Newly launched venture firm VitaminºC has reached the first close of its €18 million debut fund, positioning itself to back early-stage climate startups at a time when many investors are stepping away from the sector.
The Zurich–San Francisco-based firm is targeting pre-Seed and Seed-stage companies, with a focus on both climate mitigation and human adaptation.
Investing Against the Cycle
ClimateTech funding has slowed, valuations have reset, and generalist investors have begun to retreat.
VitaminºC sees this not as a warning sign—but as an opportunity.
“We’re investing when others are pulling back,” said Founding Partner Nathalie Moral.
The firm’s thesis is clear:
👉 Climate is no longer a niche—it’s becoming core economic infrastructure
Yet only ~10% of global venture capital is currently allocated to climate and energy transition technologies, leaving a significant gap.
Backing What Doesn’t Exist Yet
While renewable technologies like wind and solar are now cost-competitive, the firm highlights a key gap:
👉 Around 30% of required climate technologies are still pre-commercial
VitaminºC is focusing precisely on this frontier—where:
- Risk is higher
- Capital is scarce
- Impact potential is massive
A Transatlantic Advantage
Founded by Nathalie Moral and Sophie Lamparter, VitaminºC positions itself as a bridge between Europe and Silicon Valley.
- Moral brings deep climate investing experience (early backer of Climeworks)
- Lamparter has spent 15+ years helping European DeepTech scale in the US
This dual presence allows the firm to:
- Help European startups expand globally
- Support US founders entering Europe’s regulatory environment
As Lamparter notes:
“The bridge works both ways.”
A High-Conviction Impact Model
VitaminºC is taking a strict, measurable approach to impact.
Each investment must:
- Cut or eliminate 100,000+ tons of CO₂, or
- Improve resilience for 100,000+ people within five years
Focus areas include:
- Energy
- Food and agriculture
- Carbon removal
- Climate adaptation
The fund writes initial checks of €0.5M–€1.5M.
First Bet: AI + Climate Resilience
The firm’s first investment is Satellites on Fire, a startup using:
- AI
- Satellite data
- Ground intelligence
…to detect and prevent wildfires.
This reflects VitaminºC’s broader strategy:
👉 Combine deep tech + climate urgency + scalable impact
More Than Just Capital
VitaminºC is also experimenting with blended capital models, combining:
- Venture funding
- Philanthropic capital
- Non-dilutive grants
Additionally, the firm connects startups with:
- Academic institutions for impact validation
- Scientific research frameworks
This approach aims to:
👉 De-risk early-stage climate innovation
👉 Accelerate real-world deployment
What This Means
VitaminºC represents a new wave of climate investors:
👉 More disciplined on impact
👉 More comfortable with early-stage risk
👉 More global in execution
At a time when capital is tightening, firms like VitaminºC are stepping in to fund the next generation of climate infrastructure.
Because the reality is:
👉 The biggest climate opportunities are still ahead
👉 And many of them haven’t been built yet
