Participated · Series A · Feb 2023

ChargerHelp! provides operations, maintenance and workforce development for the electric vehicle charging industry through an app-based dispatch and deployment system that enables on-demand repairs and maintenance by trained local workforces. Led by CEO Kameale C. Terry and based in Los Angeles, the company addresses industrywide problems of downed charging stations. Early last year ChargerHelp! launched Reliability as a Service (RaaS), a labor subscription service that supports charging station owners and operators. The company intends to use its new funding to build out the EMPWR reliability software platform. ChargerHelp! also plans to expand its RaaS offering and grow its workforce development programs. The Series A proceeds are intended to scale both the software and service sides of its operations and maintenance business. ChargerHelp operates an on-demand repair app and preventative maintenance service for electric vehicle charging stations, dispatching trained technicians to diagnose and fix non-electrical issues. The company works directly with charging manufacturers and network providers and has landed contracts with customers including EV Connect, ABB and SparkCharge. ChargerHelp uses a workforce-development hiring model, recruiting cohorts, training technicians (paid stipends and safety licenses) and paying full-time technicians a guaranteed $30/hour plus equity. It has run pilots with Tellus Power, raised about $400,000 in grant funding, and trained and deployed technicians across six states. The startup planned to use new funding to build out its platform, hire beyond its 27-person workforce and expand its service area. ChargerHelp was founded in January 2020 and is based in Los Angeles.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2022

Cleartrace is an Austin-based carbon and energy management software company that provides 100% traceable, actionable hourly energy and carbon records. Its platform surfaces previously unseen energy data for renewable energy buyers and suppliers and enables load-matched renewable energy purchases or sales. The product is targeted at real estate owners, investors, data centers, and renewable energy suppliers, and is used to provide auditable, assurance-ready proof of decarbonization. Cleartrace counts customers and partners including JPMorgan Chase, Iron Mountain, Brookfield Properties, NextEra, and Brookfield Renewable, and has been selected to support decarbonization at major sites such as Iron Mountain’s U.S. data centers and One Manhattan West. The company emphasizes standardized, validated hourly carbon-intensity data to help clients report, comply with local environmental policies, and demonstrate achievement of decarbonization goals. ClearTrace offers an automated energy and carbon accounting platform that provides auditable, around-the-clock monitoring of energy generation and consumption. Its platform creates verifiable digital records and can track third-party energy supply, power purchase agreements, demand response, and behind-the-meter assets. ClearTrace uses cloud technology to digitize the energy supply chain and deliver granular, high-fidelity, real-time carbon impact data. The company targets multinational corporations, financial services firms, real estate holding companies, and competitive energy suppliers, and cites customers including JPMorgan Chase and Brookfield Renewable. ClearTrace recently rebranded from swytchX and plans to accelerate market adoption and deploy additional market-driven solutions. It raised $4 million in Series A financing to support that growth.

Participated · Seed · Mar 2021

Dynamhex offers software that delivers energy consumption and carbon footprint data to corporate, utility and government clients. Its platform aggregates and presents metrics to help organizations measure and manage emissions and energy use. The company targets customers that need granular energy and environmental data to meet climate or regulatory goals. Dynamhex was founded in 2019 by Sanwar Sunny, a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Baltimore. In 2024 the company raised a $1.5 million seed round to support growth. The financing included investments from regional and climate-focused funds as well as strategic investors.

Participated · Series D · Jun 2013

Cool Planet develops and markets Engineered Biocarbon™ technology products aimed at improving soil health. Its first commercial product, Cool Terra®, is a carbon-negative soil amendment designed to improve soil performance for plant growth and quality. The company serves hundreds of customers across conventional and organic growers, city park departments, professional sports teams, universities, and golf courses, including several that have hosted PGA Tour Championships. Cool Planet closed an additional $20.3M of new investment and note conversion as an extension of its previously announced Series A. The financing is led by existing investors Agustín Coppel and North Bridge Venture Partners. The company plans to use the proceeds to increase Cool Terra production, construct a commercial production facility in Alexandria, LA as its manufacturing hub (with production expected in summer 2019), invest in R&D and commercialization of Engineered Biocarbon into animal nutrition, biologicals, and early-plant establishment, and bring additional products to market. Cool Planet develops engineered biocarbon products, including Cool Terra for improving crop yields and sequestering carbon and Cool Fauna for animal health and nutrition applications. The company’s biomass conversion technology can also be enhanced to produce hydrocarbon renewable transportation fuels chemically identical to those from crude oil. Cool Planet serves customers across agriculture, landscape, turf, nursery and ornamental markets. It is led by President and CEO Jim Loar and was founded in 2009. Financially, the company closed a $19.3M Series A and note conversion and has raised nearly $30M in the last 18 months. The new proceeds are intended to commercialize Cool Terra and Cool Fauna. Cool Planet was founded in 2009 and is focused on deploying its proprietary Cool Terra® engineered biocarbon platform to improve soil health while sequestering carbon. The Cool Terra product retains water and nutrients at the root zone, nurtures soil microbial life, and is targeted at agriculture, landscape, turf, nursery and ornamental markets. The company says Cool Terra is now in commercial deployment and has signed development and distribution partnerships with J.R. Simplot and Triangle Chemical Company. Cool Planet has invested in a large public and private commercial trial initiative to accelerate adoption of the biocarbon category. Management has emphasized converting 2016 momentum into greater commercial success in 2017 and beyond, and the agricultural subsidiary promoted Jim Loar to president & CEO. The company also historically produced engineered biocarbon and renewable, carbon-negative fuel from biomass but is currently focused on the Cool Terra agricultural business. Cool Planet develops technologies to create green fuels and biocarbon, including CoolTerra™, a soil amendment that retains water and nutrients, increases crop productivity, and sequesters carbon. The company says its green fuels are chemically identical to fossil fuels and that its process is capable of being carbon-negative. CoolTerra™ is being commercialized for agriculture and water conservation and is positioned to reduce fertilizer and water needs while maintaining or improving production. Cool Planet holds a broad portfolio of pending and granted patents and cites strategic investors such as BP, Google Ventures, the Constellation division of Exelon, and Energy Technology Ventures. The company closed an additional internal financing round with current investors to advance its biocarbon technology and provide growth capital to develop the market for CoolTerra™. It hired James Loar to lead the biocarbon business and further develop market and sales efforts. Cool Planet continues to pursue parallel plans to deploy its carbon-negative fuel technology. Cool Planet commercializes a process that produces green fuels chemically identical to fossil fuels and a biochar product, CoolTerra™, that can make the fuel carbon negative. The company sells CoolTerra™ for agricultural use and has begun commercial agreements, including one with Organic Waste Solutions for water treatment and remediation. Cool Planet broke ground on its first biofuel production facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, expected to produce 10 million gallons per year of renewable fuel and gasoline blendstocks plus CoolTerra™. The business model favors small-scale facilities located close to biomass sources to lower capital costs and compete with traditional oil. Cool Planet holds a portfolio of pending and granted patents and reports growing international interest in deploying its technology in China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The company has attracted strategic and venture investors including BP, Google Ventures, and Energy Technology Ventures as it moves to scale production and commercialization.