CalCEF Clean Energy Fund5 Third St. Suite 1125
San Francisco, CA 94110
P: 415 957 0167 F: 415 957 0177
general info: info@calcef.org
CalCEF’s Investment Mission: The serial creation of investment vehicles that address critical gaps in the infrastructure of clean energy finance.
The first CalCEF investment vehicle, CalCEF Fund I, employs an innovative nonprofit “fund-of-funds” model to achieve broad diversification in its portfolio. In this Fund, CalCEF is an active, strategic limited partner in three established venture funds.
In 2008 CalCEF launched its second investment vehicle, the CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund I, to focus capital and entrepreneurial support at the earliest stages of company formation.
In all of CalCEF’s investment programs, we seek to provide a new style of investment intelligence - one that is deeply attuned to and supportive of both the public policy process and new technology developments. The clean energy transition cannot succeed without guidance and support from policy. This guidance and support creates a powerful public-private partnership, and entrepreneurs and financiers that understand this partnership are best positioned to succeed in the clean energy transition.
CalCEF was created to solve a problem. Despite significant environmental policy leadership, until recently the private sector - particularly the financial community - has lagged in making investments in clean energy companies, creating a gap in the commercialization of new energy technologies. The core problem of energy is technological in nature, and we cannot afford to leave fundamental innovations unsupported at a crucial juncture in their development. CalCEF was created to focus expertise and financial resources on this aspect of the energy challenge.
In addressing the energy challenge, CalCEF has a particular interest in those clean energy areas in which California has a long history and established advantage, such as renewable generation and demand-side management (DSM). All forms of power are applicable - transportation as well as stationary, demand- or supply-side - as are innovations that enable the deployment or optimization of technologies presently available or under development. Fossil generation technologies that are transformational, representing significant technological advancements beyond what is presently in the market, are also in keeping with the CalCEF mission. Fossil risks are substantial in any scenario of sustainable energy transition, and technology must be brought to bear to minimize those risks.
CalCEF Investments
Founded in 2004, CalCEF has produced two public summaries of its investment portfolio