What Elemental Impact does

Elemental Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit investor (legal entity: Elemental Excelerator, Inc.) founded in 2009 in Hawaii that provides catalytic capital and wrap-around coaching to climate technology startups. It has grown over 17 years from an energy-focused Hawaii accelerator seeded by the U.S. Department of Energy into a globally operating platform with offices in Honolulu, New York City, Washington DC, and San Francisco, 139+ portfolio companies, and a network of 2,000+ investors, insurers, financiers, and customers. In 2024 the organization rebranded from Elemental Excelerator to Elemental Impact to reflect its expansion into later-stage FOAK and early-commercial deployments.

Name

Elemental Impact

Legal name

Elemental Excelerator, Inc.

Website

https://elementalimpact.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants & Donations: Elemental Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by more than 40 philanthropic and government funders, including Autodesk Foundation, Breakthrough Energy Foundation, ClimateWorks Foundation, Emerson Collective, EQT Foundation, Grantham Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Microsoft, Rockefeller Foundation, Salesforce, Schmidt Family Foundation, US Office of Naval Research, and others. Donations are solicited via the Classy donation platform.
2. Investment Returns from Portfolio: As a nonprofit, any proceeds from investments (SAFEs, convertible notes, direct investments, D-SAFEs) support future entrepreneurs. Proceeds come back to Elemental from successful portfolio companies and are recycled into new investments.
3. Earthshot Ventures Fund Management: In 2021, Elemental launched a $94M independent for-profit venture fund (Earthshot Ventures) on the Elemental platform to welcome returns-seeking investors.
4. Government Grants: Elemental has historically received government grant funding, beginning with the U.S. Department of Energy in 2009 and including ongoing support from the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Elemental Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit investor that deploys flexible catalytic capital and structured wrap-around coaching to climate technology startups spanning energy, mobility, water, food/agriculture, nature, industry, and the built environment. It offers three core investment programs—the Strategy Track for Pre-Seed/Seed companies, the Project Track for Series A and beyond FOAK projects (using instruments like the D-SAFE), and the 2026-launched Data Center Innovation Initiative—and pairs every investment with coaching, policy engagement, and connections to a network of 2,000+ investors, insurers, financiers, and customers.

Product overview

Elemental Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit investor that has provided catalytic capital and specialized expertise to climate technology entrepreneurs for over 17 years. Its offering is a platform-plus-programs architecture centered on three core investment tracks: the Strategy Track (for early-stage Pre-Seed/Seed companies), the Project Track (for Series A and beyond companies deploying first-of-a-kind commercial projects), and the Data Center Innovation Initiative or DCII (a 2026 deployment-focused initiative with $500K–$5M investments per project in up to 10 startups through 2027, in partnership with Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft). The D-SAFE (Development-SAFE) is Elemental's proprietary financing instrument, open-sourced in 2025, that supports pre-development costs of FOAK projects. The Earthshot Ventures fund ($94M, launched 2021) operates as a sub-brand on the Elemental platform, while the Climate Tech Map and CEO and Leadership Summit serve as community and ecosystem resources. Every investment is paired with the Portfolio Coaching and Services module covering fundraising, market intelligence, policy, project development, sales, and workforce development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Data Center Innovation Initiative (DCII): Deployment-focused investment initiative launched in May 2026 in partnership with Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft to accelerate next-generation energy, materials, and cooling technologies for data center infrastructure.
• Earthshot Ventures

Products and services

• Strategy Track An early-stage investment program designed for Pre-Seed or Seed climate technology companies with at least three full-time team members. Supports companies taking on critical business initiatives like market expansion, new product launches, and go-to-market strategy development through a roughly 9-month active engagement featuring customized 1:1 coaching, workshops, and implementation work, paired with flexible catalytic capital.
• Project Track An investment track supporting climate technology companies scaling solutions through small and large-scale first-of-a-kind (FOAK) and early commercial facilities. Designed for Series A and beyond, providing coaching and catalytic capital (including D-SAFE financing instruments) tailored to help companies achieve concrete project development and deployment milestones.
• Data Center Innovation Initiative (DCII) A deployment-focused investment initiative designed to accelerate next-generation energy, materials, and cooling technologies in data center environments. Plans to invest $500,000 to $5 million per project in up to 10 technology startups through 2027, in partnership with Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, supported by philanthropic anchors Breakthrough Energy Discovery, Builders Vision Philanthropy, Salesforce, and the Stolte Family Foundation.
• Earthshot Ventures A $94M independent, for-profit venture fund launched in 2021 on the Elemental platform, built to deliver market-leading returns while making a significant positive climate impact and welcoming returns-seeking investors for the first time.
• Development-SAFE (D-SAFE) An innovative financing tool designed in partnership with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR) for pre-development costs of first-of-a-kind climate projects. Open-sourced in 2025 with templates, Development Support Agreement (DSA), and Practitioner Notes to reduce ecosystem friction; downloaded over 600 times in the first four months.
• Climate Tech Map An interactive climate technology map built in partnership with Speed & Scale, McKinsey & Co., the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Energy Innovation, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures to provide visibility into the climate tech ecosystem.
• Portfolio Coaching and Services A wrap-around coaching service paired with every Elemental investment, covering fundraising, market intelligence, policy and regulation, project development, sales, stakeholder engagement and local partnerships, storytelling and communications, and workforce development.

Quantifiable outcome

• For every $1 invested by Elemental, portfolio companies unlock $110 in follow-on funding ($11.8B total)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• AmazonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Amazon is one of four hyperscaler corporate collaborators on the Data Center Innovation Initiative (DCII). Amazon helps identify priority technology areas, provides strategic and technical input during diligence and pilot development, supports project deployment opportunities, and contributes to industry learning. Amazon's Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst cited Amazon's 20-year leadership in energy and water efficiency across its data center infrastructure.
• GoogleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Google is a hyperscaler corporate collaborator on the DCII. Google's Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt emphasized Google's 'third decade of climate action' and long-term track record of helping accelerate markets for clean energy and sustainability solutions. Google helps identify priority tech areas and supports pilot and scale-up of next-gen energy and material technologies.
• MetaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Meta is a hyperscaler corporate collaborator on the DCII. Meta's VP of Energy and Sustainability Nat Sahlstrom stated the focus is on advancing emerging technology projects, building on Meta's commitment to designing, building and operating sustainable and innovative data centers.
• MicrosoftflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Microsoft is a hyperscaler corporate collaborator on the DCII. Microsoft's CVP and Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa highlighted the focus on scaling solutions to deliver reliable, clean power and sustainable materials. Microsoft is also an existing offtake partner for Ebb Carbon's Project Macoma. Microsoft is also listed as a philanthropic partner of Elemental Impact.
• Earthshot VenturesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, Elemental launched the $94M independent, for-profit venture fund Earthshot Ventures on the Elemental platform to deliver market-leading returns while making a significant positive climate impact. Earthshot Ventures welcomes returns-seeking investors for the first time.
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & RosatiflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWilson Sonsini serves as legal counsel to the Data Center Innovation Initiative, supporting program structure, data-sharing frameworks, and collaboration agreements. Wilson Sonsini also co-designed the Development-SAFE (D-SAFE) with Elemental.
• Speed & Scale, McKinsey & Co., Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Energy Innovation, Breakthrough Energy VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElemental co-built the Climate Tech Map (climatetechmap.com) in partnership with Speed & Scale, McKinsey & Co., the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Energy Innovation, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greentown Labs: The largest climatetech incubator in North America, providing hardware prototyping space, lab access, programming, and a community of climate startups. Directly comparable to Elemental's role as a climate tech hub and ecosystem convener.
• Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road): A nonprofit fellowship and catalytic-capital program for early-stage science- and engineering-driven innovators tackling climate and other hard-tech problems. Comparable to Elemental in supporting technical founders through wrap-around coaching and seed-stage capital.
• New Energy Nexus: A global nonprofit climate accelerator supporting early-stage clean energy entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and ecosystem access. Highly comparable to Elemental's Strategy and Project Tracks in mission, target customers, and program structure.
• Third Derivative (RMI): A climate tech accelerator and fund operated by RMI that runs cohorts and pre-seed/seed investment programs for climate startups. Highly comparable to Elemental in cohort structure, catalytic capital model, and corporate-startup matching.
• Village Capital: A nonprofit impact-investment support organization running accelerator programs and peer-selected investment processes for impact-driven startups. Comparable nonprofit structure, cohort-based accelerator model, and mission-aligned catalytic capital deployment.
• Acumen: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit impact investor that deploys patient catalytic capital into early-stage companies solving poverty and climate challenges. Comparable in nonprofit structure, catalytic capital deployment, and wrap-around support model, though broader in mission than climate-only.

Emerging players

• Climate Capital: A venture firm investing in early-stage climate startups addressing emissions, energy, and industrial decarbonization. A for-profit fund that competes for similar founders as Elemental's portfolio companies, though without the catalytic capital and nonprofit structure.

Broad incumbents

• EIT Climate-KIC: The European Union's primary climate innovation public-private partnership, running accelerators, grants, and demonstration programs across 30+ countries. Broader geographic scope and EU-policy-anchored, but functionally analogous to Elemental in accelerating and funding climate ventures.
• Prelude Ventures: A multi-stage climate tech venture firm with deep corporate LP backing, focused on early-stage investments in decarbonization startups. Comparable in being an early check and active investor, though for-profit and without the open-source D-SAFE platform.

Regional players

• Trellis: A climate media, events, and community platform (including the Trellis Impact conference) serving climate entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers. Comparable to Elemental's event-driven community-building motion, though media-led rather than capital-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elementalimpact
• Xx.com/ElementalImpact
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElementalImpact

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments228 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elemental Impact