Barclays Climate Ventures

Rearview shot of an handsome male farmer and his two kids on their farm

Our Barclays Climate Ventures portfolio, led by Barclays’ Principal Investments team, has a mandate to invest up to £500m of equity capital in climate-tech start-ups between 2020 and 2027, helping to accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon economy.

We firmly believe that innovation is key to tackling climate change and we are committed to supporting transformative change by investing our own capital in entrepreneurial companies. 

Through this portfolio, we aim to fill growth stage funding gaps to help accelerate and scale catalytic and strategic solutions to environmental challenges, with an enhanced focus on decarbonisation technologies that are enabling transition within carbon intensive sectors.

Since launch in 2020, our investments have supported many aspects of climate-tech innovation, from property retrofit solutions to long-duration energy storage and hydrogen technologies. We have invested £166m in over 20 innovative companies as at H1 2024.

The investment mandate was increased from £175m to £500m in December 2022, reflecting success to date.  

Our progress

£166m 

invested into over 20 innovative climate technology companies as at H1 2024, through our Barclays Climate Ventures mandate to invest up to £500m of our own capital by 2027.

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Stephen Poulter

“Our approach is centred on engagement and moving beyond simply deploying capital. By providing access to Barclays’ expertise and our client base, we look to help accelerate the speed at which these companies can scale their tech, and therefore generate returns. There are now over 20 climate tech companies, ranging from property retrofit solutions to long-duration energy storage and hydrogen technologies, who are receiving both capital and tailored support from Barclays Climate Ventures.”

Steven Poulter, Head of Barclays Climate Ventures

Our investments

80 Acres farm

80 Acres Farms

80 Acres Farm is addressing the challenges of sustainability and food security by growing food with vertical farming technology. This uses 99% less land and 97% less water than traditional farming but provides 300 times more yield.

https://www.80acresfarms.com/

Line of terraced homes.

AirEx

AirEx is a fast-growing cleantech start-up, which delivers the first smart airbrick technology in the UK, helping homeowners improve air quality whilst also reducing their energy bills, and accelerating the decarbonisation of the UK housing sector.

https://www.airex.tech/

AEM

Advanced Electric Machines

Advanced Electric Machines design and build sustainable Electric Motors, using technologies which remove the need for polluting rare earth metals, for use in Electric Vehicles.

https://advancedelectricmachines.com/

Agricarbon

Agricarbon

Agricarbon is enabling the growth of regenerative agricultural practices by scaling the direct measurement of soil carbon globally.

https://agricarbon.co.uk/

Air Protein

Air Protein

Air Protein is crafting the world's first air meats, turning elements in the air into sustainable proteins with a novel carbon-negative process inspired by NASA. This company's aim is to feed the planet's growing population with meat made from air that eliminates the compromise between taste, nutrition and climate threat.

https://www.airprotein.com/

Brill Power

Brill Power

Brill Power’s mission is to harness the potential in novel battery management systems. Their technology improves performance and reduces costs of ownership of stationary & motive power batteries, as an enabling and sustainable technology for society. 

https://brillpower.com/

Econcrete

ECOncrete

ECOncrete Tech is a pioneering start-up delivering high-performance ecological concrete technologies. ECOncrete‘s innovative concrete technology enhances marine and coastal infrastructure by inducing the formation of bio-habitats, while preserving functional and structural properties.

https://econcretetech.com/

Echion - data testing cells

Echion Technologies

Echion Technologies supplies its world-leading niobium-based anode material, XNO®, to cell manufacturers looking to build lithium-ion batteries for heavy-duty vehicles, offering market-leading safety, cycle-life, and fast-charging capabilities.

https://www.echiontech.com/

ELM mobility van

ELM Mobility

ELM Mobility’s vision is to be the leader in zero-emission last mile transport. ELM is focussed on reducing the cost and energy use per delivery and the impact that last mile logistics has on our cities.

https://www.elmmobility.com/

Energy Dome

Energy Dome

Energy Dome is an energy storage technology company that fights climate change using CO2 as part of the solution to accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy.

https://energydome.com/

GeoPura

GeoPura

UK green hydrogen pioneer GeoPura is scaling up to replace fossil fuels with zero-emission alternatives. Its replacing traditional diesel generators with its world leading Hydrogen Power Unit (HPU) technology, with plans to grow the use of hydrogen into other hard-to-decarbonise areas of our energy system to support decarbonisation goals.

https://www.geopura.com/

Analyzinf samples

HT Materials Science

HT Materials Science is the developer of Maxwell™, an innovative heat transfer fluid that reduces energy consumption in commercial buildings by up to 15%.

https://htmaterialsscience.com/

Naked energy

Naked Energy

Naked Energy is a British solar tech developer of world-leading solar thermal tubes, which are three to four times more efficient than traditional solar panels.

https://nakedenergy.com/

Nuada

Nuada

Nuada is a vertically integrated carbon capture company that is poised to decarbonise heavy industries through its next generation technology. The company builds energy-efficient CO2 filtration machines that enable industrial emitters to decarbonise in a cost-effective manner. 

https://nuadaco2.com/

Origami

Origami

Origami is using state-of-the-art smart technology to help companies utilise green energy, and therefore harness the opportunities provided by the global transition away from fossil fuels towards net zero. 

https://www.origamienergy.com/

Protium

Protium

Protium is a green hydrogen energy company that provides end-to-end net zero energy solutions for specific end customers with net zero ambitions. It does this by designing, developing, financing, owning, and operating green hydrogen and renewable energy infrastructure assets.

https://protium.green/

Responsible

RESPONSIBLE

RESPONSIBLE is a technology company that exists to fight for a circular future. Founded in 2021, the company is on a mission to help solve fashion’s sustainability problem with a new premium take on reCommerce that will open the category to end-customers and brands alike.

https://www.responsible.us/

https://www.savemoneycutcarbon.com/

SaveMoneyCutCarbon

SaveMoneyCutCarbon is a digital aggregator, providing a unique marketplace focused on sustainability. Offering cost-effective products and solutions to businesses and consumers seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and be more sustainable.

https://www.savemoneycutcarbon.com/

Sunswap

Sunswap

Sunswap is a clean technology company that is accelerating the efforts of the logistics industry to reduce its CO2 emissions by offering a fully electric, zero-emission alternative to diesel-powered transport refrigeration units used for transporting chilled and frozen goods.

https://sunswap.co.uk/

Sustainable Ventures

Sustainable Ventures

Sustainable Ventures helps climate startups and entrepreneurs scale through investment, workspaces and venture support: from beermat to exit. It is home to the largest climate tech hub in Europe, with more than 500 companies in its ecosystem. Sustainable Ventures is on a mission to develop 1,000 climate tech businesses by 2025.

https://www.sustainableventures.co.uk/

Zedify

Zedify

Zedify is the UK’s largest electric cargo bike delivery network, providing a zero emissions service that focuses on ‘first and last mile’ deliveries within city centres. Zedify helps create cities that are cleaner, healthier and better for everyone.

https://www.zedify.co.uk/

ZeroAvia

ZeroAvia

From 20 seat regional trips to over 100 seat long-distance flights, ZeroAvia enables scalable, sustainable aviation by replacing conventional engines with hydrogen-electric powertrains.

https://zeroavia.com/

In action

In February 2023, Barclays invested in GeoPura, a producer of Hydrogen Power Units (HPUs), through the Barclays Climate Ventures mandate, demonstrating support for innovative technologies that enhance the energy transition. Established to make an impact in decarbonising global industries using zero-emission fuels, GeoPura has grown rapidly since delivering its first HPU. Its technology and end-to-end service is a multi-purpose replacement for diesel power worldwide.

Barclays’ investment is enabling mass manufacturing of HPUs – increasing the production of green hydrogen to fuel the units, while supporting the technology's global deployment.

GeoPura unit

In November 2023, Barclays Climate Ventures led Sustainable Ventures' first-ever fundraising round, with participation from angel investors. Sustainable Ventures is a climate tech ecosystem in the UK providing funding, workspaces, and expert support services – with access to a pipeline of leading climate tech investment opportunities.

Barclays understands that scaling climate tech companies require much more than venture capital and our investment in Sustainable Ventures affirms our commitment through providing access to the bespoke support programmes, professional services, and community these companies need to accelerate sustainable growth.

Barclays’ investment will enable Sustainable Ventures’ regional expansion, starting with Manchester in 2024 – assisting the region in meeting its accelerated 2038 net zero target while delivering inclusive green jobs and boosting the economy.

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Further information

two men wearing high-vis jackets talking to each other

In the field: GeoPura

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The Barclays Climate Tech podcast