Venture Capital Investors in Environment & Conservation

Beyond Impact is an impact investment firm focused on accelerating the transition to a more sustainable, animal-free economy. Founded in 2017, the firm backs companies developing alternatives to animal-based products across food, materials, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. The firm’s mission centers on building a “kinder, cleaner, healthier world” by investing in scalable businesses that reduce environmental damage, eliminate animal suffering, and improve human health. Its portfolio targets high-growth sectors such as plant-based foods, alternative proteins, and next-generation biomaterials.

Breakthrough Energy is a climate-focused investment and innovation platform founded by Bill Gates to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy. The organization supports cutting-edge climate technologies, policy initiatives, research, and investment vehicles designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at global scale. Breakthrough Energy works across venture investing, project financing, policy advocacy, and ecosystem development to help scale breakthrough solutions in energy, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and industrial decarbonization.

Burnt Island Ventures is a specialized investment firm that finds, funds, and supports the best entrepreneurs and founders in the water sector. They focus on water technology innovations that help water and wastewater services reach people and businesses at the right quality, quantity, price, place, and time, positioning themselves as experts in one of the most undercapitalized areas of climate and infrastructure innovation. Their mission is grounded in the belief that climate change is fundamentally water change, and that water is the medium through which society will experience the effects of a warming earth. The firm operates with the philosophy that the strongest impact compounds alongside strong commercial outcomes, working to manage Earth's most precious resource through strategic investments and founder support. Burnt Island Ventures plays a critical role in the water innovation ecosystem by bringing deep sector expertise and an extensive network to support portfolio companies. Their impact extends beyond capital, as evidenced by portfolio companies already delivering measurable outcomes including billions of gallons of water processed, hundreds of millions of gallons saved, and major improvements in incident response, treatment, reuse, and energy systems.

Cerulean Ventures is a $10 million pre-seed venture capital firm that backs founders building asset-light, rapid scaling software companies focused on climate solutions. They specifically target companies applying AI to build exponential solutions for nature and climate change. Their mission is to bring climate solutions to market quickly while fighting greenwashing and moving the climate economy beyond the green premium. Unlike traditional climate investors who focus on niche markets with green premiums or first-of-a-kind moonshots with decades-long timelines, Cerulean takes a different approach by identifying systemic leverage points where proprietary data, compute, AI scaling, and fintech solutions can rapidly scale. Cerulean matters in the ecosystem because they focus on transforming large economic sectors that have been resistant to digital transformation, including mining, niche manufacturing, soft tropical commodities, pharma supply chains, and emerging markets of natural capital and biodiversity. They position themselves as addressing the gap in climate investing by targeting systemic change rather than status quo business model disruptions.

Impact Engine is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests in companies driving positive impact across three core areas: economic empowerment, education, environmental sustainability, and health. As a registered investment advisor, they build and manage diversified portfolios that seek to optimize both financial and social returns through their dual approach of fund investments and direct co-investments. Their mission centers on bringing more capital to markets where financial returns drive positive social and environmental impacts. They operate through multiple strategies including private equity fund investments balanced across growth equity and buyout stages, co-investments in select portfolio companies, and bespoke partnership vehicles tailored to meet specific investor objectives in collaboration with partners like Bernstein Private Wealth Management. Impact Engine has established itself as a recognized leader in the impact investing ecosystem, earning recognition as a Top Impact Company 2025 and inclusion in the ImpactAssets 50 as an Emeritus Impact Manager. Their portfolio companies have demonstrated significant real-world impact, with measurable outcomes like preventing millions of pounds of food waste, improving patient quality of life, and saving millions for student loan borrowers, positioning them as a meaningful force in scaling impact-driven businesses.

LowCarbon.Earth is a climate-tech accelerator that supports early-stage startups developing innovative solutions to tackle climate change and environmental challenges across the Asia-Pacific region. The program focuses on sustainable goods and services addressing climate change, nature loss, and pollution across core sectors including renewable energy, mobility, air quality, and sustainable agriculture. Launched in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) by Massive Earth Foundation, the accelerator operates through intensive bootcamps, workshops, mentorship programs, networking sessions, and investor pitch opportunities. Their mission centers on catalyzing climate action by empowering passionate founders and creating scalable, impactful solutions for a sustainable future. Since inception, LowCarbon.Earth has established itself as a significant force in the Asia-Pacific climate innovation landscape, having evaluated over 3,000 startups and supported more than 180 through their programs. The accelerator has gained recognition through national media coverage including CNBC Awaaz and has built a vibrant community of founders, industry leaders, investors, and VCs who collectively shape climate-tech innovation across the region.

Lowercarbon Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in companies developing technologies to combat climate change through three primary approaches: slashing CO2 emissions, removing carbon from the atmosphere, and buying time to address planetary climate issues. They focus on backing what they call "kickass companies" that can make real money while addressing environmental challenges across sectors including energy, transportation, industrial materials, and agriculture. The firm operates on the philosophy that fixing the planet is good business and that market forces, rather than shame and guilt, will drive the necessary climate solutions. They combine hard science with ambitious goals, seeking companies that can deliver better, faster, and cheaper alternatives to fossil fuel-based technologies. Lowercarbon Capital plays a significant role in the climate tech ecosystem by funding innovative companies across diverse sectors from solar and wind energy storage to fusion technology, electric aviation, and carbon-free chemical production. Their portfolio includes companies like Antora, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Heart Aerospace, and Solugen, positioning them as a key player in scaling climate solutions that can achieve commercial viability while delivering environmental impact.

New Climate Ventures (NCV) is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in innovative startups building the future of how we produce, power and consume. They focus on companies developing technologies for carbon reduction or avoidance, taking an active and diversified investment approach that leverages their expertise in energy, commodities, climate, technology, finance, and regulatory analysis. NCV's mission centers on the belief that a new industrial renaissance is underway where emerging technologies can transform our environmental impact without requiring lifestyle changes. They partner with entrepreneurs to navigate early stages of company development by providing operational guidance, investment expertise, team-building support, and mentoring, while connecting founders to their global network of investors, startups, and corporations. The firm plays a crucial role in the climate technology ecosystem by empowering entrepreneurs to turn visions into commercially successful companies that drive a cleaner, greener future. NCV is committed to sustainable best practices and integrates sustainability as the baseline for their investment thesis, positioning themselves as leaders in supporting technologies that achieve both commercial success and environmental impact.

Planet A Ventures is a European venture capital fund that supports founders tackling the world's largest environmental problems by investing in green technology startups. They focus on building the economy our planet needs by partnering with European green tech start-ups that have significant positive impact while building scalable businesses globally. Planet A operates as the first European VC with an in-house science team that calculates life cycle assessments to quantify the impact of startups before investment. Their scientists hold veto power over investments if there is no significant positive and quantifiable impact, ensuring a rigorous science-based approach with no greenwashing. They combine venture capital with scientific know-how to mentor and support founders in developing sustainable solutions. The fund is pioneering scientific impact investing as the new normal in venture capital, openly sharing their methods and results to inspire others to adopt a scientific approach to investment decisions. Through their operational platform and extensive network, they provide ongoing support beyond just capital, making environmental impact the central metric of success. Their portfolio includes innovative companies working on solutions from compostable materials and carbon mineralization to AI-powered sustainable supply chain decisions.

ReGen Ventures is an impact-focused venture capital firm that invests in foundational regenerative technologies designed to power a future of abundance. They focus on four core investment areas: clean energy, planetary intelligence, programmable matter, and adaptive robotics, partnering with founders who are building transformative technologies from the atomic to planetary scale. The firm operates with a mission to reimagine the world by supporting technologies that make regeneration inevitable, enabling infinite growth and prosperity on a finite planet. They take a hands-on approach with founders, providing comprehensive support that ranges from business modeling to personal wellness, emphasizing long-term sustainable returns over short-term wins. ReGen Ventures positions itself as an innovator in the investment space, paving a new path for what investments should be by focusing on root causes rather than symptoms of environmental challenges. They are building what they call a "ReGenerative Future" where climate change is reframed as an opportunity for transformation, backing founders with unreasonable ambition who alter understanding of what's possible in addressing planetary challenges.

Renewal Funds is a sustainability-focused impact venture capital fund based in Vancouver that supports exceptional founders building technology and platform businesses driving the affordability and accessibility of climate solutions. They invest across five primary sustainability themes: energy transition, mobility, food systems, zero waste, and natural resources, focusing on opportunities where their expertise and network can best support mission-aligned founders. As a "mission venture capital" firm, Renewal Funds operates with the dual goal of achieving financial success while creating positive impact for people and planet. They make minority preferred equity investments in high growth, capital efficient businesses, partnering with exceptional, mission-driven founders who have built category leading companies and can demonstrate excellent product-market fit and customer traction. Renewal Funds has established itself as a significant player in the impact investing ecosystem, currently managing $240 million in assets under management across three funds. Their influence extends beyond direct investments, as they work to prove to investors and the broader financial community that mission-driven investing represents the future of finance, contributing to the growing acceptance and adoption of impact investing approaches.

SOSV is a global venture capital firm and accelerator founded in 1995, operating one of the most active deep tech and life sciences investment programs in the world. The firm runs multiple accelerator programs, including HAX for hardware and robotics, IndieBio for life sciences and biotech, and Orbit for climate and sustainability — providing intensive company-building support alongside early-stage capital. With over $1.5 billion in AUM and a portfolio exceeding 1,000 companies across more than 70 countries, SOSV occupies a distinctive position in the venture landscape: a programmatic investor that takes companies from idea stage through to growth and beyond. The firm's accelerator model means it is often the first institutional check into a company, with follow-on capability through later rounds. SOSV has a strong impact orientation across its portfolio, with climate, food systems, health, and sustainability representing a significant share of its investments. Its programs in particular have become known as launchpads for companies working on hard scientific and engineering problems that require more than capital to succeed.

Tin Shed Ventures is Patagonia's corporate venture capital fund that invests in startups providing systemic and globally scalable solutions for environmental crises including land, water, air, and biodiversity challenges that underpin climate change. The fund specifically focuses on strategically relevant solutions that reduce environmental impacts in apparel and food industries, leveraging Patagonia's core business expertise. Operating as Patagonia's investment arm, Tin Shed Ventures contributes to the parent company's mission of saving the planet by investing a portion of Patagonia's profits into innovative startups. The fund positions itself uniquely by focusing on solutions that align with their core business areas, allowing them to add distinctive value to portfolio companies through industry expertise and strategic partnerships. Tin Shed Ventures plays a significant role in the impact investing ecosystem by bridging corporate venture capital with environmental solutions at scale. Their portfolio demonstrates commitment to transformative technologies, from turning agricultural waste into textile fibers to developing carbon capture solutions, positioning them as a key player in funding the transition to regenerative business practices across multiple industries.