Volo Earth Ventures Research
Investment Thesis
Volo Earth Ventures is a specialized climate technology venture capital firm focused on accelerating the global energy transition through first-in funding and hands-on operational leadership. The firm invests in companies unlocking an economic-led transformation of the rapidly-evolving global energy economy. Founded by experienced energy entrepreneurs and technologists, Volo Earth combines deep domain expertise in energy systems with venture capital discipline to identify and scale solutions that win on unsubsidized economics.
The firm's investment philosophy centers on companies that can achieve both financial returns and measurable climate impact. They believe the best climate solutions are those that offer compelling economic value propositions independent of subsidies, ensuring long-term sustainability and global scalability. Volo Earth serves as both capital provider and operational partner, leveraging the team's extensive experience in energy, climate policy, and scaling cleantech companies.
Sector Focus & Investment Areas
Volo Earth Ventures specializes in four interconnected sectors of the energy transition:
Energy Sector: Building reliable, resilient, and connected energy systems based on low-carbon generation and storage technologies. Portfolio includes renewable energy infrastructure (geothermal, solar optimization), energy storage (batteries, thermal storage), grid optimization software, and critical minerals recycling.
Mobility Sector: Sustainable transportation technology and business models connecting people through physical and digital solutions. Investments span electric vehicle charging infrastructure, battery technology (lithium-ion alternatives), EV powertrains for heavy-duty applications, and sustainable aviation fuels.
Buildings Sector: Smart, net-zero buildings and construction processes optimizing real estate financial and energy performance. Portfolio includes building envelope improvements, HVAC decarbonization, sustainable building materials, construction automation, and home electrification platforms.
Industry Sector: Industrial decarbonization through materials science, energy efficiency, and transportation advancements. Investments include sustainable concrete production, advanced manufacturing processes, supply chain optimization, and circular economy solutions.
Stage Focus & Check Size
Volo Earth Ventures positions itself as a first-in funder focused on early-stage companies with proven technology and initial traction. Based on portfolio analysis and recent activity:
Stage Preferences: Primarily Seed and Series A, with selective Pre-Seed investments in exceptional technical founders with proven domain expertise.
Check Size Range: $500K - $5M typical range based on portfolio analysis
- Seed rounds: $1M - $3M
- Series A participation: $3M - $8M+
- Fund II ($135M) indicates capacity for larger follow-on investments
The firm maintains significant reserves for follow-on investments in successful portfolio companies, as evidenced by their participation in later-stage rounds.
Lead Tendency
Volo Earth Ventures demonstrates a strong lead tendency in their portfolio companies. Recent activity shows the firm frequently leads seed and Series A rounds, positioning them as primary investors rather than followers. Examples include:
- Led seed rounds in multiple energy companies
- Led or co-led Series A investments (Banyan Infrastructure: $8.2M Series A led by Volo)
- Takes board seats and operational advisory roles, indicating conviction and lead-round positioning
Recent Activity & Fund Status
Fund II Raise: September 2025 - Volo Earth closed Fund II at $135 million, representing 50% growth from Fund I ($88M, closed 2020). This demonstrates strong investor confidence despite challenging climate tech fundraising environment.
Fund Status: Actively deploying from Fund II as of December 2025. Recent activity includes:
- June 2025: XGS Energy (Fund II portfolio company) announced partnership with Meta to build 150 MW geothermal power plant in northwestern U.S.
- Series A investments continuing through Q4 2025
- Portfolio company exits and exits from Fund I validated the thesis
Portfolio Scale: 36 active portfolio companies across 2 funds with 180+ pipeline channels indicating strong sourcing and engagement network.
Notable Recent Deployment: Investment in companies like Headroom (formerly Archetype), founded by Palantir alumni, demonstrates targeting of exceptional founding teams and deep software/operations expertise.
Portfolio Company Highlights
The portfolio spans 36 companies across all four focus areas:
Energy Sector Notable Companies:
- XGS Energy (geothermal, scaling technology for Meta partnership)
- Veckta (distributed energy platform)
- Wattch (energy monitoring and analytics)
- Skyven Technologies (thermal energy reuse)
- Daanaa (wireless energy transfer)
- Gaiascope (grid optimization)
- HEVO (wireless EV charging)
- Traxen (fleet optimization)
Mobility Sector Notable Companies:
- BattGenie (battery software and testing)
- Salient Energy (zinc-ion batteries)
- Sepion Technologies (lithium metal anodes)
- Pronoia (physics-based energy storage)
- Sylvatex (sustainable battery cathode materials)
- Heimdal CCU (direct air capture with hydrogen)
Buildings Sector Notable Companies:
- BlocPower (urban clean energy retrofits)
- Blue Frontier (ultra-efficient air conditioning)
- Cambium Carbon (sustainable timber supply chain)
- Calicat (green hydrogen electrolyzers)
- Reframe Systems (prefabricated sustainable construction)
- ZERO (home electrification marketplace)
Industry Sector Notable Companies:
- AICrete (AI-optimized sustainable concrete)
- Magrathea Metals (seawater magnesium production)
- Nth Cycle (critical minerals recycling)
- Ion Storage Systems (graphite-free batteries)
- Loamist (bio-waste feedstock platform)
- Pearl Street Technologies (power grid modeling)
Known Exits: BlocPower acquisition represents successful exit demonstrating viable market dynamics for climate tech companies.
Team & Leadership
Volo Earth Ventures is led by experienced energy entrepreneurs and technologists with deep domain expertise:
Co-Founders & Managing Partners:
- Kareem Dabbagh: Co-founder, Managing Partner. Background in solar sector scaling (SolarCity/Tesla, Sunrun, Aurora Solar). Subject matter expert in renewable energy, storage, grids, and electricity markets. Mentor with CleanTech Open.
- Joseph Goodman, PhD: Co-founder, Managing Partner. 20+ years in energy transition industry. Three-time company founder. Former GE Energy (carbon capture, decarbonization roadmap). Expert in wind, solar, fuel cells, buildings, EVs, industrial decarbonization. Supported private and public market climate investments since 2015.
- Eric Riesenberg: Co-founder, Managing Partner, Chief Financial Officer. 20 years of fund investment experience. CPA & CGMA. Previously launched and scaled multiple businesses (500+ employees, 22X growth, ~$500M private equity transactions). CEO mentor in network.
Additional Key Leadership:
- Robert Harding: Co-founder, General Counsel (Chief Legal Officer). 20+ years startup and VC legal experience. Founder of Harding Law serving cleantech clients. Expert in business law, contracts, multi-million dollar licensing negotiations with Fortune 500.
- Elaine Hsieh: Partner, Chief Operating Officer. 20+ years energy innovation experience. Former Senior Advisor to U.S. Department of Energy (Infrastructure investments under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act). Co-founder of RMI's Third Derivative climate tech accelerator. Led Generate Capital relaunch (2020). VERGE/GreenBiz conference leadership. B.S. Biomedical Engineering, M.S. Engineering Management from Duke.
- Nicole Lombardo: Venture Partner. 20+ years product management and go-to-market. Former Google (Project Sunroof, Environmental Insights Explorer - UNFCCC Climate Change award). Senior roles at Google, Intel, SolarCity, Oracle. Fortune 100 and startup experience.
- Erin Sawyer, MBA: Venture Partner. 15+ years supply chain and EV technology. Former VP Supply Chain at Wrightspeed (electric heavy-duty powertrains). Former Group Manager Core Technologies at Tesla (sourcing strategy, commodities).
- Brett Clarke: Investment Associate. Responsible for top-of-funnel, investment diligence, market research. Joined at $10M AUM stage. Managing internal screening and due diligence software. Carbon accounting expertise. Teach For America alumni, nonprofit founder.
Board Advisors & Founder Advisors:
- Amory Lovins: Advisor, legendary sustainability thinker. Co-founder Rocky Mountain Institute. Time's 100 most influential people. Right Livelihood Award winner.
- Tom Werner: Advisor. Former Chair & CEO of SunPower Corp. Board positions at FLO, H2U Technologies, Wolfspeed. Multiple board memberships (Silicon Valley Leadership Group, CALSSA, Marquette University).
- Martin Whittaker: Advisor. 30+ years sustainable business and impact investing. Founding CEO of JUST Capital. NACD Directorship 100 (2020). Business Insider 100 Transforming Business.
- David Vogel: Founding Advisor. Data scientist renowned for public equity modeling. Heritage Health Prize (2013), multiple KDD Cup wins.
Geographic Focus
Based on portfolio company locations and fund activity, Volo Earth operates with primary focus on the United States, particularly:
- Colorado (headquarters location, significant presence)
- California/Silicon Valley (tech concentration)
- Pacific Northwest (Seattle area - BattGenie lab presence, Austin operations)
- NYC metro and other major U.S. innovation hubs
Decision Process
Volo Earth Ventures operates as a partnership-based decision model with:
- Co-founder/Managing Partners (Dabbagh, Goodman, Riesenberg) driving core investment decisions
- Operating Partners (Hsieh, Lombardo) providing strategic guidance
- Venture Partners (Sawyer, Lombardo) contributing specialized expertise
- Investment Associates (Clarke) managing pipeline and initial diligence
- Board of Advisors providing strategic input on sector-specific opportunities
The team demonstrates collaborative decision-making with deep operator involvement post-investment, rather than passive financial investment model.
Decision Timeline
Based on portfolio scale (36 companies across two funds) and operational partnership model, estimated decision timeline:
- Initial screening: 1-2 weeks
- Investment committee review: 2-3 weeks
- Diligence phase: 4-8 weeks depending on company maturity
- Total timeline: 8-12 weeks from initial pitch to investment decision
Fast timeline justified by founding team's operational backgrounds and pattern recognition from extensive climate tech experience.
Warm Introduction Preference
Volo Earth Ventures prefers warm introductions through their extensive network:
- 180+ pipeline channels indicate structured relationship building
- Partners serve on boards, speak at industry events, active in climate tech ecosystem
- Website explicitly states "Reach out to us with your ideas" but structured sourcing preferred
- Connections through Third Derivative (Elaine Hsieh co-founder), Rocky Mountain Institute, CleanTech Open, and industry advisory networks strongest pathway
Typical Involvement Post-Investment
Volo Earth Ventures takes active board and operational advisory roles in portfolio companies:
- Board seats or observer rights common (stated as standard practice)
- Operational partnership model emphasized on website
- "Hands-on leadership" provided to portfolio companies
- Team members serve in advisory capacities across portfolio
- Access to founder network, regulatory expertise (Elaine Hsieh's DOE connections), and industry relationships
Founder Preferences
Volo Earth Ventures targets experienced technical founders with:
- Deep domain expertise in energy transition
- Prior startup or scaling experience (especially from energy/climate sector)
- Proven ability to execute and commercialize technology
- Understanding of regulatory and economic landscapes
- Commitment to achievable climate impact alongside financial returns
Evidence: Portfolio includes founders from SolarCity/Tesla, Palantir, Google, Sunrun, GE, and previous climate tech companies.
Anti-Thesis
Based on portfolio and thesis, Volo Earth does not invest in:
- Solutions dependent on subsidies or policy support for economics
- Consumer-facing climate solutions without B2B scalability
- Regulatory arbitrage plays without technology differentiation
- Non-core energy transition areas outside four focus sectors
- Teams lacking deep sector expertise or operational experience
Notable Portfolio Exits & Outcomes
- BlocPower: Acquired (providing environmental and financial returns)
- XGS Energy: Scaling (150 MW geothermal project with Meta demonstrates commercial validation)
- Banyan Infrastructure: Series A completion ($8.2M) indicates successful seed to Series A progression
Impact Reporting & Measurement
Volo Earth Ventures demonstrates strong commitment to impact measurement:
- Published 2024 Impact Report documenting portfolio carbon reduction impact
- Internal carbon accounting system managed by Investment Associates
- Global carbon reduction impact quantification across portfolio
- Impact metrics integral to investment thesis (not add-on)
Fund Information
Fund I (2020): $88 million - Deployed into 18+ companies demonstrating viable climate tech thesis
Fund II (September 2025): $135 million - 50% larger fund, closed during challenging venture climate, indicates strong LP conviction
Total AUM: $223 million across 2 funds, 36 portfolio companies
Fund Status: Actively deploying Fund II through 2025-2026
Investor Base: Institutional and individual investors including:
- Voloridge Investment Management
- Carbon Equity
- Morgan Stanley Graystone
- Family offices
- Climate-focused impact investors
Key Strengths & Differentiators
- Founding team domain expertise: Rare combination of energy system expertise (GE, renewable energy companies, grid operators) with venture capital experience
- Operational partnership model: Goes far beyond capital, providing operational guidance and connections
- Four-sector focus: Interconnected approach to energy transition vs. single-sector specialists
- Unsubsidized economics focus: Filters for durable business models with true market demand
- Exit proof points: BlocPower acquisition validates thesis and demonstrates viable exit opportunities
- Policy expertise: Elaine Hsieh's DOE connections and BIL/IRA knowledge valuable for portfolio companies
- Advisory network: Board includes industry legends (Amory Lovins, Tom Werner, Martin Whittaker)
- Impact measurement: Integrated carbon impact accounting from day one
Positioning in Market
Volo Earth Ventures positions as lead investors for early-stage climate tech companies with:
- Technology and market validation (past MVP stage)
- Strong technical or business founding teams
- Solutions addressing core energy transition challenges
- Potential for global scale and 10x+ returns
- Alignment on impact alongside financial returns
Not a generalist venture fund; not a climate-only early accelerator. Positioned as dedicated climate tech investor with operational expertise and hands-on support model.