Vanguard Renewables Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

Vanguard Renewables was acquired by BlackRock for $700M in July 2022.

Vanguard Renewables acquisition price

$700M

Acquired by BlackRock · Jul 2022

Cumulative funding Vanguard Renewables raised

$430M

across 1 funding round

Key investors in Vanguard Renewables

  • Vision Ridge Capital Partners

Vanguard Renewables Overview

About Vanguard Renewables

Vanguard Renewables is a Boston-headquartered developer of anaerobic digestion facilities converting food waste and manure into renewable natural gas. The company operates 20 farm-based digesters across New England and New York, processing waste from partners like Whole Foods and universities. Its co-digestion model yields RNG injected into utility pipelines, powering vehicles and grids while generating fertilizer byproducts.


Founded

2014

HQ

United StatesBoston, MA

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Product sales

Valuation

$700M (acquired Jul 2022)

Vanguard Renewables Acquisition

Vanguard Renewables was acquired by BlackRock for $700M on 20 July 2022.

Before the acquisition Vanguard Renewables had raised $430M across 1 funding round.

A fund managed by BlackRock Real Assets agreed to acquire Vanguard Renewables from Vision Ridge Partners in July 2022 in a deal reported at $700 million. The price was reported by the Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter and was not confirmed by the parties. BlackRock was expected to invest an estimated $2 billion in expanding Vanguard's portfolio, with at least $1 billion in further financing for new digesters. Chief executive Neil Smith said Vanguard needed more capital and that staying with Vision Ridge would have meant another fund of the same manager. He said BlackRock shared the company's purpose and could fund more than 100 plants over three to five years. Vanguard Renewables is a Massachusetts-based renewable natural gas company that builds and operates anaerobic digesters turning food waste and farm manure into renewable energy. It was founded in 2014 and, according to the company, operated the largest number of digesters of any U.S. operator. Six digesters had been built in the Northeast, its Vanguard Organics division co-digests food and farm waste, and it works with Dominion Energy on about 12 manure-based digesters under construction, with about 60 more planned. The company is a member of the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance of large food manufacturers. It employed about 150 people and planned around 100 more hires within a year, and the investment was expected to take the portfolio to upward of 150 sites.

Vanguard Renewables acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
20 Jul 2022PE buyout$700M

Sources: wastedive.com, wsj.com

Vanguard Renewables Funding History

Vanguard Renewables has raised a total of $430M across 1 funding round.

Vanguard Renewables funding rounds

Vanguard Renewables funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Jan 2014Undisclosed stageVision Ridge Capital Partners$430MVanguard Renewables, founded in 2014 by John Hanselman and Kevin Chase, develops anaerobic digesters that convert food waste and dairy manure into renewable natural gas (RNG). Vision Ridge Partners invested in the company from its founding, supporting growth from early facilities co-located with farms in Massachusetts and Vermont to a national platform. The company operates through business lines like Vanguard Organics and Vanguard Ag, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions while providing financial benefits to host farmers under long-term contracts. Vision Ridge Partners held Vanguard Renewables for eight years, enabling expansion into a leader in organics-to-RNG projects. In July 2022, Vision Ridge sold the company to a BlackRock Real Assets fund, reported by multiple sources including the Wall Street Journal as a $700 million deal, with potential additional BlackRock investment exceeding $1 billion for growth. At the time of sale, Vanguard operated six digesters and aimed for over 100 by 2026.

Who has invested in Vanguard Renewables?

1 investor has backed Vanguard Renewables across its funding rounds, including Vision Ridge Capital Partners.


Vanguard Renewables Investors

Investors in Vanguard Renewables by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Acquisitions by Vanguard Renewables

Vanguard Renewables has acquired 3 companies to date.

Last acquisition by Vanguard Renewables was on September 21st 2026. Vanguard Renewables acquired Generate Upcycle (North America operations) for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by Vanguard Renewables

Generate Upcycle (North America operations)
E-Z Recycling
Complete Beverage Destruction
Description
Generate Upcycle - North American Operations is a unit of Generate Upcycle.
E-Z Recycling is a materials recovery facility focused on depackaging, processing, and recycling expired and unsalable food and beverage products.
Complete Beverage Destruction is a U.S. provider of secure destruction services for surplus and unsellable alcoholic beverages. Operating facilities in California and Nevada, the company crushes, renders, and recycles beer, wine, and spirits in compliance with TTB regulations, serving breweries, distributors, and retailers nationwide.
HQ CountryUnited StatesUnited StatesUnited States
HQ City
-
-
Tampa, FL
Deal Date21 Sep 202617 Feb 20263 Nov 2025
Valuationundisclosedundisclosedundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Vanguard Renewables Competitors

Vanguard Renewables competitors include listed companies like Canadian Solar and KPI Green Energy, and private ones like Amogy, Fulcrum Bioenergy, Tree Energy Solutions and NEXT Renewable Fuels.

Public and private companies comparable to Vanguard Renewables
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
AmogyUnited StatesNew York City, NYPrivate--$700M-
Fulcrum BioenergyUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate--$603M-
Tree Energy SolutionsBelgiumBrusselsPrivate--$708M-
NEXT Renewable FuelsUnited StatesPortland, ORPrivate--$666M-
Canadian SolarUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$5.6B$546M$755M1.6x
KPI Green EnergyIndiaIndiaPublicly listed$286M$103M$620M3.3x

Vanguard Renewables Public Comps

Vanguard Renewables is no longer listed, but its public comps include Granite Ridge Resources, XPLR Infrastructure, Mogan Enerji, Edenor, TXO Partners, EnQuest, Tamar Petroleum, Canadian Solar, Cloudberry Clean Energy and Shizuoka Gas Co.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Granite Ridge Resources$450M$273M2.5x1.9x4.1x3.1x
XPLR Infrastructure$1.2B$607M11.5x10.4x22.5x-
Mogan Enerji$216M$102M3.0x1.7x6.3x3.3x
Edenor$1.9B$521M0.5x0.5x2.0x3.8x
TXO Partners$401M$91M2.5x2.3x10.8x5.3x
EnQuest$1.1B$894M1.4x1.3x1.8x2.5x
Tamar Petroleum$300M$140M4.6x-9.8x-
Canadian Solar$5.6B$546M1.6x1.6x16.0x17.6x

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Common questions about Vanguard Renewables

When was Vanguard Renewables founded?Vanguard Renewables was founded in 2014.
Where is Vanguard Renewables headquartered?Vanguard Renewables is headquartered in Boston, MA, United States.
Is Vanguard Renewables publicly listed?No, Vanguard Renewables was acquired by BlackRock in July 2022.
Who acquired Vanguard Renewables?Vanguard Renewables was acquired by BlackRock in July 2022.
How much was Vanguard Renewables acquired for?Vanguard Renewables was acquired for $700M in July 2022.
How much funding has Vanguard Renewables raised?Vanguard Renewables has raised $430M across 1 funding round.
What was Vanguard Renewables' last funding round?Vanguard Renewables' last funding round was a $430M undisclosed-stage round in January 2014.
Who are Vanguard Renewables' investors?Vanguard Renewables' investors include Vision Ridge Capital Partners.
Which companies are comparable to Vanguard Renewables?Companies comparable to Vanguard Renewables include Amogy, Fulcrum Bioenergy, Tree Energy Solutions, NEXT Renewable Fuels, Canadian Solar and KPI Green Energy.
How many companies has Vanguard Renewables acquired?Vanguard Renewables has acquired 3 companies, including Generate Upcycle (North America operations), E-Z Recycling and Complete Beverage Destruction.

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