Ex-Meta CTO Mike Schroepfer's Gigascale raises $250M climate/physical economy fund

Gigascale, the venture firm led by former Meta CTO Mike Schroepfer, raised a 250 million dollar fund. The new fund will focus on energy, grid infrastructure and critical minerals all through the lens of climate tech. Gigascale's second fund continues the bets Schroepfer has made in the three years since starting the firm. The firm has backed startups in the climate tech space including Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Heron Power, Mill and Form Energy. The new fund is the first with an early stage focus that includes institutional investors. The portfolio reflects a wide ranging climate technology sector that has become increasingly focused on energy and infrastructure driven by demands from artificial intelligence. Power is a significant focus of the new fund given rising electricity demand. Schroepfer pointed to solar as a recent example of clean technology that is faster and cheaper. Challenges connecting to the grid have led many companies to develop their own power sources. Natural gas turbines face waitlists that stretch into the early 2030s. In energy intensive industries, bring your own power is expected to be a competitive advantage over time. Gigascale expects its energy investments to extend beyond generation to grid infrastructure, critical minerals and physical artificial intelligence. Schroepfer said in a statement that the companies the firm backs win because they are cheaper, faster and more reliable.