Breakthrough Energy

Breakthrough Energy, established in 2016 and headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, is an impact investment firm focused on combating climate change. It invests patiently over a 20-year period in cleantech and energy sectors, supporting companies from seed to commercialization stages. The firm's portfolio spans electricity generation and storage, transportation, industrial systems, agriculture, and energy efficiency, aiming to make power reliable, affordable, and climate-friendly. Breakthrough Energy Ventures, its investment arm, manages funds in the U.S. and Europe, with a goal to back 40 to 50 companies per fund.

Tara Bansal

Investment Principal and Company Builder, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Gaetan Bonhomme Ph.D

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Jim Cabot

Managing Director, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Priscilla Chan MD

Co-Founder, Breakthrough Energy Coalition

David Danielson

Managing Director, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Mark Gallogly

Investor

Christian Garcia

Managing Director and Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Mark Hartney Ph.D

Principal, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Christina Karapataki

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Sila Kiliccote

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Allegra Kowalewski-Ferreira

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Phil Larochell

Principal

Phil Larochelle Ph.D

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Brian Mayers Ph.D

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Jeff Momplaisir

Director of Portfolio Analytics, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Christopher Poirier

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Juilia Reinaud

Senior Director

Cooper Rinzler

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Christopher Rivest

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Eric Toone

Executive Managing Director

Libby Wayman

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Stefan Zlatev

Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Julia Reinaud Ph.D

Senior Director, Europe

Past deals in Solar Energy

Aetherflux

Series A in 2025
Aetherflux is an aerospace company focused on providing renewable energy solutions to households, businesses, and military operations worldwide. The company has developed an innovative design for space-based solar power, which entails a constellation of small satellites that harness sunlight, convert it into electricity, and wirelessly transmit the power to ground stations. This technology aims to deliver reliable energy distribution while minimizing environmental impact, positioning Aetherflux at the forefront of the renewable energy sector.

Planted Solar

Series A in 2024
Planted Solar is a company focused on transforming the solar power industry through innovative design and installation methods. By leveraging advanced development software and construction robots, the company constructs flexible, high-density solar power plants that can be deployed on previously unsuitable land. This approach allows Planted Solar to generate twice as much energy per acre and complete projects three times faster than traditional methods. The company's objective is to facilitate rapid solar development, making clean and abundant energy accessible to businesses and corporations while optimizing their energy management. With a mission to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, Planted Solar aims to significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of solar energy deployment.

Fourth Power

Series A in 2023
Fourth Power is an energy storage startup that specializes in thermal battery technology. The company focuses on utility-scale thermal storage to convert excess renewable energy from sources like wind and solar into a reliable, on-demand energy supply. Its innovative storage solutions are designed to optimize the use of wasted renewable energy production, effectively addressing grid demands while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Fourth Power offers a modular storage system that can adapt and expand alongside the grid, providing both short-duration and long-duration energy storage capabilities. This flexibility enables clients to enhance their energy management and allows grid operators to control the timing and usage of stored energy, facilitating a smoother transition to fully decarbonized infrastructure.

Malta

Venture Round in 2023
Malta Inc. is a developer of innovative industrial-grade energy storage solutions based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 2018, the company focuses on a unique electro-thermal energy storage system that captures energy from diverse sources including wind, solar, and fossil fuels. This system converts electrical energy into thermal energy and stores it in molten salt, allowing for energy to be held for extended periods. When demand arises, the stored thermal energy is reverted back into electrical energy and dispatched to the grid, ensuring a reliable supply of electricity. Malta's technology addresses challenges such as wind and solar curtailment and enhances the efficiency of electricity distribution and transmission, thus playing a pivotal role in delivering affordable and timely energy to the market. Incubated at X, the Moonshot Factory, the company is backed by prominent venture capital and commercial partners in the power industry.

CubicPV

Venture Round in 2023
CubicPV is a solar manufacturing company that focuses on producing wafers and tandem modules using advanced silicon and perovskite technologies. The company develops innovative semiconductor combinations for tandem modules, which enhance energy harvesting by utilizing two different light absorbers, thus improving efficiency across a broader spectrum of sunlight. This technology aims to reduce the cost of solar electricity to be competitive with conventional energy sources, such as coal. By manufacturing silicon wafers directly from the silicon melt, CubicPV streamlines the production process, eliminating several steps and effectively doubling the yield. This approach not only lowers the cost of clean electricity but also minimizes the carbon footprint associated with solar panel production, supporting the growing global demand for sustainable energy solutions.

Xcel Energy

Grant in 2023
Xcel Energy is an electric and natural gas utility company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 1909. It serves approximately 3.8 million electric customers and 2.2 million natural gas customers across eight states. The company is involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity, utilizing a diverse mix of energy sources including coal, nuclear, natural gas, hydro, solar, biomass, oil, and wind. Xcel Energy is recognized as one of the largest suppliers of renewable energy in the United States, with over half of its electricity sales derived from carbon-free sources. Its operations are organized into five segments: electricity, natural gas, renewable energy, transmission, and innovation, which also includes the development and leasing of natural gas pipelines and related facilities.

Terabase

Series B in 2022
Terabase Energy, Inc. is a technology company focused on enhancing the efficiency and scalability of utility-scale solar projects through automation and digital solutions. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Berkeley, California, with an additional office in Melbourne, Australia, Terabase offers a cloud-based artificial intelligence platform that facilitates collaboration on digital project models. Its proprietary software is utilized by over 400 firms, including engineering, procurement, and construction companies, developers, and independent power producers across 28 countries. By providing innovative tools and services, Terabase aims to reduce costs and accelerate the deployment of large-scale solar energy projects, thereby supporting the growth of renewable energy infrastructure worldwide.

Blue Frontier

Series A in 2022
Blue Frontier, founded in 2018 and based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, specializes in developing sustainable air conditioning systems. The company's technology focuses on reducing energy consumption compared to traditional systems by leveraging savings in building energy bills and utility infrastructure requirements. Blue Frontier's innovative approach includes an HVAC-as-a-Service business model and the ability of their air conditioners to store electricity, allowing them to adjust power usage during periods when renewable energy is abundant without compromising cooling performance. This results in a system that requires less than half the electricity of conventional air conditioning units.

SOURCE

Series D in 2022
SOURCE, founded in 2014 and based in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializes in developing and manufacturing solar-powered devices aimed at extracting drinkable water from the atmosphere. Their innovative hydro panels employ advanced materials science to harvest water even in arid conditions, producing pure, mineralized water that is accessible via a tap. This technology caters to a wide range of applications, including industrial, commercial, residential, and community use, ensuring clean water availability virtually anywhere.

SOURCE

Series D in 2022
SOURCE, founded in 2014 and based in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializes in developing and manufacturing solar-powered devices aimed at extracting drinkable water from the atmosphere. Their innovative hydro panels employ advanced materials science to harvest water even in arid conditions, producing pure, mineralized water that is accessible via a tap. This technology caters to a wide range of applications, including industrial, commercial, residential, and community use, ensuring clean water availability virtually anywhere.

Antora Energy

Series A in 2022
Antora Energy specializes in providing zero-carbon industrial heat and power solutions for heavy industries, offering a more reliable alternative to fossil fuels. The company develops innovative thermal batteries that utilize excess solar and wind electricity to heat blocks of carbon, creating a sustainable energy source. These thermal energy storage systems effectively convert heat energy into electric energy, facilitating the electrification of heavy industry. By enabling the integration of renewable resources into the electricity grid, Antora Energy aims to deliver convenient, sustainable, and reliable electricity while significantly reducing carbon emissions on a global scale.

CubicPV

Venture Round in 2021
CubicPV is a solar manufacturing company that focuses on producing wafers and tandem modules using advanced silicon and perovskite technologies. The company develops innovative semiconductor combinations for tandem modules, which enhance energy harvesting by utilizing two different light absorbers, thus improving efficiency across a broader spectrum of sunlight. This technology aims to reduce the cost of solar electricity to be competitive with conventional energy sources, such as coal. By manufacturing silicon wafers directly from the silicon melt, CubicPV streamlines the production process, eliminating several steps and effectively doubling the yield. This approach not only lowers the cost of clean electricity but also minimizes the carbon footprint associated with solar panel production, supporting the growing global demand for sustainable energy solutions.

Malta

Series B in 2021
Malta Inc. is a developer of innovative industrial-grade energy storage solutions based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 2018, the company focuses on a unique electro-thermal energy storage system that captures energy from diverse sources including wind, solar, and fossil fuels. This system converts electrical energy into thermal energy and stores it in molten salt, allowing for energy to be held for extended periods. When demand arises, the stored thermal energy is reverted back into electrical energy and dispatched to the grid, ensuring a reliable supply of electricity. Malta's technology addresses challenges such as wind and solar curtailment and enhances the efficiency of electricity distribution and transmission, thus playing a pivotal role in delivering affordable and timely energy to the market. Incubated at X, the Moonshot Factory, the company is backed by prominent venture capital and commercial partners in the power industry.

Form Energy

Series C in 2020
Form Energy, Inc. is a company focused on developing long-duration energy storage systems aimed at transforming the electric grid by enabling the reliable use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Established in 2017 and based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Form Energy is known for its innovative iron-air battery technology, which allows for the storage of electricity over extended periods, making renewable energy more dispatchable throughout the year. This technology not only helps to replace conventional fossil fuel-based generation but also enhances transmission capacity without the need for new infrastructure. By facilitating deep decarbonization of the electric system, Form Energy plays a significant role in reducing carbon emissions and promoting a sustainable energy future.

SOURCE

Series C in 2020
SOURCE, founded in 2014 and based in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializes in developing and manufacturing solar-powered devices aimed at extracting drinkable water from the atmosphere. Their innovative hydro panels employ advanced materials science to harvest water even in arid conditions, producing pure, mineralized water that is accessible via a tap. This technology caters to a wide range of applications, including industrial, commercial, residential, and community use, ensuring clean water availability virtually anywhere.

1366 Technologies

Series E in 2019
1366 Technologies Inc., established in 2008, specializes in the development, manufacturing, and supply of silicon wafers for solar cell applications. Based in Bedford, Massachusetts, with additional facilities in Shanghai, China, and Mumbai, India, the company produces both 3D direct wafers and conventional silicon solar wafers. Through strategic partnerships with Hanwha Q CELLS Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. and Hanwha Q CELLS Co., Ltd., 1366 Technologies supplies its products to major players in the solar industry. Its proprietary technology enables the production of silicon wafers directly from molten silicon, resulting in lower costs, reduced energy requirements, and improved uniformity compared to traditional methods. This allows businesses to create more efficient and cost-effective solar cells.

Form Energy

Series B in 2019
Form Energy, Inc. is a company focused on developing long-duration energy storage systems aimed at transforming the electric grid by enabling the reliable use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Established in 2017 and based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Form Energy is known for its innovative iron-air battery technology, which allows for the storage of electricity over extended periods, making renewable energy more dispatchable throughout the year. This technology not only helps to replace conventional fossil fuel-based generation but also enhances transmission capacity without the need for new infrastructure. By facilitating deep decarbonization of the electric system, Form Energy plays a significant role in reducing carbon emissions and promoting a sustainable energy future.

Malta

Series A in 2018
Malta Inc. is a developer of innovative industrial-grade energy storage solutions based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 2018, the company focuses on a unique electro-thermal energy storage system that captures energy from diverse sources including wind, solar, and fossil fuels. This system converts electrical energy into thermal energy and stores it in molten salt, allowing for energy to be held for extended periods. When demand arises, the stored thermal energy is reverted back into electrical energy and dispatched to the grid, ensuring a reliable supply of electricity. Malta's technology addresses challenges such as wind and solar curtailment and enhances the efficiency of electricity distribution and transmission, thus playing a pivotal role in delivering affordable and timely energy to the market. Incubated at X, the Moonshot Factory, the company is backed by prominent venture capital and commercial partners in the power industry.
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