Energy Impact Partners (EIP) held the final close of its latest flagship fund at over $1 billion in committed capital.
At a time when ESG initiatives and impact funds are on more investors’ agendas, EIP’s focus is to invest in forward-looking companies in the utility, energy, real estate, mobility and industrial sectors that are making progress toward net zero GHG emissions. The aim is to ensure these companies are advancing critical climate solutions.
Investors and corporate backers of Fund II include: EDF Group through its corporate VC arm EDF Pulse Holding, Microsoft via its Climate Innovation Fund and the Tennessee Valley Authority Asset Retirement Trust.
“Tackling climate change is a major challenge and opportunity that can only be solved by working together,” said Hans Kobler, founder and managing partner of EIP, which has grown to $2 billion in AUM across early stage, venture, growth credit and infrastructure investments. “Our unique engagement model helps our partners innovate, drives growth in our investments and maximizes real near-term climate impact as a result.”
Kobler founded the firm in 2015 following work as an investor, advisor and operator that included work as chief quality officer at GE Equity, which was General Electric’s VC arm. Following GE he was CEO at Digital Power Capital, a venture capital fund focused on advanced power technologies. After that he established ICx Technologies, a sensor technology company he led as CEO through a successful IPO on Nasdaq.
Fund II has already made significant investments in more than a dozen promising technology companies.
EIP claims one of the world’s largest climate focused venture technology portfolios with over 75 investments ranging from revolutionary technology start-ups to established enterprise platforms.
investment highlights from the firm’s portfolio where EIP led the Series A investment include: Dragos, an industrial cyber security company worldwide whose latest fundraising round valued the company at $1.7 billion; Arcadia, a software platform connecting enterprises and consumers to clean energy solutions; and Enchanted Rock, a platform enabling decarbonization and electrification of the grid.
