Climate First

Exciting news from our portfolio company, NAKAI Robotics, as they expand to the U.S. with a new hub at Port Everglades, Florida! This follows their successful hub launch in Ashdod and Haifa ports in Israel, further establishing NAKAI as a leader in autonomous robotic hull cleaning and inspection. Why does this matter? 54,000+ cargo ships face challenges with biofouling—the unwanted buildup of microorganisms, plants, algae, and marine life on hulls. This drastically increases fuel consumption, emissions, and maintenance costs. NAKAI’s fully autonomous PLECOS robots offer a game-changing solution: ✔️ $1.3M fuel savings per vessel annually (10%-20% of the vessel’s total fuel consumption).   ✔️ $1M saved in downtime - 10+ days recovered per ship. ✔️ 2,080 tons of GHG emissions avoided per year. As global trade accelerates, the maritime industry must embrace automation and sustainability-and NAKAI is leading the way. Proud to back this game-changing innovation! Yair T.

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting a group of 25 MBA students from London Business School at our London office as part of their Tech Nation London Trek. The initiative aims to connect students aspiring to build a career in climate tech with key industry players in the city. Our Managing Partner, Nadav Steinmetz, shared valuable insights on the climate tech landscape, emerging opportunities, key industry trends, and challenges for startups. He also provided career advice for MBAs looking to break into the sector in London. A big thank you to Tom Schifter and Tom Cohen for organizing this great gathering! Looking forward to more opportunities to engage with the next generation of tech leaders.💡 #ClimateTech #Innovation

Eric Kohlmann, Partner at Climate First recently participated in an episode of the Climate Pioneers Show by Cherry Swayne In the episode, Eric reflect on 2024, shares insights into the 2025 funding landscape, and offer advice for founders gearing up to raise capital. Main highlights: 🔋 The energy transition is inevitable—no matter the political landscape, momentum is building. 🏭 Industries are under growing pressure to adopt cleaner, more efficient, and resilient technologies. 🌍 Climate change presents both a massive challenge and the biggest investment opportunity, driving long-overdue disruption across sectors. 🎧 Tune in to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/dQmNrHaT #ClimateTech #EnergyTransition #VentureCapital

Over $1 trillion committed to advancing AI infrastructure in just the past few months! Data centers are the backbone of our digital economy, and their growth is unprecedented. With AI, cloud computing, and big data driving demand, data center energy consumption has tripled in the past decade—and is set to triple again by 2028. 💡 What does this mean? 1️⃣ AI-driven infrastructure is now a national priority, with major investments from the U.S., EU, and China. 2️⃣ The surging energy demand is straining grids, impacting decarbonization goals, and reshaping energy markets. 3️⃣ In this evolving market, the winners will be startups who prioritize energy efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable technologies. At Climate First, we see this as a massive opportunity for energy transition startups—those offering a green discount will define the future of AI infrastructure. 📢 Read the full article to dive deeper into the data center arms race and where climate tech can make an impact.

Major achievement for LAVA (formerly Luminescent)🙌🏼 They have secured €12.5M in funding from the EIC Accelerator! With only a 6% acceptance rate, this funding is a huge validation of their game changing thermodynamic cycle converting heat into power and power into heat at near-perfect efficiency. Why does this matter? 🔥 Over 50% of industrial energy is lost as heat. ⚡ Converting waste heat into electricity is one of the biggest untapped opportunities in clean energy. 📈 The wasted heat market is projected to reach $102.1 billion by 2027. 🚀 LAVA’s breakthrough technology makes this transformation efficient and cost-effective. We are proud to support LAVA (formerly Luminescent) along their journey and celebrate this important milestone. A huge congratulations to Doron Tamir, and the entire LAVA team!

Climate First's annual team offsite was a blast! ❄️ ⛷️ From hitting the slopes to engaging in team-building activities, we combined fun with productive discussions about: Our long-term vision and strategies for our next phase of growth, including exciting new investments. We're returning energized and more motivated than ever to build an energy transition investment powerhouse! Nadav Steinmetz I Keren Jason I Guy Cherni I Eric Kohlmann I Dor Bershadsky I Arielle Evan I Emile Culot #climatefirst #teamoffsite #energytransition

India is one of the world's largest markets with a population of nearly 1.5B. To support the needs of so many people, there is crucial need for innovation. This aligns with a broader global movement to enhance food security, driven by geopolitical shifts and the trend toward deglobalization. We were proud to host Manoj Kumar, CEO of the Naandi Foundation who’s mission is to advance technology in the field of agriculture in India, to increase, yield, efficiency and profit for millions of farmers across India. Manoj, named the top 25 Indians to watch by the Financial Times shared some of his activities. We were happy to connect Manoj with leading agtech founders and investors, including our portfolio companies - ClimateCrop Ltd., EVR Motors and Galileo Wheel that are all active in the region. It was a pleasure to be part of such an important discussion. A heartfelt thank you to our friends at PICO Venture Partners and Elie Wurtman for co-hosting the event, and to Manoj Kumar for the inspiring meeting! Arielle Evan I Guy Cherni I Nadav Steinmetz I Dor Bershadsky I Keren Jason I Emile Culot

Cambridge is more than a university—it’s a global hub for innovation, driving the energy transition and industrial transformation. Cambridge has a unique blend of world-class research, entrepreneurship, and investment, it plays a critical role in shaping the future. Last week, we hosted a Climate First Dinner at Jesus College Cambridge, bringing together investors, startups, and researchers to discuss the role of academia in innovation, investment trends, and what’s next for industry. A big thank you to everyone who joined us and to our partners Mishcon de Reya LLP and Cambridge Enterprise for making it happen. Cambridge is leading the way, and we’re excited to be part of it.

Last week, we hosted a Dinner by Climate First at the University of Cambridge. Working with academia is essential. Many climate tech companies originate from spin-offs developed in academia and university research labs, playing a crucial role in global decarbonization and the energy transition. Beyond years of research and academic knowledge, a key advantage for these companies is their technological moat. The evening included founders, investors, and partners from across the UK and Europe—alongside members of Cambridge’s academic community. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Jesus College Cambridge, for this wonderful evening and to our partners for the event: Cambridge Enterprise Ventures and Mishcon de Reya LLP! Charles Fletcher | James Court | Hugh Tebay | Nadav Steinmetz | Guy Cherni I Eric Kohlmann I Dor Bershadsky I Keren Jason I Arielle Evan I Emile Culot I Racheli Moskowitz I Tomer T. #ClimateFirst #Innovation  #CambridgeUniversity