Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Bill Gates-backed Type One Energy lands massive seed extension to commercialize fusion power

Fusion startup Type One Energy has pulled in a $53.5m extension to its seed round, led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures with Foxglove Ventures and GD1 taking part, to accelerate its stellarator reactor plans.

Also Forbes Australia

Startups Still See A Future In Familiar Foods Made With Weird Ingredients

Roundup of venture-funded startups reengineering everyday foods with unusual ingredients, detailing recent raises by Onego Bio, Planet A Foods, Savor, Perfect Day, Ripple Foods and Sydney-based Eden Brew.

Data snapshot: From ‘lightning in a box’ to microbial carbon capture, agrifoodtech investment moves upstream in Australia as investors focus on climate mitigation

A data review of 2023's ten largest Australian agrifoodtech raises, topped by Loam Bio's US$73.2 million Series B, showing funding down 33% as capital concentrated in upstream climate-mitigation startups.

5 Interesting Startup Deals You May Have Missed This Year

Year-end Crunchbase column recapping five distinctive 2023 raises: Cortical Labs, Forward, Neura Robotics, KoBold Metals and Living Carbon, with amounts, backers and one stated valuation.

Also TechCrunch Venture

These Are The Most Active And Spendiest Cleantech Investors

Crunchbase data analysis ranking the busiest cleantech investors, led by Lowercarbon Capital, and citing large sustainability rounds at Loam Bio, Our Next Energy, Ohmium and Palmetto Clean Technology.

CommBank plants funding in $220 Series A for climate change investor Wollemi Capital

Wollemi Capital, the Sydney climate investor, has closed a $220m raise, past its initial $100m goal, backed by CBA, Trawalla and others; the article recalls its bets on Loam Bio, Pluton Bio and Pachama.

No bull!@#$: Number 8 Bio lands $1.8 million for animal feed that reduces cow farts

A biotech startup making a methane-cutting cattle feed additive has raised pre-seed capital from four backers, with the piece also recalling recent emissions-focused raises by two other Perth ventures.

Also AgFunderNews·AgFunderNews·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews

Pooptech Startups Are Passing The Smell Test

A survey of waste-management startups covering livestock and human waste ventures, their cumulative funding, Rumin8's January round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and accelerator and corporate partnerships in the sector.

Calix kiln to be used to capture CO2 from the air

Calix's cement and lime decarbonisation subsidiary Leilac has signed an MOU licensing its electric kiln technology to direct air capture firm Heirloom, with both companies' chief executives commenting on the collaboration.

Bill Gates says there are multiple options for reducing livestock emissions

Gates discussed livestock emissions in a Lowy Institute session, recalling his firm Breakthrough Energy Ventures' investment in Western Australian methane-supplement startup Rumin8, and praised Australian agriculture and climate policy.

The week in agrifoodtech: Drive-thru grocery Addie's bags $10m, Bill Gates invests $12m into methane reduction

Weekly agrifoodtech deal roundup: grocery and agtech startups announce new funding rounds, an Australian feed-additive startup lands backing, several acquisitions and a shutdown occur, and a protein fund launches.

Also AgFunderNews

These Aussie startups raised a cool $29 million this week

Weekly roundup covering three Australian raises: Rumin8's climate tech funding led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ferronova's biotech round led by Renew Pharmaceuticals, and EMVision's stroke imaging milestone payment.

Bill Gates, Twiggy invest in methane-reducing feed additive company

WA climate tech firm Rumin8 closed the second phase of its seed round, raising US$12 million from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Harvest Road Group, with existing climate fund investors topping up their holdings.

Also SmartCompany·Techboard

Bill Gates fund invests in Perth startup slashing cow farts in Australian-first

Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the fund led by Bill Gates, took part in a $17.24 million round for Perth climate startup Rumin8, whose cattle feed additives cut methane; Prelude Ventures, Aware Super and Harvest Road also invested.

Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·AgFunderNews·Startup Daily·Startup News (WA)·AgFunderNews·Crunchbase News

The week in agrifoodtech: BigBasket bags $200m, Kodama's forestry funding, more restaurant tech layoffs

Weekly agrifoodtech roundup covering several food and agtech funding rounds, a research grant for Crop One, a grocery delivery partnership, and the closure of Australian startup YourGrocer.

Bill Gates leads $US44m funding round to automate and accelerate solar PV construction

Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Prelude Ventures backed Terabase Energy's Series B, with the article also recalling the fund's earlier investment in air conditioning startup Blue Frontier.

Rio Tinto joins Gates to back renewable hydrogen startup as miners look to future tech

Mining major Rio Tinto has joined Bill Gates' fund and other industrial and cleantech backers in a US$198 million Series B for hydrogen electrolyser developer Electric Hydrogen; Fortescue's electrolyser investments are also noted.

Iron air battery backed by Bezos and Gates promises storage at fraction of cost

Form Energy unveiled its iron-air long-duration battery and announced a $US200 million Series D led by ArcelorMittal's XCarb fund, which invested $US25 million; earlier backers include Bezos, Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Macquarie Capital.

How long-duration energy storage will accelerate the renewable energy transition

Opinion piece by Hydrostor and Energy Estate executives arguing compressed air storage can serve Australia's grid, citing Hydrostor's financing round with Meridiam, its Broken Hill project, and overseas storage investments.

Bill Gates backs $1/kg green hydrogen water splitter technology

Israeli green hydrogen startup H2Pro has closed a US$22 million Series A2 round led by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures alongside Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe and IN Venture, backing its efficient water-splitting technology.

Bill Gates and Richard Branson have their sights on the mining sector — and investment opportunities for startups abound

Analysis arguing tech billionaires' funds are investing in mining startups, citing past backing of KoBold Metals and Lilac Solutions, and urging Australian junior miners to position for this interest.

Holy grail of big batteries – first pilot for Gates-backed battery with 150 hours storage

A US utility will pilot Gates-backed Form Energy's long-duration aqueous air flow battery, promising 150 hours of grid storage, with Australian-linked backers and solar players mentioned.