In 2021, venture capital investors launched 64 new climate tech funds loaded with $37 billion of “dry powder.” Some are climate tech veterans, some are generalists, and others are new to the field. Do the newcomers bring differentiated theses and models that can help the climate tech ecosystem thrive?
The SOSV Climate Tech Summit (Oct. 25-26) gathered VCs from three new climate tech funds to discuss what they created and why. Below you’ll find a video of their conversation.
Sarah Sclarsic is co-founder and Managing Director of Voyager, a women-led climate tech fund launched in April 2022 with $100M in capital. Voyager’s portfolio includes gigElev, which turns EVs into mobile power plants, and Remora, maker of carbon capture devices for semi-trucks.
Daria Saharova is founding partner of World Fund, Europe’s largest climate tech fund with $350M AUM, which broke cover in October 2021. It focuses on startups with potential to reduce emissions by at least 100 megatons of CO2e per year. Can it clear that bar leading a €128M investment in IQM Quantum Computers and seed-stage backing for space-based manufacturer Space Forge?
Dawn Lippert is founding partner of Earthshot Ventures, a spinout from Elemental Excelerator where she also serves as CEO. Launched in September 2021 now with a $93M fund and a team responsible for 25+ climate tech exits, perhaps Earthshot Venture can also strike gold—or preferably, greener metals. They’ve invested in mining exploration startup KoBold Metals and Lithium miner Lilac Solutions.
The panel was moderated by Jon Shieber, chief editor and venture partner at Footprint Coalition, the venture fund co-founded by Robert Downey Jr. Shieber is a former senior editor at TechCrunch where he most recently covered climate tech.
How are these new VCs filling voids in climate tech and pushing its evolution?
The Speakers
Sarah Sclarsic
Sarah Sclarsic is co-founder and Managing Director of Voyager, a women-led climate tech fund launched in April 2022 with $100M in capital. Voyager’s portfolio includes gigElev, which turns EVs into mobile power plants, and Remora, maker of carbon capture devices for semi-trucks.
Daria Saharova
Daria Saharova is founding partner of World Fund, Europe’s largest climate tech fund with $350M AUM, which broke cover in October 2021. It focuses on startups with potential to reduce emissions by at least 100 megatons of CO2e per year. Can it clear that bar leading a €128M investment in IQM Quantum Computers and seed-stage backing for space-based manufacturer Space Forge?
Dawn Lippert
Dawn Lippert is founding partner of Earthshot Ventures, a spinout from Elemental Excelerator where she also serves as CEO. Launched in September 2021 with a $60M fund and a team responsible for 25+ climate tech exits, perhaps Earthshot Venture can also strike gold—or preferably, greener metals. They’ve invested in mining exploration startup KoBold Metals and Lithium miner Lilac Solutions.
Jon Shieber
The panel will be moderated by Jon Shieber, chief editor and venture partner at Footprint Coalition, the venture fund co-founded by Robert Downey Jr. Shieber is a former senior editor at TechCrunch where he most recently covered climate tech.
