Prelude Ventures is a San Francisco venture capital firm founded in the early 2010s, dedicated to channeling capital and expertise into startups fighting climate change. With a belief that climate is everything, the firm has backed more than 150 companies across North America. Its typical investments range from $1 million to $20 million, tailored to support founders from seed through growth stages. Beyond financing, Prelude Ventures offers strategic guidance drawn from deep industry experience and a network of climate-focused experts. The team’s background spans engineering, finance and policy, ensuring a blend of technical and business insights for portfolio companies.
The firm concentrates on sectors that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including energy, mobility, food and agriculture, the built environment, carbon management, advanced manufacturing and compute. It deploys capital through early- to growth-stage rounds, customizing support to each company’s development phase. Prelude Ventures looks for ventures demonstrating the ability to scale operations, achieve meaningful decarbonization and deliver market viability. Portfolio support extends to tactical planning, partnership development and navigating regulatory frameworks, all aimed at accelerating each company’s path to impact.
Within clean technology and battery innovations, Prelude Ventures has invested in companies such as Element Energy, which develops adaptive battery management systems for large-format energy storage and electric vehicles. The firm is also an early backer of QuantumScape’s solid-state lithium-metal batteries, aiming to boost energy density and safety in electric transportation. In addition, Prelude supports Aluminio’s specialty aluminum foils that replace critical battery components, addressing cost and sustainability in lithium-ion production. The portfolio further includes investments in Form Energy’s multi-day storage solutions, highlighting Prelude’s interest in long-duration grid technology. These investments reflect Prelude Ventures’ focus on driving advancements that can scale global decarbonization efforts.
