Breakthrough Energy launched in 2015 by Bill Gates alongside investors including Jeff Bezos, Marc Benioff, Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Ma, operates from Kirkland, Washington. This global effort supports the development and widespread adoption of technologies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand access to affordable clean power. Collaborating with researchers, entrepreneurs and public agencies, Breakthrough Energy works to lower costs, overcome technical barriers and foster market readiness needed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Investments are managed through Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst. Ventures oversees over $3.5 billion in committed capital, is raising its third fund targeting $839 million, and backs more than 110 companies at stages from seed through growth with a patient, multi-decade approach. Catalyst has assembled over $1 billion in grants and venture debt to finance demonstration projects in cooperation with partners such as the European Investment Bank and the U.S. Department of Energy. Investment sectors include electricity generation, transportation, manufacturing, buildings and food and agriculture.
Breakthrough Energy devotes significant resources to energy storage and other clean innovations. Recent commitments include a $20 million grant for iron-air battery installations, a €60 million combined grant and debt package for a CO₂-based battery system and €75 million for thermal energy storage facilities. Ventures and Catalyst also invest in long-duration storage, green hydrogen production, direct air capture and sustainable aviation fuels. A core goal is to narrow cost differences between these emerging solutions and conventional alternatives, supporting technologies that can scale to gigaton-level emission reductions.
