In recent years, the world has started witnessing alarming consequences of the impact of climate change. The rising temperature, unpredictable weather patterns, natural disasters and acute depletion of natural resources have shown the need for innovative solutions. Recognizing this global challenge, a sector of climate tech enthusiasts have emerged who are focusing on developing technologies that address these environmental issues.
As the demand for these solutions is increasing, entrepreneurs and innovators are coming together to build startups with the mission to combat climate change. Noticing the trend, investors recognized this opportunity to promote positive change while ensuring financial returns by investing in for profit social impact startups. India has seen investments in climate tech surge from 2016 to 2020 with a focus on renewable energy and electric mobility.
Here, we have curated a list of climate tech investors who are actively contributing to the growth and success of the climate tech ecosystem:
1. Indian Angel Network
Ticket Size– $400K to $600K
Indian Angel Network (IAN) is the first Angel Investor Network in India that aims to bring angel investors from all over the world to invest in start-ups both in the Indian Ecosystem and globally. Founded in 2006 by Saurabh Srivastava, Padmaja Ruparel, and Raman Roy, Indian Angel Network has bred and seeded companies with a market valuation of more than $9 billion. Over a span of more than a decade and a half, IAN has been a platform for early-stage investments and has anchored more than 300 transactions since inception.
With interest in sectors like agricultural technology, biotechnology, and clean tech, IAN has always put emphasis on investing in climate tech companies. According to a report by Shizune, IAN has invested in 15 climate tech companies till date placing them at the top of this list.
Portfolio– Farmart, Freshworld, Greenpod Labs, Transcell Biologics, Pandorum, Carbon Masters, Minion Labs
Website– Link
2. Omnivore
Ticket Size– $1 million to $4 million
Description– Omnivore is a venture capital firm which funds entrepreneurs who are building the future of agriculture and food systems. Established in 2011 by Kahn and Jinesh Shah in order to fund start-ups that have a deep focus on agriculture while catalyzing climate-smart agriculture and deeply embedding technology in the global agri-food ecosystem.
Omnivore has invested in 13 start-ups which have a focus on climate innovation. Documenting their efforts on Omnivore’s website, the venture capital firm has saved over 33 billion litres of water, has converted 2.1 million hectares of land into area under sustainable cultivation and has created $1.3 billion economic value for smallholder farmers.
Portfolio-AgNext, AquaConnect, BharatAgri, Deep Rooted, Ecozen, Farmley, Intello Labs
Website– Link
3. Inflection Point Ventures
Ticket Size– Average $2.5 million
Description– Established in 2018, Inflection Point Ventures is an angel investing firm consisting of over 7000 members who support new-age entrepreneurs by providing them with monetary and experiential capital by connecting them with a diverse group of investors. The firm aims to make angel investing a viable, practical option for all the investing members.
The journey of the firm started on 18 June 2018 with less than 300 members. Now, the firm has funded Rs 200 crore and has over 7000 members. IPV also recently reported 14 exits in 2023 with a healthy IRR of 61%. Inflection Point Ventures was founded by Vinay Bhansal who is a finance professional with more than 20 years of experience across Fortune 500 companies.
Portfolio– Falca, Cercle Solutions, PiBeam, Cercle X, Buyofuel, Kazam, Prescinto.
Website– Link
4. Speciale Invest
Ticket Size– <$1Mn
Description– Special Invest venture capital firm led by tech enthusiasts who are looking for visionaries who are building deep tech and engineering innovations. They believe in bringing technology across enterprise software and frontier technologies.
They invest in the early stage of development with cheques ranging from $100K to $500K. Their current active fund was started in 2022 and will be deployed across 20 companies with follow-up investments. Even though their investments are multi-disciplinary, they usually fund deep tech solutions in domains like enterprise software, climate-tech, SaaS and frontier tech.
Portfolio-Metastable Materials, Newtrace, StepChange, The ePlane Company, Uravu, Ultraviolette,
Website – Link
5. JITO Angel Network
Ticket Size– $400K to $600K
Description– JITO Angel Network is backed by more than 15000 industrialists and businessmen of the Jain community which is spread worldwide. The core of the firm has been fundraising and providing business support and connections to their portfolio companies.
Being sector-agnostic, they have invested in early-stage start-ups from different sectors. With investment size reaching up to $1.5 million, JITO Angel Network leads as well as co-invests in fundraising rounds.
Portfolio– BetterSeeds, Uravu, RenKube, Taqanal Energy, Banss
Website– Link
6. 3one4 Venture Capital
Ticket Size-$500K to $5 million
Description– 3one4 is a venture capital which aims to partner with early-stage companies that are mission-oriented and are setting new standards for inclusive value creation and sustainable growth. The exponential growth of the firm has been due to its partnership with generational companies that are hoping to transform market segments across the country.
The Bangalore-based firm focuses on select market segments like Enterprise & SMB Digitalization, Digital Health, Fintech, Consumer Internet, and SaaS. With more than $510 million in committed and 4 unicorns, 3one4 aims to revolutionize the industry by supporting generational innovation engines out of India.
Portfolio– Exponent Energy, ePlane.ai, Fasal, GoPaani
Website– Link
7. Kaalari Capital
Ticket Size– $1 million to $5 million
Description– Kaalari Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm which focuses on technology-related companies in India. The Bangalore-based firm is passionate about investing in entrepreneurs with a vision to redefine the narrative of innovation and technology in India.
With a total investment of $160 million and $650 million in assets under management, Kaalari Capital is paving the way for global recognition in technology-focused investments. As of date, the company has raised more than $800M in capital and funded more than 100 start-ups.
Portfolio– Chara Technologies, Baaz, Clean Electric, Climes
Website– Link
8. Blume Ventures
Ticket Size– $1.5 million to $2.5 million
Description– Blume Ventures was established in 2010 by Karthik Reddy and Sanjay Nath with a mission to transform startup financing in India. Over the years, Blume has become one of the revolutionising ventures in India while becoming a key player in India’s startup ecosystem.
The Mumbai-based firm has helped in building over 100 startups across India. With a sector-agnostic approach, the firm invests in varied industries like deep tech, climate-tech, real estate, horizontal SaaS, media, healthcare and many more.
Portfolio– Vecmocon, Spinny, Yulu, Euler Mototrs, ElectricPe, Cashify, Carbon Clean, Battery Smart, Aerem
Website– Link
9. Aaavishkaar Capital
Ticket Size-$5 million to $25 million
Description– Founded in 2001, Aavishkaar Capital is one of the leading venture capital firms which has transformed the approach of investing in impact led start-ups in India and other neighbouring geographies like Emerging Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
With an active investment approach, Aavishkaar Capital not only aims to provide financial assistance to its invested companies but also guides various aspects such as strategy, governance, operational processes and human resources.
Portfolio– AgroStar, Arohan, Grasshoppers, Financepeer, Vortex, Seven Oceans, Vana Vidyut
Website– Link
10. Acumen
Ticket Size– $1 million to $6 million
Description– Acumen was founded by Jacqueline Novogratz in 2001 to utilize the power of entrepreneurship to build a world where everyone has the opportunity to live with dignity. The goal of the company was to invest in start-ups that helped bridge the gap between the market-based approaches and the social impact.
The company does not limit itself to one sector and invests in early-stage companies whose products and services help the poor transform their lives. Along with the financial support, they also provide tools, networks, technical assistance, and guidance which is needed to succeed and scale into long-term solutions to poverty.
Portfolio– Avani Bio Energy, Greenway Grameen, Husk Power Systems, Orb Energy, S4S Technologies
Website– Link
11. Social Alpha
Ticket Size– $500K to $2 million
Description– Found by Manoj Kumar, Social Alpha searches for entrepreneurs and innovators who are on a mission to create social, economic and environmental impact. The design of their investment style helps them to connect entrepreneurs who are seeking financial and operational support with providers of risk capital and technical expertise.
Established in 2016, Social Alpha has supported over 200 start-ups via $6+ million in equity disbursements and $11Mn+ in grant disbursements. Social Alpha believes in its philosophy that science and technology innovations along with entrepreneurship have the potential to bring a positive change in the lives of the masses.
Portfolio– Accelero, Bare Necessities, Bijson, Canvaloop, Devidayal, Ecowrap, Hasiru Dala, Himalayan Rocket Stove, Mojogreen
Website– Link
12. Blue Ashva Capital
Ticket Size– $1 million to $5 million
Description– Blue Ashva Capital is an investment fund that helps in backing sustainable and long-term profitable businesses that are solving real challenges and building lasting value in core sectors like agriculture, agroforestry, climate change, and micro enterprises.
With a global reach, the fund usually focuses on early-stage funding, focusing mainly on Pre-Series A and Series funding rounds on founders who are passionate and have the endurance to persevere through the journey to the other side.
Portfolio– Devic Earth, Entuple E-mobility, Greenjoules, Bambrew
Website– Link
13. Upaya Social Ventures
Ticket Size– $25K to $1 million
Description– Founded in 2011, Upaya Social Ventures aims to create dignified jobs for people who are living in extreme poverty by building scalable businesses with investment and consulting support. The goal of the venture is to create 50,000 dignified jobs by 2025.
The Bangalore-based firm has made 37 investments and accelerated over 60 businesses. Through its financial support, it has created 35,000 dignified jobs and had an annual income increase of 65% per jobholder. By combining investment with support, Upaya Social Ventures focuses on supporting businesses which help create sustainable solutions that can make a lasting impact on the lives of those in extreme poverty.
Portfolio– WeVoisLabs, Saahas Zero Waste, Hasiru Dala Innovations, GreenWorms
Website– Link
14. Avaana Capital
Ticket Size– $1 million to $2 million
Description– Avaana Capital is a venture capital firm which is focused on supporting future market leaders who are leveraging tech-led innovation to drive solutions that fight against climate change and are sustainable while delivering exponential returns.
With investment in sectors like energy and resource management, mobility and supply chains, and sustainable agriculture and food systems, Avaana takes an ecosystem approach to help provide support to their entrepreneurs. Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund has reportedly evaluated more than 200 new climate opportunities every quarter, according to the Economic Times.
Portfolio– Ninety-One, Aerem, Climes, Kazam, FarMart, Praan, Eggoz Nutrition
Website– Link
15. Theia Ventures
Ticket Size– $500K to $1 million
Description– Theia Ventures is an early-stage venture fund which invests in climate tech companies that are more focused on decarbonization. The philosophy of Theia is to support start-ups that aim to reduce carbon emissions, increase the income of smallholder farmers, and boost productivity.
Founded in 2021, Theia Ventures invests in companies that are at their early stages of their journey and specialize in climate tech, circular economy and sustainability industries. The Bangalore-based firm supports founders who are building differentiated, IP-led technologies across multiple climate sectors.
Portfolio– AltM, Metstable Materials, Varaha, Exponent, edgegrid, Sheru
Website– Link