Impact Science Ventures

Despite Trump winning the election, according to Sightline Climate (CTVC) climate funds added $47 billion in assets under management in 2024, a 20% bump on the previous year. I met with five of the most active early-stage climate tech investors to hear what they are looking for and why now is an exciting time to be an investor in climate startups. Read my full article on Forbes here: https://lnkd.in/eb_bZmmp, highlights below: Margret Trilli, CEO of ImpactAssets, focuses on companies that align with an impact-driven thesis while demonstrating financial viability. She believes "this is a prime moment for investors in climate and impact investing, as market demand for sustainable solutions continues to rise." Michael Luciani, Managing Partner at Climate Capital, sees massive potential, emphasizing that "this is an optimal time for climate investing due to reduced competition and clearer market pathways." His firm actively funds early-stage companies across all climate verticals. Sophie Bakalar, Partner at Collaborative Fund, applies the "villain test," ensuring climate-friendly products win on merit. She believes, "this is a golden era for climate tech investment due to the convergence of technological breakthroughs, rising consumer demand, and large-scale capital inflows." Robert Ethier, Managing Partner at Impact Science Ventures, sees today’s downturn in ESG hype as a cleansing phase, stating, "post-hype cycles are the best time to invest, as weaker competitors exit and stronger companies emerge." Laura Fox, Managing Partner at Streetlife Ventures, calls this a "hardware renaissance moment," highlighting that "climate solutions are now thriving on market-driven economics, not just policy incentives." Climate investing isn't just about the future—it’s shaping the next industrial revolution. #ClimateTech #ImpactInvesting #SustainableFinance #VentureCapital #GreenInnovation

Over the past week, markets have reacted dramatically to DeepSeek's release of a low-cost-trained, high-performance AI model. Many have begun asking whether it signals the obsolescence of high-performance AI compute—or, by extension, the beginning of the end for NVIDIA. The answer is simply 'No.' But for those who want more than one word, I have jotted down some notes. If you already knew that but are more interested in?how to build better AI hardware, just scroll down until you see the photo of a magnificent single-span steel arch bridge in Maricopa County, Arizona. https://lnkd.in/efz5dE-B

What a way to end the year! We just secured $255 million in new funding through opportunistic corporate equity and new debt financing. Capricorn Investment Group’s Technology Impact Fund II led the $135 million corporate equity round. They were joined by a suite of high-caliber investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, CalSTRS, Congruent Ventures, CPP Investments | Investissements RPC, DCVC, Devon Energy, Galvanize Climate Solutions, Liberty Mutual Investments, Mercuria, and Sabanc? Climate Ventures. In addition to corporate equity, Fervo secured a $120 million letter of credit and term loan facility from Mercuria, one of the world’s largest independent energy and commodity groups. The demand for 24/7 carbon-free energy is at an all-time high and Fervo is one of the only companies building large projects that will come online before the end of the decade. This additional investment empowers Fervo to push forward on this rapid trajectory as we continue to meet and surpass our ambitious goals. Discover more: https://lnkd.in/ggWTiSku

I know winter is around the corner but it's getting hot in Utah! The Interior Department has given the greenlight to Fervo Energy's Cape Project with the potential to produce up to 2GW(!!!) of clean, firm power 24/7. Impact Science Ventures portfolio companies continue to make progress towards the decarbonizing the grid. https://lnkd.in/gmDXUQxm

"When firms like TPG are coming in to provide the finance for the facilities, that's a market signal that these projects are bankable" says Robert Ethier of Impact Science Ventures. Read our latest Friday Letter to find out more...

Big news from Fervo's second annual Technology Day! We just completed the world's most successful Enhanced Geothermal System well test, tripling our output from last year's Project Red, and we have secured a transformative $100M construction loan from X-Caliber Rural Capital to accelerate our development at Cape Station. The successful well test announced today establishes Cape Station as the most productive enhanced #geothermal system in history and is yet another data point that technology performance of geothermal is decades ahead of schedule. Fervo has proven itself as a leader of enhanced geothermal, uncapping the industry’s potential and making future goals a reality today. Thank you to everyone who celebrated these successes with us at Technology Day! More about Technology Day here: https://lnkd.in/e83979E2 More about the $100 million loan here: https://lnkd.in/emeC-49f

Challenges of deep-tech ventures: 1. Complex technology and commercialization risks. 2. High capital investment. 3. Extended timelines. Learn more: https://mitsmr.com/3YWVlE3

2024 WORLD MATERIALS FORUM: and the winners of our Start Up and Scale Up Challenges are ??: - START UP CHALLENGE Grand Prix to Aepnus Technology - Lukas Hackl and Bilen Akuzum, Ph.D. Coup de C?ur to Pure Lithium Corporation - Emilie Bodoin - SCALE UP CHALLENGE Grand Prix to Brimstone Energy - Hugo Leandri Coup de C?ur to ZetaEnergy, LLC - Tom Pilette and Michael Liedtke Philippe Varin, stephane Mangin and I would like to thank the Grand Est Region - Franck Leroy and Valerie Debord - for contributing to the higher amount of the Scale Up Awards this year and of course all our jury members for their time and super valuable insights - especially these who were with us in Paris: Bronwyn Fox, Gervais Jacques, Shirley Meng, Martina Merz, Hartwig Michels and Bernard Pinatel. Finally our thumbs up to all 2024 Scale Up and Start Up nominees: you are "just great" and we wish you the best - https://lnkd.in/e42MQaet