Imagine you’re a founder who has developed a groundbreaking technology for producing hydrogen faster and cheaper than anyone else. You’ve successfully raised millions of dollars to prove its efficacy, and now it’s time to build a commercial-scale plant – a daunting task for many climate tech startups.
Enter Prime Coalition with their new program, Trellis Climate, aimed at helping startups bridge the financial gap in the critical middle stages of growth.
Unlike traditional venture capital firms, Prime Coalition combines investments with philanthropic initiatives to support high-impact climate projects. Trellis Climate focuses on providing funding where traditional sources fall short.
Lara Pierpoint, director of Trellis Climate, noted the increasing interest of philanthropists in addressing climate change, emphasizing the importance of exploring new, high-impact ideas with philanthropic dollars.
For climate tech founders, this philanthropic funding offers a valuable opportunity amidst the myriad funding options available. While early-stage funding is abundant, scaling proven technologies poses a challenge due to a gap in funding at the middle stage.
Through initiatives like Trellis Climate, Prime Coalition aims to catalyze climate innovation by attracting infrastructure investors willing to take on some level of risk to support impactful projects. The program has already made investments in startups like Ample Carbon and Ebb Carbon, which focus on innovative carbon capture and storage solutions.
