Chrysalix Venture Capital

What Chrysalix Venture Capital does

Chrysalix Venture Capital is a Vancouver-headquartered early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2001 by Wal van Lierop, focused on intelligent systems and decarbonization technologies for resource-intensive industries. The firm manages four specialized fund vehicles — the Industrial Innovation Fund, RoboValley Fund, Chrysalix Energy Fund, and Chrysalix Carbon Neutrality Fund (first close June 2023) — and has raised more than $350M in cumulative capital across its history, participating in over $3.5B of venture funding through portfolio companies. Operations are anchored by a North American headquarters in Vancouver and a European subsidiary, Chrysalix Netherlands B.V., based in Delft, which manages the European carbon-neutrality fund and holds SFDR Article 3/4/5 disclosures.

The firm invests at the seed and Series A stages in mining technology, critical minerals and circular economy, industrial decarbonization, and energy-transition enablers. Portfolio companies include MineSense (real-time shovel-mounted ore sensing), Geopyöra (ore body intelligence with patented breakage testing), Sortera (AI-powered metal recycling sorting), DTE (LP-LIBS molten-metal analysis), Novamera (precision/surgical mining), Liminal Insights (battery intelligence), Svante (carbon capture), General Fusion (fusion energy), Q5D (robotic wiring automation), Helmee Imaging (covered stereo deflectometry for automotive inspection), and GaN Systems (acquired by Infineon in October 2023). Investment sourcing is anchored in a corporate LP ecosystem that includes PETRONAS, Teck Resources, Mitsubishi Corporation, Caterpillar, Hyundai, Hitachi Construction Machinery, South32, and FLSmidth, plus four cornerstone academic partners (TU Delft, Carnegie Mellon, University of Waterloo, NTU Singapore) and a 2022 strategic alliance with EIT Manufacturing.

Revenue is generated through industry-standard fund management fees on committed capital plus carried interest on exits. Deal flow is sourced through direct outreach, an online pitch process, and structured discovery with corporate LPs who surface industry problems. The firm is privately held, has 11–50 employees, and maintains a partner team with prior operating experience at Shell, McKinsey, Emerson, GE, Bain, and Westcoast Energy. The investor base is restricted to qualified institutional and corporate investors.

Name

Chrysalix Venture Capital

Legal name

CEMI Services Ltd.

Website

http://www.chrysalix.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chrysalix Venture Capital is a Vancouver-based early-stage VC firm founded in 2001 that manages $350M+ across four specialized funds investing in intelligent systems, mining technology, critical minerals, and industrial decarbonization. Its portfolio is sourced through a corporate LP and academic network spanning mining, energy, and OEM partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Miscellaneous Financial Investment Activities (523999)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

Keywords

• Early-stage venture capital
• Industrial innovation investing
• Cleantech venture capital
• Resource-intensive industries
• Decarbonization technology investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: Chrysalix generates revenue through management fees charged on committed capital under management. As an early-stage VC firm, fees typically follow industry standard 2% management on committed capital.
2. Carried Interest (Carry): The firm earns carried interest on returns from successful portfolio exits. Chrysalix has helped raise more than $350M and participated in more than $3.5B in venture capital funding through its portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chrysalix Venture Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in industrial innovation companies developing intelligent systems and decarbonization technologies for resource-intensive industries. The firm manages multiple specialized funds providing seed and Series A equity capital to startups in mining technology, metals recycling, power semiconductors, fusion energy, carbon capture, and battery intelligence, while connecting portfolio companies to a global ecosystem of corporate limited partners for piloting and commercialization.

Product overview

Chrysalix Venture Capital operates as a venture capital firm managing multiple specialized investment funds rather than a traditional product company. The firm offers four distinct investment vehicles: the Industrial Innovation Fund and RoboValley Fund (focused on intelligent systems, AI, and automation for resource-intensive industries), the Chrysalix Energy Fund (targeting clean energy technologies including fusion and carbon capture), and the Chrysalix Carbon Neutrality Fund (supporting decarbonization strategies). The funds collectively invest in portfolio companies across mining technology, industrial AI, metals recycling, battery technology, power semiconductors, and carbon capture solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Industrial Innovation Fund: Fund focused on industrial innovation investments
• RoboValley Fund
• Chrysalix Energy Fund
• Chrysalix Carbon Neutrality Fund

Products and services

• Industrial Innovation Fund A venture capital fund that invests in early-stage industrial innovation companies focused on resource-intensive industries and decarbonization solutions, targeting seed and Series A investments as first institutional investor.
• RoboValley Fund A global venture capital fund focused on intelligent systems for resource-intensive industries, investing in robotics, AI, and automation technologies for mining, manufacturing, and mobility sectors.
• Chrysalix Energy Fund An energy-focused venture capital fund investing in clean energy technologies including fusion, carbon capture, power semiconductors, and water treatment solutions.
• Chrysalix Carbon Neutrality Fund A fund supporting carbon neutrality strategies and carbon economy opportunities, investing in technologies that help industries achieve net-zero emissions targets. Managed through Chrysalix Netherlands B.V. and the Chrysalix Carbon Neutrality Fund Coöperatief U.A.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $350M raised for Chrysalix across fund vehicles
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• EIT ManufacturingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2022Strategic partnership announced February 2022 with the largest manufacturing innovation consortium in Europe, supporting Chrysalix's industrial innovation strategy.
• Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2020Newest cornerstone partner in Chrysalix's global academic network as of February 2020, expanding the innovation ecosystem into Asia-Pacific.
• Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2018Strategic partnership announced April 2018 as cornerstone partner in Chrysalix's global academic network. Provides access to robotics and intelligent systems research for portfolio companies.
• TU DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone academic partner in Chrysalix's global academic network, providing access to research and innovation in the Netherlands and Europe.
• University of WaterloocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone academic partner in Chrysalix's global academic network, contributing Canadian research and startup ecosystem connections.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Bill Gates-backed early-stage venture fund investing in climate and industrial decarbonization technologies. Highly comparable as a sector-focused, early-stage cleantech/industrial VC competing for similar founders and LP base.
• Energy Impact Partners: A global VC partnership backed by a coalition of utilities and energy corporates investing across the energy transition. Directly comparable model of corporate-LP-driven deal flow and energy/industrial specialization.
• Prelude Ventures: Early-stage venture firm investing in technology solutions for the energy, transportation, and industrial sectors. Closely aligned thesis on hard-to-abate industrial decarbonization and intelligent systems.
• Congruent Ventures: Early-stage climate tech VC investing across energy, mobility, and industrial decarbonization. Comparable stage focus, sector specialization, and LP base of corporates seeking innovation pipelines.
• DCVC (Data Collective): Deep-tech VC with investments in industrial AI, sensors, robotics, and resource industries. Comparable thesis on applying AI and intelligent systems to mining, energy, and heavy industry.
• Clean Energy Ventures: Seed and early-stage VC focused on decarbonization technologies, with strong overlap in industrial AI, materials, and energy. Comparable fund size and stage profile.
• OGCI Climate Investments: Venture and growth fund backed by an oil & gas major consortium (Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, etc.) investing in decarbonization and industrial technologies. Closely comparable corporate-backed industrial cleantech model.

Broad incumbents

• Khosla Ventures: Large diversified VC with a longstanding cleantech and clean-energy practice. Overlaps with Chrysalix on energy and sustainability investments but operates at materially greater scale across many other verticals.
• BHP Ventures: Corporate venture arm of BHP, one of the world's largest mining companies, investing in mining and resource technologies. Comparable LP/strategic role that overlaps with Chrysalix's mining-tech portfolio.
• Rio Tinto Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Rio Tinto investing in mining technology, automation, and decarbonization. Directly comparable strategic interest in mining-tech and industrial innovation portfolio companies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chrysalixvc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/851941

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A

Investments112 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Chrysalix Venture Capital