• Giraffe Financial

  Led · Seed · Jun 2024

  Giraffe Financial is an AI-powered, end-to-end tax preparation service that streamlines discovery, claiming, and monetization of IRA tax credits for small- and medium-sized businesses and tax-exempt organizations. The platform offers step-by-step guidance on eligibility and compliance, and supports credits such as the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit (45W), Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit (30C), and the Investment Tax Credit (48). Giraffe targets underserved Direct Pay entities (local governments, schools, nonprofits) and private-sector partners to make credits accessible without large in-house tax teams. The company works with customers and partners including Cummins, Butte Valley Unified School District, XCharge, EVC Holdings, and several EV charging providers. Giraffe was spun out of the Momentum X climate finance venture studio and its team reports having deployed over $20 billion in advanced transportation and manufacturing capital. The startup recently closed a $1.5 million pre-seed round and is backed by Momentum and Skyview Ventures.

• Optiwatt

  Participated · Series A · Nov 2023

  Optiwatt is a consumer energy optimization app and operating system headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Led by CEO Casey Donahue, the company operates a telematics-based home energy analytics platform and runs a large EV managed-charging fleet with over 70,000 vehicles connected, alongside a growing network of thermostats. Optiwatt partners with a variety of North American utilities to develop localized solutions for charging sustainability. The product set targets residential EV charging and broader home energy management. The company closed a $7M Series A and intends to use the funds to expand operations and development efforts.

• ConnectDER

  Participated · Series C · May 2023

  ConnectDER develops meter-socket hardware that accelerates interconnection of solar, battery storage, and EV charging by turning the meter socket into an all-in-one connection point. The company’s next-generation Meter Socket Adapter (MSA), the IslandDER™, enables seamless islanding of solar, batteries, EVs and other DERs to provide whole-home backup and resiliency. Its products install in minutes and are marketed as costing 10% or less than typical service-panel or utility interconnect upgrades, addressing an estimated U.S. market where 60 million homes lack capacity for solar or EV charging without costly upgrades. ConnectDER reports over 25,000 adapters in operation and approvals to sell in more than 20 states covering over 16 million households. The company has public endorsements from partners such as Blue Raven Solar and is positioning its offerings to simplify installations, reduce errors, and expand entry-level installer jobs. ConnectDER plans to use new capital to expand markets, scale manufacturing, and continue product innovation aimed at nationwide sales in the next few years. ConnectDER develops meter-collar technology that provides a low-cost, one-hour install in a single device to upgrade residential electric power systems for grid-ready solar photovoltaic integration regardless of a home’s age or amperage. The solution enables installations without complex and expensive upgrades to circuit-breaker panels or in-home wiring and without adding more amperage from the utility. ConnectDER’s product can be optimized to offer connections for electric vehicle chargers and backup power systems in the near future. Led by founder and CEO Whit Fulton and based in Philadelphia, the company is already operating in 17 states and has deployed over 15,000 units nationally to date. ConnectDER plans to use new funding to scale its existing solar adapter into new markets, launch a new EV product line, and develop a next-generation product suite for multi-asset electrification and integration. ConnectDER's flagship product, the Smart ConnectDER meter collar, turns the utility meter socket into a grid-ready, plug-and-play interface for residential solar, storage and EV charging. The meter collar enables rapid interconnection of grid-ready DERs, provides superior data to utilities, and offers a low-cost alternative to traditional wiring methods. The technology lowers installer costs while unlocking alternative tariff models and grid management capabilities for utilities. Utilities including Consolidated Edison, Arizona Public Service, Entergy, and Pennsylvania Power and Light deploy ConnectDER's solution. The company said it will use new capital to scale operations and supply chain and to enhance core solutions for energy storage and other fast-growing residential applications across North America. ConnectDER expects to launch several new products beginning with Smart ConnectDER Version 4 at DISTRIBUTECH. ConnectDER builds a meter collar hardware product that reduces upfront installation costs for rooftop solar and gives electric utilities real-time management over distributed energy assets. The device is designed to let residential solar connect to the grid cheaply, safely, and rapidly while avoiding home wall penetrations. The company says widespread deployment would cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce environmental damage from fossil fuel extraction and combustion, and decrease reliance on government subsidies. ConnectDER’s solution also aims to enable highly managed distributed energy assets and boost grid resiliency. The company closed a $1.1M Series A, providing early-stage capital to advance commercialization and deployment. The funding was supported by a collaboration between PRIME Coalition and Investors' Circle and several philanthropic and impact-minded angel backers.

• New Sun Road

  Led · Series A · May 2023

  New Sun Road is a for-profit public benefit company that builds, remotely operates, and optimizes distributed solar and microgrid systems using advanced analytics, AI, and remote monitoring. Its proprietary algorithms and predictive maintenance tools are designed to maximize output, minimize downtime, and manage fleets of systems. The company currently remotely operates over 900 stand-alone power systems and has deployments in more than 20 countries. With the Series A funding, New Sun Road plans to accelerate commercialization, expand its customer base, and scale operations across utility power, telecommunications, and microgrid deployments. Management also intends to invest in operational infrastructure and strategic partnerships to enable use cases such as EV charging optimization, aggregated grid services, and load management to increase renewable energy usage. The company emphasizes delivering cost-effective electricity and improving reliability for underserved communities while reducing wildfire risk.

• e-Mission Control

  Led · Series A · Jun 2022

  e-Mission Control designs, manages, and executes electricity consumption data platforms and services for on- and off-road vehicle fleet operators. Its technology platforms combine data collection and tracking, operational efficiency, transparency, and customer support. The company focuses on clean fuel programs across California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia and partners with owners and operators of zero-emission vehicles and equipment at airports, seaports, retailers, grocers, manufacturers, campuses, distribution facilities and municipalities. Founded in 2019 as a subsidiary of Momentum and led by CEO Todd Trauman, e-Mission Control is headquartered in Sacramento, CA. The company intends to use new funding to accelerate growth, expand operations and broaden its business reach along the West Coast and beyond.

No current team members are available.