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Palm Beach, London, Cologne, Oslo and Singapore.
- Founded: 2015
- Fund Size: $2.9B
- Website: energyimpactpartners.com
Raising funding for your startup? Create the perfect pitch deck:
Are you interested in learning how to write and design a winning pitch deck for your startup? You may be interested in our popular Climate Tech Pitch Deck template — designed by experts who have helped startups close millions in funding from top investors. Either way, you’ll probably want to read through our guide to creating a climatetech / sustainability pitch deck and comprehensive recipe for the perfect pitch deck.
