EarthX's Virtual E-Capital Summit to Generate Investment Into Environmental Ideas and Companies

Dallas-based EarthX is going virtual for the second year in a row amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And set to return from April 28-30 is the coveted E-Capital Summit, an invitation-only event that investors and founders are encouraged not to miss.

The 5th annual EarthX E-Capital Summit will garner hundreds of investment firms, family offices, incubators and accelerators, dealmakers, big-name companies, startups, industry innovators, policymakers, and thought-leaders to discuss new opportunities in sustainable investing. From industry trends to the country’s new presidential administration, topics are designed to catalyze change by encouraging potential partnerships and substantial investments.

But like all EarthX events, the overarching goal is to bring about positive impact on the planet.

“This year we are looking to expand the focus and coverage of the E-Capital Summit to also include traditional investors and businesses in these important discussions,” EarthxCapital Director Vikram Agrawal said in a statement. “Our vision is to demonstrate to industry leaders from the investment, business, and deal making systems that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive but actually go hand-in-hand.”

Agrawal describes the E-Capital Summit as a unique forum that provides both education and valuable opportunities. The 2021 rendition of the event will consist of an investor forum/conference, curated one-on-one meetings, and a global pitch competition. Agrawal said he hopes he and his team can inspire attendees and catalyze action through meaningful connections and deal making.

The summit isn’t without past success stories. Throughout the last four years, startups that have participated have gone on to raise more than $500 million in funding, according to EarthX.

For instance: After last year’s summit, Varuna Tech, a water distribution system monitoring provider, raised $1.5 million, with one of its investors also attending.

What to expect

EarthX E-Capital has again partnered with the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) from the University of Texas at Austin, one of the country’s leading clean technology incubators, to plan the 2021 EarthX E-Capital Summit.

The event is comprised of three parts:

Investment Forum: E-Capital’s two-day conference brings prominent people to the virtual stage on Wednesday, April 28, and Thursday, April 29. Expect speakers like Vanessa Chan, chief commercialization officer for the U.S. Department of Energy; Russell Read, former chief investment officer for the Alaska Permanent Fund and CalPERS; Jonathan Webb, founder and CEO of AppHarvest; and Jonathan Rose, president and founder of Jonathan Rose Companies.

Discussions will cover everything from how sustainability driven innovators can lead to indirect investment, to proptech’s affect on real estate, to opportunities for commercialization from the perspective of the Biden Administration.

Capital Connections: On Friday of the summit, E-Capital will schedule one-on-one meetings between investors and companies. Notable dealmakers who are already expected to participate include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Regeneration.VC, Closed Loop Partners, Barclays, and Shell.

EarthX Climate Tech Prize: Early-stage climate tech companies will pitch investors for the chance to win up to $10,000. On Tuesday, April 27, twenty companies will participate in a preliminary round live on EarthxTV, and finalists will present again on April 30. The winner will be announced that afternoon.

Thanks to a generous donor, EarthX announced that the entire event will be free, but investors and companies must apply for an invitation (new investor application is here and the company application is here). Applications were due April 2 for companies, but EarthX told Dallas Innovates they might accept some Dallas companies’ late applications. General participants can request access.