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- Cool Planet
Cool Planet Funding, Investors & Competitors
Cool Planet has raised $140M across 3 funding rounds, most recently a $20M Series A in July 2018.
Last Cool Planet funding round
$20M
Series A · Jul 2018
Cumulative funding Cool Planet raised
$140M
across 3 funding rounds
Key investors in Cool Planet
North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity
Agustín Coppel
Concert Energy Partners, LLC
About Cool Planet
Cool Planet is a Boulder-headquartered technology firm founded in 2009 that converts biomass into biocarbon for soil enhancement and renewable fuels via pyrolysis. The company's Gasogene platform produces carbon-negative products from agricultural waste, with operations extending to Mexico for feedstock processing. It supplies biochar to farmers for carbon farming credits and fuels to industrial users seeking low-emission alternatives.
Founded
2009
HQ
Website
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Product sales
Cool Planet Funding History
Cool Planet has raised a total of $140M across 3 funding rounds.
Cool Planet's first fundraising round was a $100M Series D in March 2014. The most recent completed round was a $20M Series A in July 2018.
Cool Planet funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2018 | Series A | Agustín Coppel (lead); North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity (lead) | $20M | Cool Planet is an agricultural technology company focused on soil health solutions. The company developed engineered biocarbon products, including Cool Terra and Cool Fauna, designed to improve soil health. In July 2018, Cool Planet closed $20.3 million in Series A financing and note conversion. The funding was designated to increase overall production of Cool Terra and to continue investment in research, development, and commercialization of its Engineered Biocarbon technology. |
| Mar 2017 | Series A | Agustín Coppel (lead); North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity (lead) | $19M | Cool Planet, an agriculture technology company originally focused on biofuels but pivoted to biological ag products, raised $19.3 million in a Series A financing round and note conversion on March 23, 2017, led by Agustín Coppel and North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity. The funding aims to commercialize its engineered biocarbon products, Cool Terra for increasing crop yields (reportedly up to 14.9%) and improving soil health in production agriculture, turf, nursery, and ornamental markets, and Cool Fauna for potential animal health benefits including weight gain and methane reduction in cattle. The company has partnered with distributors like Helena Chemical Company, J.R. Simplot Company, Triangle Chemical Company, and AG RX to launch Cool Terra, with plans for over 100 third-party field trials in 2017 alongside initial commercial sales. This round marks the Series A for Cool Planet's agricultural business segment, distinct from its prior biofuels operations which raised over $140 million including a $100 million Series D in 2014 from investors like Google Ventures. North Bridge, an original investor, continued support post-pivot, while earlier biofuels backers stepped back. The company had raised nearly $30 million in the prior 18 months, highlighting investor confidence amid a 30% decline in ag tech investments in 2016. Leadership includes CEO Jim Loar, who joined in late 2015, and CFO Barry Rowan, both emphasizing the timing for product launch. Cool Planet's technology leverages biomass conversion byproducts for sustainable, profitable ag solutions, targeting markets ahead in sustainability like turf due to regulatory pressures expected to extend to production agriculture. The pivot was driven by falling fuel prices, shifting focus from hydrocarbon production under Cool Fuels (now on backburner) to biochar's crop-enhancing properties while retaining related IP and research strengths. |
| Mar 2014 | Series D | Concert Energy Partners, LLC (lead); North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity (lead) | $100M | Cool Planet Energy Systems raised $100 million in Series D financing in March 2014, led by UBS and Goldman Sachs according to press reports. Previous investors including Google Ventures, BP, Energy Technology Ventures (GE, ConocoPhillips, and NRG Energy), and Constellation division of Exelon participated in the round. The company produces green biofuels and agricultural products, specifically developing CoolTerra biochar for commercial agriculture applications. With the funding, Cool Planet aimed to scale biofuel and CoolTerra production, with plans to complete its first biofuel production plant in Alexandria, Louisiana, designed to produce 10 million gallons annually of high-octane renewable fuel and biochar products. The company had begun commercial sales of CoolTerra and secured a water treatment agreement with Organic Waste Solutions. |
Who has invested in Cool Planet?
3 investors have backed Cool Planet across its funding rounds, including North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity, Agustín Coppel and Concert Energy Partners, LLC.
Lead investors include Agustín Coppel, North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity and Concert Energy Partners, LLC.
Cool Planet Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Lead | Mar 2014 | ||
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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialCool Planet Competitors
Cool Planet competitors include listed companies like First Solar, Nextracker, Jinko Solar and Enphase Energy, and private ones like Northvolt and 1Komma5°.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly listed | $5.2B | $2.1B | $22B | 4.0x | ||
| Publicly listed | $3.6B | $747M | $13B | 2.9x | ||
| Private | - | - | $12B | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $9.8B | $35M | $5.7B | 0.9x | ||
| Publicly listed | $1.5B | $227M | $4.8B | 3.5x | ||
| Private | $598M | - | $1.4B | - |
Cool Planet Public Comps
Cool Planet is still privately-owned, but its public comps include GE Vernova, Iberdrola, China Yangtze Power, Constellation Energy, Vistra, ACWA Power, Vestas, Ørsted, Gulf Development and Huaneng Lancang River.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $38B | $3.2B | 6.2x | 5.4x | 73.5x | 43.5x | |||
| $51B | $17B | 4.4x | 4.3x | 13.2x | 11.8x | |||
| $13B | $11B | 11.4x | 11.3x | 13.9x | 14.4x | |||
| $26B | $5B | 4.6x | 3.8x | 23.5x | 15.3x | |||
| $18B | $5B | 4.0x | 3.3x | 13.9x | 10.2x | |||
| $2B | $1.1B | 22.3x | 19.9x | 41.9x | 36.4x | |||
| $22B | $2.6B | 1.4x | 1.3x | 11.9x | 10.1x | |||
| $9.8B | $2.9B | 3.6x | 2.8x | 11.9x | 8.1x | |||
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Common questions about Cool Planet
| When was Cool Planet founded? | Cool Planet was founded in 2009. |
| Where is Cool Planet headquartered? | Cool Planet is headquartered in Denver, CO, United States. |
| Is Cool Planet publicly listed? | No, Cool Planet is a private, VC-backed company. |
| How much funding has Cool Planet raised? | Cool Planet has raised $140M across 3 funding rounds. |
| What was Cool Planet's last funding round? | Cool Planet's last funding round was a $20M Series A in July 2018, led by Agustín Coppel and North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity. |
| Who are Cool Planet's investors? | Cool Planet's investors include North Bridge Venture Partners & Growth Equity, Agustín Coppel and Concert Energy Partners, LLC. |
| Which companies are comparable to Cool Planet? | Companies comparable to Cool Planet include First Solar, Nextracker, Northvolt, Jinko Solar, Enphase Energy and 1Komma5°. |
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