Climate VC, San Francisco
Lowercarbon Capital
Venture capital firm · San Francisco · Founded 2018
Quick read
Lowercarbon Capital is a climate-focused VC firm founded by Chris and Crystal Sacca, headquartered in San Francisco (registered in Jackson, WY). It backs companies slashing CO₂ emissions, removing carbon from the atmosphere, and buying time against climate change — with ~$1.2B AUM and a portfolio spanning fusion energy, carbon removal, industrial decarbonization, and beyond. The firm takes a deliberately broad view: if markets can fix the planet faster than activism, Lowercarbon is writing the check.
Key facts
- Founded
- 2018
- Founders
- Chris Sacca, Crystal Sacca, Clay Dumas
- Employees
- 28
- Sectors
- climate
- Website
- lowercarbon.com
Investment thesis
Lowercarbon backs companies across three buckets — slashing new CO₂ emissions, sucking carbon out of the atmosphere, and buying more time against climate change — betting that profitable markets, not shame, will decarbonize the planet. The firm also funds nonprofit research when the science is critical but no business model yet exists.
Recent activity
- Feb 2026investmentTracxn data shows Lowercarbon Capital made 1 new investment in the prior 12 months, bringing its total portfolio to 94 companies. Most recently it participated in a Seed round for Emerald. tracxn.com
- 2024investmentLowercarbon joined the $240M Series A for Thea Energy — the largest fusion round in global history at the time — alongside RWE, SPRIND, EIC Fund, and Prime Movers Lab. linkedin.com
- 2024investmentTerraton raised $11.5M to scale biochar carbon removal, with Lowercarbon Capital and Gigascale Capital co-leading the round, joined by Japan's Global Brain Corporation. linkedin.com
- 2024leadershipLowercarbon is hiring a Technical Lead for its growth investing team, a rare open role at the firm, reporting to Jonathan Strauss. linkedin.com
- 2023pressDOE awarded $46M across eight fusion startups to fund first power plants. Lowercarbon-backed teams captured 70% of total DOE funding across those awards. muskviewer.com
- 2023pressCrux, a Lowercarbon portfolio company, closed more than 60 deals in its first full commercial year across advanced manufacturing, batteries, biofuels, critical minerals, geothermal, hydro, solar, and wind. linkedin.com
- Oct 2025investmentLowercarbon co-led a £50m funding round in Fuse Energy alongside Balderton Capital. Fuse operates a vertically integrated renewable energy company targeting lower household energy costs. soapbox.vc
- 2025investmentTracxn recorded one new Lowercarbon investment in the past 12 months as of Feb 2026, with the most recent being a Seed round participation in Emerald Overall. tracxn.com
- 2024pressLowercarbon-backed fusion startups collectively won 70% of a $46m DOE award program supporting eight fusion companies building their first power plants. muskviewer.com
- 2024leadershipLyna Kim joined Lowercarbon as an Associate. She previously co-founded LightbulbML, an AI patent software service acquired in 2024, and built AI weather forecasting systems at WindBorne Systems. lowercarbon.com
- Nov 2025fundraiseLowercarbon Capital announced it's raising a second nuclear fusion fund, disclosed at the SOSV Climate Tech Summit. The new fund is expected to exceed the $250M fusion-focused fund raised in 2022. Fund size was not publicly confirmed. mezha.net
- Apr 2025investmentLowercarbon led the Series B round for Crux, a transferable tax credit marketplace co-founded by Alfred Johnson and Allen Kramer. Lowercarbon had put in the first dollars at seed stage two years prior. lowercarbon.com
Notable investments
- EmeraldSeed2025tracxn.com
- Thea EnergySeries A2024linkedin.com
- TerratonSeed2024linkedin.com
- CruxSeed2022linkedin.com
- Fuse Energy£50m (round stage not specified)Oct 2025soapbox.vc
- Emerald OverallSeed2025tracxn.com
- Crux ClimateSeed2023sotwe.com
- CruxSeries BApr 2025lowercarbon.com
- Avalanche EnergySeries AApr 2023avalanchefusion.com
- Epoch BiodesignSeries AMar 2025tracxn.com
- PendulumUndisclosedFeb 2025tracxn.com
- Flair SystemsUndisclosedDec 2024tracxn.com
Key people
Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.
- Chris Sacca · Co-Founder & Partner
- Crystal Sacca · Co-Founder & Partner
- Clay Dumas · Founding Partner
- Shuo Yang · Partner
- Scott Hsu · Fusion Partner
- Duncan Carlson · Growth Investing Lead
- Lauren Faber O'Connor · Partner
- Shawn Xu · Investor
- Ryder Kimball · Team Member
- Rachel Williams · Team Member
Sources
- Chris Sacca | Lowercarbon Capital
- Lowercarbon Capital - VC Fund Breakdown
- Lowercarbon Capital - 2026 Investor Profile - Tracxn
- Lowercarbon Capital | LinkedIn
- Crystal Sacca - Founding Partner, Lowercarbon Capital
- Chris Sacca on LinkedIn: Expanding our partnership with Lowercarbon Capital
- Alex Laplaza - Lowercarbon Capital
- https://mezha.net/ua/bukvy/lowercarbon-capital-launches-second-fund-for-nuclear-fusion-startups/
- https://lowercarbon.com/2025/04/16/crux-series-b/
- https://lowercarbon.com/team/alexandra-frumar/
- https://www.soapbox.vc/investors/lowercarbon-capital
- https://tracxn.com/d/venture-capital/lowercarbon-capital/__h1Y6yAzJ1WjPGPu4pqjjmQEyQoZIlkN1hzYjqmQ6Zkc
- https://www.muskviewer.com/Lowercarbon
- https://lowercarbon.com/team/27943/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottchsu/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/orbuch/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhstrauss/
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Frequently asked
What is Lowercarbon Capital?+
Lowercarbon Capital is a climate-focused VC firm founded by Chris and Crystal Sacca, headquartered in San Francisco (registered in Jackson, WY). It backs companies slashing CO₂ emissions, removing carbon from the atmosphere, and buying time against climate change — with ~$1.
Where is Lowercarbon Capital headquartered?+
Lowercarbon Capital is headquartered in San Francisco, United States.
When was Lowercarbon Capital founded?+
Lowercarbon Capital was founded in 2018 by Chris Sacca, Crystal Sacca, Clay Dumas.
What sectors does Lowercarbon Capital invest in?+
Lowercarbon Capital focuses on climate. They primarily invest in these sectors.
How do I prepare for a meeting with Lowercarbon Capital?+
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