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Contrarian Ventures

Vingrių g. 3D-3, Vilnius, LT-01118, Lithuania

Overview

Contrarian Ventures is the Seed stage VC for the climate generation, mobilising resources for climate action in Europe & Israel with our collaborative, hands-on, founders-first approach. Benefitting from unparalleled levels of engagement with the climate tech community, our platform-based model backs the pioneers building the technology that will become the infrastructure of tomorrow. Given that decades of collective actions got us into the climate mess, we leverage Energy Tech Summit, Energy Tech Challengers and Climate50 to make a collaborative effort to mobilise resources and get humanity back on track to decarbonize the economy. For press inquiries info@cventures.vc

Total investments
33
Lead investments
12
Investments · 12mo
7
Active investors
8

Sector focus

  • Venture Capital
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Investment portfolio

  • Decade Energy

    Participated · Equity · Apr 2026

    Decade Energy develops integrated, zero-CapEx energy infrastructure for logistics depots, combining new grid connections, battery energy storage systems (BESS), EV charging, solar PV and software to optimise energy use. The company finances and operates distributed site-level assets to overcome grid constraints and long connection lead times that hinder truck electrification. It pursues a distributed portfolio approach across many depots to increase long-term asset value and enable predictable rental income while allowing BESS participation in energy markets. Decade Energy has completed over 1,500 depot electrification feasibility studies, advanced more than 100 projects (over 500MW under development), and holds a pipeline of 50 projects slated to begin construction in 2026. With the recent €22M financing, the company plans both a France-focused BESS deployment program and continued development of its energy optimisation software, truck charging and PV products, and international expansion.

  • Delfos Energy

    Participated · Seed · Mar 2026

    Delfos Energy develops applied AI software that ingests live operational data from renewable and other energy infrastructure, detects abnormal behavior, and recommends specific maintenance actions, effectively replicating the judgment of seasoned performance engineers. Its platform already monitors and interprets signals from more than 1,000 energy sites across over 10 countries, providing context, prioritization, and natural-language interfaces such as WhatsApp for easier adoption. Operating since 2017, the company focuses on improving efficiency and reliability of existing energy assets during the energy transition. Unlike conventional monitoring dashboards, Delfos Energy delivers actionable guidance—what to do, when, and why—rather than just alerts. Management plans to use new capital to deepen deployments in key European markets, broaden into adjacent verticals like energy storage, and prepare for eventual U.S. expansion. Delfos Energy has raised €10 million to date, including the latest seed extension.

  • Metafuels

    Participated · Series A · Feb 2026

    Metafuels develops sustainable aviation fuel by converting renewable methanol into drop-in jet fuel using its proprietary methanol-to-jet process, aerobrew. The company is advancing the Turbe project—through subsidiary Metafuels Nederland B.V.—as the first commercial deployment of aerobrew, to be sited at the Evos terminal in the Port of Rotterdam. Metafuels received a €1.92 million grant to fund FEED, permitting, commercial preparation, and activities toward a final investment decision. The company targets initial production from 2030 and positions the Rotterdam facility as a blueprint for future large-scale plants to scale synthetic fuel production in Europe. Metafuels highlights compatibility of its product with existing aircraft and infrastructure and alignment with emerging regulatory frameworks such as ReFuelEU Aviation.

  • altrove AI

    Participated · Seed · Oct 2025

    Altrove AI is a Paris-based deep-tech company whose proprietary platform combines artificial intelligence, automated lab synthesis, and self-learning characterisation to discover new materials in weeks rather than years. The technology has already produced rare-earth-free and cobalt-free magnetic materials for high-performance motors, along with non-toxic, lead-free compounds for sensors and actuators. By reducing dependence on imported resources, the company aims to bolster European industrial sovereignty. Altrove has secured more than a dozen partnerships with major automotive, energy, and heavy-industry players, and it expects the first products to launch within two years. Founded in 2024 by CEO Thibaud Martin and CTO Dr. Joonatan Laulainen, the startup plans to scale production from gram-scale samples to industrial volumes in the same timeframe. Including its latest seed round, Altrove AI has raised $14 million to date, capital earmarked for laboratory expansion, team growth, and production scaling.

  • Bees & Bears

    Led · Seed · Oct 2025

    Founded in Berlin in 2023 by Marius Schondelmaier and Jakob von Egidy, Bees & Bears builds financing infrastructure that embeds point-of-sale loans inside installers’ sales workflows for renewable-energy hardware. Installers upload a customer quote, the platform runs real-time credit checks, and an instalment plan can be approved on the spot—eliminating traditional bank paperwork and accelerating project starts. The service targets the 40 % of German households that a 2024 KfW study says cannot afford climate technologies without instalment options, and it positions local craft installers to compete with large digital platforms that already bundle financing. Beyond residential solar, heat pumps and batteries, the company intends to expand into commercial and industrial segments and to enter additional European markets. In January 2024 it secured a €500 million debt financing framework with a listed European bank, earmarked to fund roughly 25,000 installations over two years. The newly raised seed capital will be used to scale the platform, triple headcount and solidify market share as it pursues its mission of enabling one trillion euros in sustainable financing.

Team

  • Marc Wesselink

    Partner and Co-Founder

    LinkedIn
  • Rokas Peciulaitis

    Founder & Managing Partner

    LinkedIn
  • Iohan Dessard

    Finance and Operations Manager

    LinkedIn
  • Steven Meersman

    Venture Partner

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