SEATTLE, May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — E8 Angels, the largest cleantech angel investing community in the US, released the annual request for proposals for Decarbon8-US, its philanthropic impact fund. This year focuses on fostering innovation in renewable energy, motivated by the ambitious objectives set forth at the COP28 climate summit to triple the world’s renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The Decarbon8-US fund, launched in 2020, has invested over $8.4M in combined philanthropic and personal co-investment into 14 portfolio companies dedicated to decarbonizing sectors such as agriculture, the built environment, and transportation. Decarbon8-US accepts donations and grants to facilitate equity and debt investments in early-stage companies whose technologies and business models expedite the transition to environmentally sustainable solutions.
“We have seen tremendous progress from the companies in the Decarbon8-US portfolio, including an exit from Earthly Labs, who was acquired by Chart Industries in 2022,” said Karin Kidder, E8’s Executive Director. “In order to triple our renewable energy by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, we require substantial collaboration between the private, public, and government sectors. We are excited to provide a unique way for anyone to get engaged and make an impact.”
E8 collaborates with key partners to expand the impact and opportunities provided by the Fund including Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund. “Microsoft’s work to advance sustainability markets is at the core of our partnership with the E8 Decarbon8-US Fund,” said Brandon Middaugh, Senior Director of Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund. “Through the Decarbon8-US Fund, we are proud to support innovative startups that are accelerating the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.”
Visionary early-stage entrepreneurs from across the United States and Canada are encouraged to apply for funding. Ventures must be focused on renewable energy including:
- Power generation
- Alternative fuels
- Energy storage (non-battery forms)
- Grid infrastructure
- Implementation and deployment projects
The application window is open until June 21, 2024. Companies can find further details about the criteria and timeline in the Request for Proposals (RFP).
E8 & Decarbon8-US receive support from climate leaders, including the University of Washington’s Clean Energy Institute, Washington State University, K&L Gates, CleanTech Alliance, JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, and the Stolte Family Foundation. Decarbon8-US is a philanthropic investment fund administered by Realize Impact, a 501(c)(3) impact investing specialist.
About E8
E8 is a non-profit membership community whose mission is to accelerate the transition to a prosperous and cleaner world by investing in and nurturing emerging cleantech enterprises. Since 2006, we have invested over $62M into 150+ cleantech companies in the US and Canada. Our flexible, investor-centric platform supports various types of investors and asset classes, including direct angel for-profit investing and a philanthropic fund dedicated to accelerating decarbonization and climate mitigation. E8’s community and investment offerings are underpinned by a belief in the capacity of innovative enterprises and technologies to amplify both positive returns and impact.
Contact Information:
Media Contact: Karin Kidder, Executive Director
378294@email4pr.com
2063210955
SOURCE E8 Angels