Zero Carbon Capital

What Zero Carbon Capital does

Zero Carbon Capital is a London-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2019 that invests at pre-seed and seed stage in European deep tech climate startups. The firm targets "visionary scientific founders" developing technologies aimed at the hardest decarbonisation challenges, spanning thermal energy storage, smart grids, alternative proteins, carbon-negative concrete, sustainable aviation fuels, tidal energy, green hydrogen, and biomass conversion. Its stated role is to provide first-money investment plus founder support to bridge the lab-to-company transition for scientist-entrepreneurs. The firm is structured as a closed-ended alternative investment fund in limited partnership form, raising capital from professional clients and eligible counterparties, and operates under FCA regulation as an appointed representative of Sapphire Capital Partners LLP (FRN 916588).

The portfolio reflects a thesis-led approach rather than a sector-concentrated one, with disclosed holdings including Epoch Biodesign, Exergy3, IONATE, Nutropy, Reclinker, RepAir, Spark e-Fuels, Vema Hydrogen, Caudal Energy, Carbonaide, and Level Nine. Recent activity (October 2025 to May 2026) shows five disclosed participations including a co-led $8.1M Nutropy round, a follow-on in Exergy3's £10M seed, and entry into new geographies (Finland via Carbonaide, Germany via Level Nine). Go-to-market is sales-led at the deal-sourcing layer (direct outreach to scientific founders, university spinouts and ecosystem referrals) and direct at the fundraising layer (institutional LPs and eligible counterparties through regulated channels). Revenue mechanics are conventional venture fund management: management fees on committed or deployed capital plus carried interest on exits, with both unquantified in source material.

The firm employs 11-50 people and is led by Founder and Managing Partner Pippa Gawley with director Alex Gawley, alongside an investment team based at the registered office in Portsmouth. Distribution is concentrated through the firm's website, LinkedIn, and direct outreach to scientific founders; portfolio syndicate relationships with Oxford Science Enterprises, Empirical Ventures, AlbionVC, Axeleo Capital, Redstone and Visionaries Tomorrow provide both deal flow and validation signals across European deep tech climate markets.

Name

Zero Carbon Capital

Legal name

Zero Carbon Capital Limited

Website

https://Zerocarbon.capital

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zero Carbon Capital is a London-based early-stage VC firm founded in 2019 that invests pre-seed and seed capital in European deep tech climate startups, backing scientific founders developing decarbonisation technologies across energy, materials, fuels and food.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate / Clean Tech & Decarbonization Funds (FSANAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)

Keywords

• Venture capital funding
• Climate tech investment
• Deep tech startups
• Seed stage investing
• Decarbonization technology

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Fund Management: Zero Carbon Capital operates as a venture capital firm that generates returns through equity investments in early-stage deep tech climate companies. As a closed-ended alternative investment fund structured as a limited partnership, the firm raises capital from professional clients and eligible counterparties and deploys it into pre-seed and seed stage companies with potential for significant value creation through technological innovation and market disruption.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zero Carbon Capital is an early-stage venture capital fund that invests pre-seed and seed capital into deep tech climate startups across Europe. The firm targets visionary scientific founders developing transformative decarbonization technologies—including thermal energy storage, smart grid systems, alternative proteins, carbon-negative concrete, sustainable aviation fuels, tidal energy, and green hydrogen—and provides first-money investment plus hands-on support to help founders transition from lab to fully-fledged company. The fund is structured as a closed-ended alternative investment fund and is offered only to professional clients and eligible counterparties.

Product overview

Zero Carbon Capital is a deep tech climate venture capital firm that operates as an appointed representative of Sapphire Capital Partners LLP (FCA authorized). The firm provides pre-seed and seed investments to visionary scientific founders across Europe, targeting transformative innovations that reduce costs and emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors. The firm does not offer products or services in the traditional sense; instead, it provides capital and strategic support to early-stage deep tech companies developing solutions for industrial decarbonization, renewable energy, carbon capture, and sustainable materials. The firm's portfolio includes companies such as Epoch Biodesign (plastic recycling), Exergy3 (thermal energy storage), IONATE (smart grid technology), Nutropy (animal-free dairy), Carbonaide (carbon-negative concrete), Caudal Energy (tidal energy), Level Nine (biomass conversion), and Spark e-Fuels (sustainable aviation fuels), among others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zero Carbon Capital Fund Closed-ended alternative investment fund structured as a limited partnership that deploys pre-seed and seed capital into European deep tech climate startups; available only to professional clients and eligible counterparties.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sapphire Capital Partners LLPcoreOthersZero Carbon Capital Limited is an appointed representative of Sapphire Capital Partners LLP which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Sapphire Capital Partners LLP is responsible for the regulated activities carried on by Zero Carbon Capital Limited and operates as principal for financial promotions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Multi-billion-dollar climate VC backed by Bill Gates and partners, investing globally across stages in deep tech decarbonisation. A large incumbent that competes for the same deep tech climate founders and helps validate the category for LPs.
• Lowercarbon Capital: US-based climate VC investing across stages in decarbonisation and carbon removal startups. Broader and better-capitalised than Zero Carbon Capital, but pursues a similar deep tech climate thesis and competes for many of the same founder profiles.

Direct peers

• Pale Blue Dot: Sweden-based early-stage climate VC backing science- and deep-tech-driven climate startups in Europe. Most directly comparable in mandate, stage (pre-seed/seed), and geography, and frequently a competitor in the same university-spinout sourcing pool.
• Climentum Capital: European early-stage climate VC backing deep tech decarbonisation founders at seed stage with a clear net-zero thesis. Closely comparable in stage, sector, and European focus.
• Extantia Capital: Berlin-based early-stage climate VC investing across Europe in deep tech decarbonisation (energy, mobility, circular economy). Directly comparable pre-seed/seed climate thesis and European footprint.
• Planet A Ventures: Germany-based early-stage climate tech VC investing in European founders tackling environmental challenges with science-based solutions. Comparable in stage, sector focus (decarbonisation), and European geography.
• AENU: Berlin-based climate tech VC investing seed-stage in European decarbonisation startups across energy, mobility, and circular economy. Comparable stage, geography, and deep tech climate mandate.
• 2150: European early-stage VC investing in climate tech and urban tech with a strong decarbonisation and built-environment focus. Comparable stage, geography, and climate/deep tech investment mandate.
• Future Energy Ventures: European early-stage VC focused on climate-tech and energy-transition startups with a deep tech and venture-building orientation. Comparable stage and decarbonisation thesis, with overlap in industrial heat, hydrogen, and grid themes.
• Clean Energy Ventures: US-based seed-stage climate VC backing science- and engineering-driven decarbonisation startups. Comparable early-stage deep tech climate mandate, though geographically North American rather than European.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zerocarboncap
• Xx.com/ZeroCarbonCap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments28 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Zero Carbon Capital