Breakthrough Energy Ventures
Led by billionaire investors includings Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma, Michael Bloomberg and Richard Branson, US-based Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) is an energy tech innovation fund for highly-scalable tech with the potential to help cut net greenhouse gas emissions to zero. Since its founding in 2016, it has launched several funds, including the $1bn Breakthrough Energy Ventures initial fund and a $100m European fund. The entity employs scientists and has a model available to startups to identify sustainability opportunities in the US grid. It currently has 30 startups in its portfolio across technologies and geographies. Among its most recent investments in early 2021 are the $11.5m Series A round of US low-emission hydrogen producer C-Zero and in the $50m Series B round of US sustainable metal producer Boston Metals. In January 2021, BEV also closed a new round of another $1 billion to invest in up to 50 startups. The round saw the addition participation of several new investors including Abigail Johnson, CEO of Fidelity Investments, Shopify founder Tobias Lütke, property developer John Sobrato, of CEO of hedge fund Baupost Group Seth Klarman, founder of Tableau Software Chris Stolte and Walmart heir Sam Walton.
