Energy Impact Partners (EIP), a leading global investor in the transition to a sustainable future, announced today the launch of its Deep Decarbonization Frontier Fund (the “Frontier Fund”), targeting early-stage, revolutionary technologies that accelerate the transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. With a target of $350 million, the fund has already received commitments for more than $200 million from both new and existing EIP investors.
The Frontier Fund is built on two core principles. First, an unprecedented wave of innovation is coming to help solve the biggest, most challenging problems in deep decarbonization. Second, the demand for zero-carbon energy, products and goods will accelerate market adoption of these new technologies and drive enormous commercial outcomes for the winners.
“We are looking for audacious entrepreneurs taking big swings at big problems in climate tech,” said Shayle Kann, Partner in the EIP Frontier Fund. “Over the last six years we have built an ecosystem and process to drive innovation in massive, mature and technically complex industries; nowhere is this skillset needed more than the drive toward deep decarbonization.”
The Frontier Fund has already made numerous investments into pioneers focused on decarbonizing everything from power generation to fertilizer production. Example investments:
- Form Energy (disruptively cheap multi-day energy storage)
- Electric Hydrogen (industrial-scale, renewable-powered hydrogen production)
- Nitricity (zero-emissions nitrogen fertilizer)
- Carbon America (point-source carbon capture)
- Zap Energy (economic nuclear fusion)
- Boston Metal (steel produced from electricity, not coal)
- Sublime Systems (zero-carbon cement)
EIP’s in-house research team works closely with its strategic investors – more than 40 leading industrials from the utility, energy, built environment, finance, infrastructure and technology sectors – to identify, invest in and scale disruptive innovation from earliest ideation through commercial success.
This unique collaborative model is particularly suited to the deeptech investment challenge, where the collective insights of EIP’s ecosystem help navigate complex technical pathways and can significantly accelerate market adoption, as evidenced by more than 200 pilots and partnerships between EIP’s 70+ portfolio companies and its strategic investor coalition.
This process was central to developing a granular understanding of the future demands of a zero-carbon electricity system, and the need for extremely-low-capex, multi-day energy storage to compensate for long-term fluctuations in renewable generation, resulting in the Frontier Fund’s investment in Form Energy, the only company pioneering a solution suited to the market’s exact need.
Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and Co-founder of Form Energy, said, “EIP is a known leader in the climate tech investment space. The launch of the Frontier Fund exemplifies their bold commitment and innovative approach to enable tomorrow’s zero carbon electricity system. Form Energy is extremely pleased to be supported by EIP and to have the ability to join forces with their incredible partner coalition as we work to reshape the global electric system to enable a clean energy future.”
EIP recently expanded its dedicated Frontier Fund team by adding Ashwin Shashindranath as Investment Partner (previously at Macquarie), Dr. Gregory Thiel, Director of Technology (previously at ARPA-E), and Dr. Michael E. Webber as Chief Technology Officer (Previously CTO and CSO at Engie).
“The insights we gain from working with hundreds of our partners’ experts and methodically analyzing key climate tech sectors provides actionable insights about which problems need solving and which solutions have the best chances for success,” said Dr. Michael E. Webber, EIP’s Chief Technology Officer. “With this approach, we think we can help accelerate decarbonization and pick the winning teams and technologies.”
EIP’s strategic partners and investors include leading innovators and industrials from the utility, energy, built-environment, infrastructure, finance and technology sectors: Alliant Energy (NASDAQ: LNT), Ameren Corp. (NYSE: AEE), AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (NYSE: AVB), Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA), Burns & McDonnell, Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), EDF Group through its corporate venture arm EDF Pulse Holding, Emera Inc. (TSX: EMA), Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR), Evergy Inc. (NYSE: EVRG), FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), Fortis Inc. (TSX, NYSE: FTS), Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund (NASDAQ: MSFT), OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE: OGE), Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (NYSE: PNW), Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR), PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), Public Storage (NYSE: PSA), Southern Company (NYSE: SO), TC Energy Corporation (TSX, NYSE: TRP), The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE: WMB) and Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) among others.
For more information about Energy Impact Partners and the Frontier Fund, please visit www.energyimpactpartners.com.
About Energy Impact Partners
Energy Impact Partners, LP (EIP) is a global venture capital firm leading the transition to a sustainable future. EIP brings together entrepreneurs and the world's most forward-looking energy and industrial companies to advance innovation. With over $2 billion in assets under management, EIP invests globally across venture, growth, credit, and infrastructure – and has a team of nearly 60 professionals based in its offices in New York, San Francisco, Palm Beach, London, Cologne, and Oslo. For more information about Energy Impact Partners and the Frontier Fund, please visit www.energyimpactpartners.com.
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