NextSTEP
NextSTEP is an early-stage CleanTech venture capital fund operating under NextEnergy Group, providing capital and strategic support to UK-based sustainable energy startups across green hydrogen, biofuels, EV, and emissions-reduction technologies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersVenice, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NextSTEP does
NextSTEP is an early-stage CleanTech venture capital fund founded in 2022 and operating as a subsidiary of NextEnergy Group, a diversified energy conglomerate. The fund provides venture capital and strategic support to UK-based CleanTech startups developing sustainable energy and environmental technologies. In 2024, NextSTEP invested approximately £490,000 (€590k) across five UK-based CleanTech startups spanning green hydrogen, biofuels, EV battery health certification, seaweed-based products, and RFID technology for CO2 emission reduction. It also signaled plans to expand investment activity further in 2025.
The fund maintains a dual-office footprint, with headquarters in Milan, Italy, and an additional office in London to source and support UK portfolio companies. It is led by Managing Partner Claudio Colombo and operates with a small team (1–10 employees). Its core differentiation versus generalist early-stage VCs is its vertical focus on CleanTech and the operational backing of NextEnergy Group, which provides access to energy-sector expertise and networks for portfolio founders.
As a fund vehicle rather than a product company, NextSTEP's revenue model is structured around management fees and potentially carried interest on AUM, rather than the sale of a product or service. It does not develop proprietary technology, software, or AI capabilities itself — any technological innovation sits within its portfolio companies. The fund's customer base in the traditional sense is its limited partners and portfolio founders, while its strategic focus is on building a diversified, thematically aligned CleanTech portfolio across the UK and broader European market.
NextSTEP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NextSTEP
- Legal name
- NextSTEP
- Website
- https://nextstepaccelerator.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NextSTEP is an early-stage CleanTech venture capital fund operating under NextEnergy Group, providing capital and strategic support to UK-based sustainable energy startups across green hydrogen, biofuels, EV, and emissions-reduction technologies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NextSTEP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Clean Tech Investment
- NAICS
- Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Climate / Clean Tech & Decarbonization Funds (FSANAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Infrastructure & Energy Fundraising Placement (FSAEALAF)
Keywords
Where NextSTEP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Venice
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
NextSTEP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
NextSTEP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NextSTEP is a venture capital fund that invests capital in early-stage and growth-stage clean technology startups, primarily in the United Kingdom. The fund provides equity investment and strategic support to companies developing sustainable energy solutions, green hydrogen, biofuels, EV battery health applications, seaweed-based products, and RFID technology for CO2 emission reduction. As an investment vehicle under NextEnergy Group, NextSTEP focuses exclusively on environmental and clean tech innovation rather than operating as a product or service vendor.
Product overview
NextSTEP is a venture capital fund operating under NextEnergy Group, focused on investing in clean tech and sustainable energy startups. As an investment vehicle rather than a product company, NextSTEP does not offer a unified product platform or individual product modules. The fund provides capital to early-stage companies developing innovations in green hydrogen, biofuels, EV health apps, seaweed-based products, and RFID technology for CO2 emission reduction. The portfolio companies themselves are distinct entities with their own products and services, not offerings under the NextSTEP brand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clean Tech Venture Capital Investment Equity venture capital funding and strategic support provided to early-stage and growth-stage UK clean technology startups developing sustainable energy solutions, green hydrogen, biofuels, EV battery health certification, seaweed-based products, and RFID technology for CO2 emission reduction. The offering is targeted at founders and management teams of clean tech ventures.
Companies that use NextSTEP
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
NextSTEP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
NextSTEP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
NextSTEP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Extantia Capital: Berlin-based early-stage climate tech VC with comparable fund size and a similar focus on energy transition and decarbonization startups across Europe; both operate as micro/specialist climate funds underwriting seed-to-Series A rounds.
- 2150 (Urban Future): Copenhagen/London-headquartered VC focused on climate and urban-tech startups across Europe; comparable as a small specialist climate fund operating in the same UK–EU corridor and writing similar early-stage cleantech cheques.
- Clean Energy Ventures: Early-stage climate-tech VC focused on digital and hardware decarbonization startups; comparable scale and stage (seed/Series A), with an analogous thematic vertical specialization around climate solutions.
Broad incumbents
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Bill Gates-affiliated climate VC; vastly larger but addresses the exact same thesis of seeding breakthrough clean energy, storage, and decarbonization ventures, making it the dominant incumbent against which NextSTEP's portfolio companies ultimately compete for follow-on capital.
- Lowercarbon Capital: US-based climate-tech VC that, like NextSTEP, invests across green hydrogen, biofuels, EV, and industrial decarbonization; broader geographic mandate and larger fund size but directly comparable by sector mandate.
- Speedinvest (Climate & Energy Fund): Vienna-based pan-European VC with a dedicated climate/energy vertical; broader portfolio but directly comparable on early-stage cleantech investing across the same European geography.
Regional players
- Octopus Ventures: London-headquartered VC with an active clean tech and climate portfolio; similar UK-deal focus and early-stage ticket range, and most directly comparable as a UK-anchored climate allocator.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
NextSTEP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NextSTEP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
NextSTEP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NextSTEP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments14 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NextSTEP
What does NextSTEP do?
NextSTEP is a venture capital fund that invests capital in early-stage and growth-stage clean technology startups, primarily in the United Kingdom. The fund provides equity investment and strategic support to companies developing sustainable energy solutions, green hydrogen, biofuels, EV battery health applications, seaweed-based products, and RFID technology for CO2 emission reduction. As an investment vehicle under NextEnergy Group, NextSTEP focuses exclusively on environmental and clean tech innovation rather than operating as a product or service vendor.
Is NextSTEP a public or private company?
NextSTEP is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was NextSTEP founded?
NextSTEP was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NextSTEP based?
NextSTEP is headquartered in Venice, Italy, in the Europe region.
Who are NextSTEP's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Extantia Capital, 2150 (Urban Future) and Clean Energy Ventures. Broad incumbents are Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital and Speedinvest (Climate & Energy Fund). Octopus Ventures is listed as a regional player.
Does NextSTEP have an API?
No public API is recorded for NextSTEP.
What industry is NextSTEP in?
NextSTEP's product category is Venture Capital / Clean Tech Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAJAA, Climate / Clean Tech & Decarbonization Funds, with a secondary code of FSAEALAF, Infrastructure & Energy Fundraising Placement. Its NAICS code is 525 and its SIC code is 6211.