The Clean Energy Venture Group (CEVG) and E8 Angels (E8) are announcing an agreement to collaborate on early stage investments to achieve greater efficiencies and impact. Both CEVG and E8 are leading individual investor groups that fund and support early-stage clean technology companies through investment, active management and strong networks across mobility, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, energy storage, sustainable agriculture and water treatment sectors.

While the groups remain independent, CEVG, with offices in Boston and New York, and E8, based in Seattle, will collaborate on due diligence, co-investments and post-investment portfolio advisory services. 

"Climate change is an existential threat that requires massive energy industry innovation to mitigate. This collaboration provides new cross-country access to the capital and expertise entrepreneurs need to prove out emerging clean energy technologies that can help address the climate crisis," said Jean-Noel Poirier, CEVG partner and Executive Managing Director. 

Innovation in the climatetech sector is badly needed. Funding for established climatetech business development and technology commercialization is growing quickly, but financial support at an early stage is still lacking. Angel groups play a key role in bridging the gap between federal and state funding and later stage traditional venture capital. 

Climatetech-focused groups such as CEVG and E8 have been leaders and essential ecosystem participants since their founding in the early 2000s, bringing much needed expertise to early-stage investments in the space. CEVG and E8 have invested in more than 120 companies over the last 15 years.

Both groups work alongside associated venture capital funds - Clean Energy Ventures, and the Element 8 Fund, respectively - providing a unique model to support innovators through a combination of capital and networks of experienced partners. E8 also started the Decarbon8-US Fund, a complementary philanthropic vehicle to help drive investment, co-investment and engagement with climatetech investors both veteran and novice.

The success of climate technology commercialization relies on an ecosystem, as these technologies require different industry partners at different stages of growth. Several major announcements have been made in the past year from funds and corporations making new commitments to climate tech. E8 and CEVG are strengthening their collaboration across the country and welcome the arrival of new funds and corporate players. 

"E8 and CEVG are two of the oldest cleantech-focused early stage investing groups in the country, and we look forward to expanding the investor base and to collaborating on deals so that we can accelerate the profitable transition to a cleaner economy," said Mike Rea, Executive Director at E8.

Clean Energy Venture Group | www.cevg.com

E8 Angels | www.e8angels.com