Venture and early-stage investment in climate tech in 2023 was down 30% from 2022, according to market intelligence firm Sightline Climate. But is that a bad thing?
In this episode, Shayle unpacks the findings of Sightline’s 2023 Climate Tech Investment Trends report with Kim Zou, co-founder and CEO of the firm, which also produces the popular CTVC newsletter. (Shayle is an adviser to Sightline, and Kim was also previously a partner at Energy Impact Partners where Shayle works.) Kim argues that numbers suggest that the early-stage climate tech space is actually maturing, citing smaller deal sizes, steady deal count, and more repeat investors. 
The data focus on venture and early-stage capital, rather than non-equity financing, which actually expanded in 2023, another sign that climate tech finance is becoming more sophisticated.
Shayle and Kim also cover topics like:

Why food and land use fell out of the top three verticals (and why heavy industry took its place).

Major funding rounds, acquisitions, and bankruptcies in 2023.

The role of generalist investors moving into climate tech.

Zou’s predictions for investment trends in 2024.


Recommended Resources:


Latitude: Exclusive: Non-equity funding for climate tech is taking off


Latitude: Clean energy capital is getting pricier


Catalyst: Financing first-of-a-kind climate assets


Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024.
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