World Fund: European Climate Tech VC

Unlike broad climate funds that stretch from consumer brands to carbon software, World Fund is explicit about hard technology and measurable decarbonization. Every opportunity is assessed through a Climate Performance Potential lens: can this product cut meaningful emissions if it scales, and can it win commercially in a real market? That framing is meant to keep climate impact and financial performance on the same page, not in separate decks.

The founding partners include Daria Saharova, Danijel Višević, Tim Schumacher, and Craig Douglas. The first fund closed around €300 million, reported as one of the largest debut climate VC funds in Europe, with room for roughly 25 to 30 core investments and substantial follow-on capital. The team has been public about reserving a large share of the fund for later rounds, because European climate companies often struggle to bridge the Series B gap.

Portfolio companies sit in the physical economy as much as in software. Examples that show the range include battery recycling (Cylib), industrial and building energy (Enerkii, aedifion, ecoworks), alternative proteins and food tech (Planet A Foods, Juicy Marbles, ENOUGH), and deep tech such as IQM Quantum Computers and Space Forge. For founders, the useful signal is simple: World Fund wants durable technology businesses with climate math that survives scrutiny.

Key benefits

Climate math in diligence

Deals are screened for Climate Performance Potential so emissions upside and commercial upside are assessed together, not treated as separate narratives.

Capital through Series B

Invests from seed onward and reserves meaningful follow-on for the European growth rounds where climate hardware often stalls.

Industrial and deep-tech bias

Focuses on energy, industry, and food systems where technology has to work in plants, grids, and supply chains, not only in slideware.

Stage focus runs from seed through Series B. Initial tickets are often discussed in the multi-million euro range (commonly cited around €2 million to €20 million), with follow-on reserved so the firm can stay relevant as companies move from pilot to plant. Hardware and deep science are welcome when the go-to-market path is real.

What they optimize for is not a vague "green" story. They want companies that can redefine a market while reducing emissions, with founders who can hire technical talent, sell into industrial buyers, and raise through Europe's later-stage bottleneck.

Frequently asked questions

What does World Fund fund?

World Fund is a European climate tech venture firm that backs founders building the technologies Europe needs to compete and to cut emissions at industrial scale. The firm is based in Berlin, with a wider footprint across Munich, Cologne, and Amsterdam, and it concentrates on deep tech in energy, industry, and food and agriculture. Unlike broad climate funds that stretch from consumer brands to carbon software, World Fund is explicit about hard technology and measurable decarbonization. Every opportunity is assessed through a Climate Performance Potential lens: can this product cut meaningful emissions if it scales, and can it win commercially in a real market? That framing is meant to keep climate impact and financial performance on the same page, not in separate decks. The founding partners include Daria Saharova, Danijel Višević, Tim Schumacher, and Craig Douglas. The first fund closed around €300 million, reported as one of the largest debut climate VC funds in Europe, with room for roughly 25 to 30 core investments and substantial follow-on capital. The team has been public about reserving a large share of the fund for later rounds, because European climate companies often struggle to bridge the Series B gap. Portfolio companies sit in the physical economy as much as in software. Examples that show the range include battery recycling (Cylib), industrial and building energy (Enerkii, aedifion, ecoworks), alternative proteins and food tech (Planet A Foods, Juicy Marbles, ENOUGH), and deep tech such as IQM Quantum Computers and Space Forge. For founders, the useful signal is simple: World Fund wants durable technology businesses with climate math that survives scrutiny.

What is World Fund's check size?

$2,000,000 – $20,000,000

What is World Fund's investment thesis?

World Fund invests where European industrial strength and decarbonization overlap. Priority sectors are energy systems, industrial process and manufacturing tech, buildings and related infrastructure, and food and agriculture. The firm looks for differentiated technology, venture-scale markets, and emissions upside that can be reasoned about at scale. Stage focus runs from seed through Series B. Initial tickets are often discussed in the multi-million euro range (commonly cited around €2 million to €20 million), with follow-on reserved so the firm can stay relevant as companies move from pilot to plant. Hardware and deep science are welcome when the go-to-market path is real. What they optimize for is not a vague "green" story. They want companies that can redefine a market while reducing emissions, with founders who can hire technical talent, sell into industrial buyers, and raise through Europe's later-stage bottleneck.

Which sectors does World Fund invest in?

AI & Technology, Built Environment, Clean Energy, Climate Tech, Sustainable Food & Agriculture