Climate for Kamala: VC and Founder Support for Clean Tech Boosting Election Strength

Climate tech VCs and founders rally behind Kamala Harris in push for clean tech’s political strength

A group of influential climate venture capitalists and founders have joined forces to support Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency, aiming to boost clean tech’s influence in the upcoming election.

The initiative, known as “Climate for Kamala,” has already secured $2.5 million in commitments and is aiming to raise over $5 million for Harris’ campaign. The group will host a fundraiser in New York City during Climate Week NYC next month to further support Harris’ candidacy.

Notable participants in the initiative include Elemental Excelerator founder and CEO Dawn Lippert, MCJ managing partners Cody Simms and David Aronoff, Lowercarbon Capital’s Chris Sacca and Clay Dumas, Obvious Ventures managing director Andrew Beebe, and Congruent Ventures managing partner and co-founder Abe Yokell.

The effort was launched during a zoom call two weeks ago, with Harris climate adviser Ike Irby, campaign finance official Michael Pratt, and Crooked Media founder Jon Favreau in attendance. The fundraiser aims to connect individuals in the climate tech industry with existing networks like Clean Energy for America, and to mobilize support in key battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Shomik Dutta, co-founder of the firm Overture and a key figure behind the initiative, emphasized the importance of leveraging technology for “relational organizing” to engage individuals working in sectors like solar and wind in the election process.

Dutta, who previously worked on Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, expressed optimism about the potential impact of the initiative, stating, “We hope this is the beginning of some real organizing muscle.” The push for clean tech’s political strength underscores the growing influence of climate industrialists in shaping the political landscape.