From research to deployment, our programs help innovators turn bold ideas into energy technologies capable of thriving in the real economy.
Programs
Discovery
Many of the solutions we will need have yet to be imagined or are only beginning to take shape—that’s why we believe in backing breakthrough innovation from the earliest moments of discovery.
Breakthrough Energy Discovery is the pre-venture innovation arm of Breakthrough Energy, focusing on advancing emerging climate technologies at the earliest stages. Through its three core programs, BE Discovery provides philanthropic funding, tailored support, and connections to help innovators turn bold ideas into scalable solutions.
The Fellows program helps entrepreneurs and innovators take their ideas from lab to market by providing R&D funding, curriculum, mentorship, and access to a global network.
Workshops convene researchers and experts to uncover emerging opportunities in high-impact technology areas, generating ideas for proof-of-concept, applied research.
Our Ecosystem program supports universities, national labs, talent networks, and innovation hubs—the global collaboration networks critical for scaling transformative solutions.
Ventures
Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) backs world-class entrepreneurs discovering, developing, and deploying the technologies that will power human prosperity for generations to come.
We invest in science-driven companies with the potential to cut at least 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions—about half a gigaton per year—across the five sectors driving the climate challenge: manufacturing, electricity, agriculture, transportation and buildings.
BEV was built to help founders go further, faster. We bring deep technical expertise, entrepreneurial acumen, market insight, and policy fluency—working alongside our companies to scale solutions the world needs.
At the center of everything we do are the entrepreneurs. They’re building the strategic technologies that make clean energy reliable, affordable, and globally competitive.
Catalyst
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst accelerates the global adoption of emerging climate technologies by funding projects that deliver affordable, safe, and clean energy at scale, reducing Green Premiums, and displacing carbon-intensive solutions.
Catalyst funds large demonstration projects and invests in first-of-a-kind commercial-scale projects that use key emerging climate technologies. These could include clean hydrogen, long duration energy storage, sustainable aviation fuel, direct air capture, and manufacturing.
Contrails
Breakthrough Energy’s Contrails Team develops technology to help airlines reduce aviation’s climate impact by predicting and avoiding high-climate-impact contrails. Contrails—cloud-like trails left by airplanes—contribute significantly to aviation’s global warming impact.
Grid Modeling
Breakthrough Energy’s Grid Modeling team builds advanced tools to help energy planners design and operate electric grids that can support a fully decarbonized future. By simulating how clean energy flows across complex systems, these models guide infrastructure investments and policy decisions.