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Breakthrough Energy Foundation

Annual Giving
$107.7M
Grant Range
$10K - $75.0M
Decision Time
10mo

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Breakthrough Energy Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $107,742,439 (2023)
  • Number of Awards: 168 awards (2023)
  • Success Rate: Highly competitive (specific percentage not publicly available)
  • Decision Time: Rolling for Explorers; ~10 months for Innovator Fellows (November to September)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - tens of millions (most grants $1 million+)
  • Geographic Focus: Global, with concentration in Washington D.C., New York, California, and international climate tech hubs

Contact Details

Website: https://www.breakthroughenergy.org

Fellows Programme Portal: https://befellows.smapply.org

Phone: (425) 497-4303

Office Locations:

  • Kirkland, Washington: 4110 Carillon Pt, Kirkland, WA 98033
  • Boston: 250 Summer Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02210

Contact Page: https://www.breakthroughenergy.org/contact-us/ (for media or event inquiries)

Overview

Breakthrough Energy Foundation was founded in 2015 by Bill Gates and a coalition of high-net-worth investors including Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, Reid Hoffman, and Jeff Bezos. The foundation contributed $107,742,439 in grants during 2023 through 168 awards, representing significant growth from 51 awards in 2021. As part of the broader Breakthrough Energy network (which also includes venture capital arms with $3.5 billion in committed capital), the Foundation focuses on accelerating climate technology innovation at every stage—from discovery to development to deployment. The organisation works with a world-class network of innovators, business and industry leaders, and policy experts to tackle climate change through breakthrough technologies. What distinguishes Breakthrough Energy is its support for a wide range of technological solutions, including nuclear energy and direct air capture, prioritising performance and scalability over conventional approaches. Recent strategic changes include a significant reduction in policy and advocacy grantmaking announced in early 2025, though the venture capital portfolio and core fellowship programmes continue.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

1. Innovator Fellowship

  • Amount: Up to $500,000 in catalytic, early-stage investment
  • Duration: One-year full-time programme
  • Target: World-leading scientists and engineers actively commercialising critical climate technology
  • Application Method: Annual cohort cycle with fixed deadlines (Concept Papers typically due in November for September programme start)

2. Explorer Grants

  • Amount: Funding amounts vary based on project scope
  • Target: Earlier-stage, higher technical-risk breakthrough climate solutions in university labs or research entities
  • Application Method: Rolling basis
  • Note: Extremely competitive with only a handful of projects selected each year

3. Business Fellowship

  • Application Method: Interest form submission; opportunities open periodically

4. Policy and Advocacy Grants

  • Range: $354,000 - $6,800,000 (based on 2022 recipients)
  • Target: Think tanks, policy organisations, research institutions, and climate advocacy nonprofits
  • Geographic Focus: Particularly Washington D.C., New York, California
  • Note: This programme experienced significant cuts in early 2025

5. Catalyst Programme Grants

  • Range: €20 million - €75 million for large-scale deployment projects
  • Examples: Multi-day energy storage facilities, sustainable aviation fuel plants, carbon capture technologies
  • Partners: Co-funding with European Investment Bank and other institutional partners

Priority Areas

Five Grand Challenges Framework:

  1. Electricity: Delivering affordable zero-carbon electricity
  2. Transportation: Getting around without emitting carbon (sustainable aviation fuels, electric infrastructure)
  3. Manufacturing: Making products without greenhouse gas emissions (carbon capture, industrial decarbonisation)
  4. Buildings: Eliminating emissions from buildings
  5. Food: Feeding the planet without contributing to climate change

Specific Technology Focus:

  • Clean hydrogen production and storage
  • Long-duration energy storage (iron-air batteries, CO2-based batteries, thermal storage)
  • Sustainable aviation fuels and power-to-liquids e-fuels
  • Direct air capture and carbon removal technologies
  • Advanced nuclear energy (fission and fusion)
  • Material science innovations for climate applications

Impact Requirements:

  • Technologies must have potential to reduce or capture greenhouse gases by at least 500 million tons per year at scale, OR
  • Technologies that meaningfully address climate adaptation

What They Don't Fund

Mature Renewable Technologies: The organisation deliberately avoids incremental improvements to already-commercialised technologies like conventional solar panels and wind turbines. As Gates explained at inception, while these technologies "have made a lot of progress," the focus is on breakthrough innovations rather than mature solutions.

Commercially Viable Technologies: Projects that are already market-ready or have clear pathways to commercial success through traditional venture capital are not the target—Breakthrough Energy focuses on high-risk innovations with 20-year return horizons.

Technologies Without Competitive Potential: Superior performance is their "north star"—clean technologies must be able to compete on affordability and reliability to reach global scale. Solutions that cannot meet these standards are excluded.

Incremental Improvements: The organisation avoids funding evolutionary rather than revolutionary technologies.

Governance and Leadership

Founder: Bill Gates (2015), with initial coalition including Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), and Jeff Bezos (Amazon)

Executive Leadership:

  • Rodi Guidero: Executive Director of Breakthrough Energy and Managing Partner of Breakthrough Energy Ventures; also works in Bill Gates's private office
  • Mike Boots: Executive Vice President of Breakthrough Energy; oversees global policy and external affairs; leads the Washington D.C. office

Organisational Structure: The grantmaking operates through three nonprofit entities:

  • Breakthrough Energy Foundation (501(c)(3)) - EIN 85-3672460
  • Breakthrough Energy Action (501(c)(4))
  • Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Foundation

Bill Gates on Climate Technology Investment:

"AI will accelerate every innovation pipeline you can name: cancer, Alzheimer's, catalysts in material science, you name it. That is the biggest change agent in the world today, moving at a pace that is very, very rapid … every breakthrough energy company will be able to move faster because of using those tools, some very dramatically."

"It's not an exaggeration to say that we're in the beginning stages of a Clean Industrial Revolution."

"This is a chance to refocus on the metric that should count even more than emissions and temperature change: improving lives."

"In the long run, probably either fission or fusion will be the cheapest way to make electricity."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Innovator Fellowship:

  1. Step 1: Submit Concept Paper and preliminary information through the online portal at https://befellows.smapply.org
    • Deadline: Applications typically accepted through November
  2. Step 2: Selected applicants invited to submit Full Application with additional information
  3. Step 3: Selected Full Applications invited to participate in Deep-Dive interview session
  4. Step 4: Programme begins in September (10-month timeline from application to start)

For Explorer Grants:

  • Applications reviewed on rolling basis
  • Submit through the Fellows portal or contact programme directly
  • Candidates may be identified through network of research institutions, incubators, and universities, or apply directly

For Business Fellowship:

  • Fill out interest form on the Fellows portal to be contacted when opportunities open

For Policy/Advocacy Grants:

  • No public application process (see below)

For Catalyst Programme:

  • Invitation-only for large-scale deployment projects; typically identified through Breakthrough Energy's network and investment pipeline

Getting on Their Radar (for funders without public application)

For Policy and Advocacy Organisations:

Breakthrough Energy Foundation does not have a public application process for its policy and advocacy grants to think tanks and research institutions. Based on their documented grantmaking patterns:

  • Past Recipients Identified Through Networks: The 2022 Form 990 shows grants to established climate policy organisations including Center for Climate and Energy Solutions ($2.3M), Climate Jobs National Resource Center ($6.8M), Clean Air Task Force ($1.9M), ClimateWorks Foundation ($2M), Environmental Defense Fund ($1.9M), Rocky Mountain Institute ($3.7M), Resources for the Future ($1.6M), World Resources Institute, and others.

  • Geographic Hubs: The foundation has concentrated policy grantmaking in Washington D.C., New York, and California, where Breakthrough Energy maintains offices and active engagement.

  • Network Access: Applications may be identified through Breakthrough Energy's network of research institutions, universities, and the broader coalition of climate-focused investors and innovators.

Note: As of early 2025, Breakthrough Energy announced significant cuts to policy and advocacy grantmaking, with many nonprofit grantees notified that support would not be renewed. This reflects a strategic shift away from policy work, particularly after dissolving units in Europe and the United States focused on public policy.

Decision Timeline

Innovator Fellowship: ~10 months from concept paper deadline to programme start (November to September)

Explorer Grants: Rolling review; specific timeline not publicly disclosed but described as "rigorous vetting and selection process"

Notification: Selected applicants notified progressively through multi-stage process; candidates for Innovator Fellowship typically informed about next steps in late winter/early spring for September programme start

Success Rates

The programme is described as highly competitive with rigorous technical evaluation. While specific acceptance percentages are not publicly disclosed, the programme data shows:

  • Cohort 4: 25 innovators selected from four countries leading 14 projects
  • Cohort 3: 28 new Innovators and Business Fellows
  • Explorer Programme: "Only a handful of projects selected each year"
  • Milestone: Programme reached 100 Fellows by Cohort 4

The rigorous vetting involves the Breakthrough Energy team and external experts, including technology assessment, deep dive interviews, and technical milestone identification.

Reapplication Policy

Not Publicly Disclosed: Breakthrough Energy's website and public materials do not specify whether unsuccessful applicants can reapply or if there are waiting periods required. Given the programme structure with annual cohorts and rolling Explorer reviews, interested applicants should contact the programme directly through befellows.smapply.org or the contact form for clarification.

Application Success Factors

Impact at Scale: Breakthrough Energy seeks technologies with massive potential—at least 500 million tons of annual greenhouse gas reduction. Applications must clearly articulate how the technology can achieve this scale, not just laboratory proof-of-concept.

Breakthrough, Not Incremental: As evidenced by their deliberate avoidance of mature solar and wind technologies, successful applications present revolutionary rather than evolutionary innovations. Gates's philosophy is clear: "we need to be exploring many different paths" beyond what already works.

Competitive Economics: Superior performance is their "north star." Applications must demonstrate that the technology can compete on cost and reliability with existing solutions—clean for the sake of clean is insufficient. The technology must be "affordable and reliable to reach global scale."

20-Year Vision with Near-Term Milestones: Unlike traditional venture capital seeking 5-year returns, Breakthrough Energy invests for 20-year horizons. However, successful Innovator Fellows must be ready to commit full-time immediately and show concrete commercialisation progress within the one-year programme.

Technical Rigour: The review process involves external technical experts and deep-dive technical assessments. Applications succeed when they demonstrate world-class scientific credentials combined with practical commercialisation pathways.

Examples of Funded Projects:

  • LanzaJet: $50 million for alcohol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel plant in Georgia (2023)
  • Xcel Energy: $20 million for two multi-day, long-duration energy storage projects (2023)
  • Form Energy: $20 million grant for two 10MW/1,000MWh iron-air battery facilities (2023)
  • Energy Dome: €60 million for 20MW/200MWh CO2-based battery facility with European Investment Bank (2023)
  • Seven 7MW/100MWh thermal energy storage facilities: €75 million funding (2024)

Recent Strategic Shift: The early 2025 announcement of cuts to policy and advocacy grantmaking signals a strategic refocus. While fellowship and deployment programmes continue, applicants should be aware that the organisation is prioritising technology development and commercialisation over policy advocacy.

Language and Terminology: Breakthrough Energy uses specific framing around "Five Grand Challenges" (Electricity, Transportation, Manufacturing, Buildings, Food) and emphasises "breakthrough," "scale," "deployment," and "competitive economics." Applications aligned with this language and framework demonstrate understanding of the organisation's philosophy.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Target breakthrough technologies with 500+ million ton annual reduction potential—this is the minimum bar for consideration; incremental improvements to existing technologies will not be competitive

  • Demonstrate competitive economics, not just environmental benefit—the "superior performance" requirement means your technology must be able to compete on cost and reliability at scale, not rely on subsidies indefinitely

  • For Innovator Fellows, be ready to commit full-time immediately—the one-year fellowship with up to $500,000 requires full-time dedication to commercialisation; part-time involvement is not an option

  • Align with the Five Grand Challenges framework (Electricity, Transportation, Manufacturing, Buildings, Food) and use Breakthrough Energy's terminology to demonstrate you understand their strategic approach

  • Note the 2025 strategic shift away from policy advocacy—if seeking policy or advocacy grants, be aware that this area experienced significant cuts; technology development and deployment fellowships remain the core focus

  • Leverage network connections if possible—while Fellows programmes have open applications, many candidates are identified through research institutions, incubators, and universities in the Breakthrough Energy network

  • For Explorer Grants, emphasise high technical risk and early stage—this programme specifically targets projects that may not be ready to become companies yet, distinguishing it from the Innovator Fellowship

References

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