E8 Angels
E8 Angels is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) network of accredited angel investors focused exclusively on early-stage cleantech. Founded in 2006, it has 140+ members, 180+ portfolio companies, and $75M+ invested through direct angel deals and the Decarbon8-US philanthropic fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What E8 Angels does
E8 Angels is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) membership organization of accredited angel investors focused exclusively on early-stage cleantech companies. Founded in 2006 as Northwest Energy Angels and rebranded to Element 8 (E8) in 2014, the organization is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, and operates with three full-time staff supported by a 14-member volunteer board. E8 serves two primary constituencies: accredited investor members seeking curated cleantech deal flow, and early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs (pre-seed to Series A) seeking capital in the $500K to $3M range. Since founding, the network has grown from 14 members to 140+ and has deployed over $75M across 180+ portfolio companies.
E8's core offerings include direct angel investment facilitation through monthly member meetings (three companies presenting per month from 25-30 approved annually), a member-led E8 Annual Fund, and the Decarbon8-US philanthropic impact fund launched in 2020 and administered by 501(c)(3) Realize Impact. The Decarbon8-US program deploys tax-deductible donations and grants into early-stage climate companies with rotating annual thematic focuses (Climate Resilience, Renewable Energy, Built Environment, Transportation), and has placed $10.4M into 14 companies to date. The organization uses third-party platforms including Dealum for application processing and Airtable for data management; it does not develop proprietary technology products. Individual members invest $25K-$100K per deal from personal capital, and E8 takes no carry on investments.
E8's operating budget is supported by member dues and a concentrated sponsor base that includes the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, the Stolte Family Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, Silicon Valley Bank, and Harris Group, with in-kind legal support from Baker Law and K&L Gates. The organization holds "Established Angel Group" certification from the Angel Capital Association and maintains a deep institutional ecosystem spanning the University of Washington Clean Energy Institute, Washington State University, CleanTech Alliance, and Washington Clean Energy Testbeds. Notable portfolio outcomes include Earthly Labs' 2022 acquisition by Chart Industries and Symbium's processing of over 1,000 instant solar permits since Decarbon8-US funding.
E8 Angels firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- E8 Angels
- Legal name
- Element 8
- Website
- https://e8angels.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- E8 Angels is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) network of accredited angel investors focused exclusively on early-stage cleantech. Founded in 2006, it has 140+ members, 180+ portfolio companies, and $75M+ invested through direct angel deals and the Decarbon8-US philanthropic fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
E8 Angels industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Angel Investing Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Open-End Investment Funds (525910)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)
Keywords
Where E8 Angels is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
E8 Angels business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership-based angel investing facilitation: E8 is a nonprofit membership organization that facilitates angel investing by connecting cleantech entrepreneurs with accredited investor members. There is no fee to apply or present to E8. Individual members make direct investments from their own capital. E8 itself does not take a cut of investments but operates through member dues and sponsor support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Individual angel investment per deal |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels10 records
E8 Angels product offering
Product offeringCore offering
E8 Angels is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) membership organization that facilitates early-stage angel investing in cleantech companies. It curates and screens applications from cleantech entrepreneurs, hosts monthly virtual pitches before its 140+ accredited investor members, and supports collective due diligence. Beyond its direct angel investing program, E8 operates the Decarbon8-US philanthropic impact fund (administered with 501(c)(3) Realize Impact) and the E8 Annual Fund, a member-led pooled investment vehicle focused on climate solutions.
Product overview
E8 Angels is a nonprofit membership community and angel investing network for accredited investors focused exclusively on early-stage cleantech companies. Rather than a traditional software product company, E8 operates as an investment organization that facilitates connections between cleantech entrepreneurs and impact investors. The organization's core offerings include: E8 Direct Angel Investment (facilitating individual member investments in vetted cleantech startups through a structured screening and due diligence process), Decarbon8-US Fund (a philanthropic impact fund administered by Realize Impact that deploys donations and grants into early-stage climate companies with annual thematic focuses such as Climate Resilience, Renewable Energy, Built Environment, and Transportation), and the E8 Annual Fund (a member-led pooled investment program that collectively invests in the most promising cleantech companies each year). Companies apply through Dealum, an online deal management platform, and present at monthly virtual meetings. E8 does not offer a standalone software product but rather facilitates investment services through its membership platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- E8 Angel Investor Membership Accredited investor membership that provides curated deal flow, monthly virtual pitches, collaborative due diligence, Learning Labs education, and community access for cleantech investing. Targeted at SEC-accredited individuals seeking early-stage climate investment opportunities.
- Decarbon8-US Fund Philanthropic impact fund that deploys tax-deductible donations and grants from donors, donor-advised funds, and foundations into early-stage US climate companies on annual themes such as Climate Resilience, Renewable Energy, Built Environment, and Transportation. Administered in partnership with 501(c)(3) Realize Impact.
- E8 Annual Fund Member-led pooled investment vehicle through which E8 members collectively invest in the most promising cleantech companies selected each year, with portfolio decisions presented at the annual meeting in Seattle.
- Learning Labs
Quantifiable outcome
- $75M+ invested in 180+ cleantech companies since 2006
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use E8 Angels
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
E8 Angels technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
E8 Angels partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Realize Impactcore501(c)(3) public charity that administers the Decarbon8-US Fund. Realize Impact supports fund operations, investments, and monitoring. In 2020, RI launched an investing service working with E8, the Seattle Foundation and others to fill gaps for donors, donor advised funds, and foundations.
- University of Washington Clean Energy InstitutemajorAcademic partner contributing fellows to E8's program and providing expertise in clean energy research and diligence processes.
- Washington State UniversitymajorAcademic partner contributing fellows to E8's program and providing expertise in due diligence and educational programming.
- CleanTech AlliancemajorLeading cleantech organization with complementary mission. Partner in the Clean Energy Entrepreneur Cluster initiative alongside E8, Washington Clean Energy Testbeds, and Latino Founders.
- Washington Clean Energy TestbedsmajorPartner in the Clean Energy Entrepreneur Cluster initiative focused on accelerating early-stage clean energy innovation and providing testing facilities.
- Latino FoundersminorPartner in the Clean Energy Entrepreneur Cluster initiative focused on supporting Latino entrepreneurs in the clean energy space.
- Baker LawminorLegal partner providing pro bono or discounted legal services support to E8 and its portfolio companies.
- K&L GatesminorLegal partner providing support to E8 and Decarbon8-US Fund initiatives.
- Angel Capital AssociationmajorE8 is a member in good standing of the Angel Capital Association and has achieved 'Established Angel Group' (EAG) certification, meeting six requirements for certification including accredited investor verification processes.
- DealumcoreOnline platform used by E8 for managing deal flow, processing applications, creating deal rooms for communication, and tracking application information. Companies must apply via Dealum.
- Clean Energy ITEminorPartner providing sector expertise for evaluating Decarbon8-US applications, engaging in evaluation process alongside other expert partners.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
E8 Angels competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road): Climate tech fellowship supporting scientist-entrepreneurs commercializing hard-tech climate innovations. Comparable cleantech early-stage mandate with fellowship/incubator model and similar university affiliations.
- Greentown Labs: Largest US cleantech incubator providing workspace, prototyping, and connections to cleantech startups. Indirect peer through shared cleantech mission and ecosystem role rather than direct angel capital model.
- New Energy Nexus: Global nonprofit supporting clean energy entrepreneurs via accelerators, funding, and ecosystem programs. Broader geographic and program footprint but shares nonprofit cleantech-focus mission.
Direct peers
- Prime Coalition: Nonprofit impact-first investor pooling philanthropic capital into early-stage climate solutions. Closest peer to Decarbon8-US structurally - using charitable dollars for catalytic climate investments.
- Earthshot Ventures: Early-stage climate venture fund that has co-invested with E8 Angels (e.g., led Derapi's $7M seed). Directly comparable cleantech seed mandate and frequent co-investor relationship.
- Elemental Excelerator: Nonprofit cleantech accelerator and fund that deploys capital and partnerships into early-stage climate companies. Closest peer in combining nonprofit structure with mission-aligned capital deployment into cleantech.
- Clean Energy Ventures: Early-stage venture fund investing in bold, world-positive climate companies. Directly comparable cleantech focus and Seed/Series A stage, but operates as a single fund vehicle rather than a member-funded angel network.
- Alliance of Angels: Seattle-based angel investing network for accredited investors. Most direct geographic and structural peer to E8, with a similar community-led model screening early-stage companies for member investment, though without E8's cleantech-only mandate.
- Keiretsu Forum: Largest global angel network with active cleantech chapter and chapter-based presentation structure. Comparable community/member model and screening/diligence process, though broader sector mandate and much larger geographic footprint.
Regional players
- Seattle Angel Fund: Pacific Northwest angel fund syndicating deals to members. Closely comparable regional angel structure, though invests more broadly than cleantech and operates as a pooled fund vehicle.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
E8 Angels social profiles
Digital presenceE8 Angels financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
E8 Angels leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
E8 Angels funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
E8 Angels M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments35 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about E8 Angels
What does E8 Angels do?
E8 Angels is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) membership organization that facilitates early-stage angel investing in cleantech companies. It curates and screens applications from cleantech entrepreneurs, hosts monthly virtual pitches before its 140+ accredited investor members, and supports collective due diligence. Beyond its direct angel investing program, E8 operates the Decarbon8-US philanthropic impact fund (administered with 501(c)(3) Realize Impact) and the E8 Annual Fund, a member-led pooled investment vehicle focused on climate solutions.
Is E8 Angels a public or private company?
E8 Angels is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was E8 Angels founded?
E8 Angels was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is E8 Angels based?
E8 Angels is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does E8 Angels make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership-based angel investing facilitation.
Who are E8 Angels's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road), Greentown Labs and New Energy Nexus. Direct peers are Prime Coalition, Earthshot Ventures, Elemental Excelerator, Clean Energy Ventures, Alliance of Angels and Keiretsu Forum. Seattle Angel Fund is listed as a regional player.
Does E8 Angels have an API?
No public API is recorded for E8 Angels.
What industry is E8 Angels in?
E8 Angels's product category is Angel Investing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAI, Micro-VC & Angel Funds. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 6282.