A clean energy future will rely on innovative entrepreneurs, technologies and ideas to make our goal a reality. In pursuit of this, Evergreen Climate Innovations provides capital and support to entrepreneurs and start-ups as a catalyst to bring critical climate technologies to market. Through its investment fund, Evergreen advances and expands access to innovation across the greater Midwest and fosters an ecosystem of investors, donors and collaborators.

Evergreen created its 501vc seed fund to address the capital gap in early-stage climate tech funding. This unique investment model combines the activities of a seed fund with the legal structure of a non-profit organization, which allows Evergreen to bear a little more risk than the market and provide capital to entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of development.

Invenergy is proud to partner with Evergreen, formerly called Clean Energy Trust, and to provide financial assistance in support of its efforts. In fact, Invenergy and Evergreen Climate Innovations have a long history together. In 2010, Invenergy Founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Polsky founded Evergreen Climate Innovations with Nick Pritzker to build a vibrant clean-tech ecosystem in the Midwest. After a decade of co-chairing the organization’s board with Pritzker, Polsky recently transitioned into an emeritus board role, where he provides strategic insight and advice on an ongoing basis.

MITO Material Solutions is one of Evergreen’s recent innovative investments. Co-Founder and CEO of MITO Material Solutions Haley Marie Keith is working to change the materials industry with MITO’s suite of hybridized polymer modifiers, which increase the strength and durability for composite materials using very small amounts.