Breakthrough Energy Ventures
UnclaimedAt a Glance
- Check Size
- $500K – $50M
- Stage
- Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+
- AUM
- $2B
- Sectors
- Climate, Deeptech, Agriculture
- Founded
- 2016
- HQ
- Kirkland, WA
About Breakthrough Energy Ventures
Breakthrough Energy Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Kirkland, WA founded in 2016. Empowering innovators to build the future of energy The firm focuses on Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+ investments across sectors including Aerospace & Defense, Other, Consumer, Fintech, Climate. The firm manages $2B in assets under management. Notable portfolio companies include Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Form Energy, Pivot Bio, CarbonCure, Solid Power and Turntide Technologies. Patient capital investments in companies developing technologies to achieve net-zero emissions across all sectors of the economy.
Investment Thesis
“Patient capital investments in companies developing technologies to achieve net-zero emissions across all sectors of the economy.”
Sector Focus
Investment Stage
Notable Portfolio Companies
Fund History
Breakthrough Energy Ventures launched publicly in December 2016 when Bill Gates and 19 other investors, including Jeff Bezos, committed $1 billion to a first fund built on an unusually long 20-year horizon rather than the standard ten-year venture clock. The patient-capital structure was the founding premise: hard-tech energy companies rarely reach commercial scale inside a conventional fund life.
BEV raised a second $1 billion fund, announced in January 2021, sized to back 40 to 50 companies and pointed at lower-carbon steel and cement, long-haul transportation and direct air capture. In 2022 the firm broadened its remit into climate adaptation and later-stage investments, moving beyond pure early-stage mitigation bets. A third fund, BEV III, has raised $839 million, with limited partners reported to include Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma, Reid Hoffman and Michael Bloomberg. BEV sits inside the wider Breakthrough Energy organization, which also runs grantmaking and project finance programs alongside the venture arm.
SEC Fund Filings
- Vehicles filed, last 24 months
- 2
- Latest filing
Breakthrough Energy Ventures filed a Form D for 2 fund vehicles between Sep 26, 2024 and Sep 25, 2026.
| Fund vehicle | Source |
|---|---|
| Breakthrough Energy Ventures Special Situations I, L.P. | SEC Form D, filed |
| Breakthrough Energy Ventures Select Fund II, L.P. | SEC Form D, filed |
A Form D is the notice a fund files with the SEC when it raises money in a private offering. Feeder funds, parallel funds and SPVs each file their own, so the count measures filing activity, not the number of flagship funds.
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D filings for pooled investment funds, original filings only (amendments excluded). Our filing data starts Jul 1, 2024. Vehicles are matched to Breakthrough Energy Ventures by fund name and checked against the sponsor address and named principals on each filing; offering amounts are not shown. Each “SEC Form D” link opens an EDGAR full-text search for that vehicle’s exact name, where the filing itself is listed. See every new fund filing on the Form D Radar.
Team (4)
Related Articles (4)
Frequently Asked Questions
What stage does Breakthrough Energy Ventures invest at?
Breakthrough Energy Ventures primarily invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are at the earliest idea or prototype phase.
Where is Breakthrough Energy Ventures located?
Breakthrough Energy Ventures is headquartered in Kirkland, WA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
What sectors does Breakthrough Energy Ventures focus on?
Breakthrough Energy Ventures focuses on investments in Climate, Deeptech, Agriculture. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
What is Breakthrough Energy Ventures's typical check size?
Breakthrough Energy Ventures's typical investment check size ranges from $500K to $50M. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
How much does Breakthrough Energy Ventures have under management?
Breakthrough Energy Ventures manages approximately $2B in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.
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