Blackhorn Ventures

Looking for a job in #Sales at a growing startup accelerating the industrial data revolution? Check out our Jobs Board for over 40 sales opportunities across 70+ Blackhorn Ventures portfolio companies, including Buzz Solutions, Latent AI, Electric Era, Circuit Mind, Formic, Ridepanda, and Datch. Join the Blackhorn Ventures Talent Network today. Quickly create your profile, describe your ideal job, and if there's a mutual fit, we'll make a warm intro for you! Link here: https://lnkd.in/gYHBTXNv #jobs #careers #startups

Today, we’re proud to add another proof point to our continued momentum: We just opened our first station with Costco Wholesale! Again and again, Electric Era’s battery-backed EV charging stations are adding value to customer retail locations. What did it look to team up with another stellar Washington-based company? Here are the details: Electric Era recently worked with Costco Wholesale to deploy fast EV charging stations at their Ridgefield, Washington, location. The challenge? Offer a reliable and rapid deployment solution in just seven weeks, a process that usually takes years. Costco had several essential objectives: • Speed: Meet tight deadlines without delaying the new store opening • Reliability: Provide consistent uptime for an optimal customer experience • Efficiency: Avoid costly grid upgrades and managing energy costs effectively Electric Era’s patented battery-backed technology and full end-to-end solution met Costco’s needs—delivering a comprehensive installation in a fraction of the industry standard timeline (7 weeks from project initiation to full operation). This collaboration didn’t just set a new standard for installation speed but demonstrated how our approach delivers rapid, reliable charging and aligns with retailer’s brand and customer value. Our CEO, Quincy Edmund Lee noted, “This installation exemplifies how Electric Era delivers on unmatched deployment speed and ensures reliable charging infrastructure to meet the growing demands of Costco’s EV-driving members.” EV charging isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. Costco’s decision to choose Electric Era shows how forward-thinking retailers are transforming their operations to delight members. More here from Geekwire. Onwards and upwards! https://hubs.ly/Q02VG0Vp0

It’s rare to have one of your portfolio company Founders on the cover of Forbes. What’s even rarer is the singular vision and determination that we’ve seen from Emanuel Heisenberg, CEO of Blackhorn portfolio ecoworks.  For the last two years, we’ve been proud to partner with ecoworks in their mission to deliver greenhouse gas emissions reductions from renovated net-zero energy residential buildings. Construction, unlike other industrial sectors, is characterized by lumpy and unpredictable demand, which has resulted in the failure of virtually all CapEx-intensive residential prefabrication companies in the past, and has made construction prefab solutions a “no-go-zone” for most VC investors.   Based on the failure of “Operation Breakthrough” (the Federal government’s 1970s initiative to stimulate prefabrication in residential construction), and learnings from the failure of CapEx-heavy, integrated-value-chain, prefab solutions like that of Katerra, Veev and others, Blackhorn Ventures developed an investment thesis centered on capital-efficient prefab construction solutions. The acute and worsening shortage of skilled construction trade workers, the emissions savings that can be achieved from prefabrication, and the importance of accelerating construction schedules in a higher interest-rate environment make now the perfect time to scale companies like ecoworks.     When we first met Emanuel, ecoworks had a unique prefabricated, modular, insulated roof and façade overlay solution to upgrade the energy efficiency of the least energy-efficient apartment buildings in Germany — so energy inefficient that they would no longer be legal to rent after 2030 — and to replace gas and oil furnaces in these buildings with electric heat pumps powered by solar PV.   Alongside co-investors PT1, Zacua Ventures, World Fund, Sabanci Holding, WAREMA GROUP, ALP.X Group, Huf Group, Haniel, KOMPAS VC and ISAI we’re committed to the growth and scale of solutions like ecoworks that transform how we build, power, and move our world. Read the Forbes article here: https://lnkd.in/d_F3YKRr

NEW FUNDING: We’re proud to announce the successful close of King Energy's $10 million funding round led by ArcTern Ventures with participation from existing investors Blackhorn Ventures, Active Impact Investments, and Next Frontier Capital. Blackhorn originally invested in King Energy in 2022 with the thesis that solar financing and billing innovations are needed to drive forth adoption of clean energy. Today, King Energy is rapidly growing, managing nearly 200 energy programs at multi-tenant commercial properties, serving more than 25 million square feet of tenant space. John Witchel is the CEO of King Energy with a strong record of building and scaling successful companies. John’s experience in finance and renewable energy enabled him to build an exceptional leadership team of seasoned industry experts to lead King Energy’s expansion. We couldn't be more thrilled to continue our partnership with him. Check out our Founder Interview video below for insights from John on his views on the energy transition For more information on their financing announcement, check here: https://lnkd.in/eAJC5rFx To explore open job opportunities at King Energy, check here:  https://lnkd.in/gSCqmw_i #solar #innovation #cleanenergy #VC

US public EV Chargers are set to surpass gas stations in eight years Bloomberg highlights the rapid growth of public EV charging stations in the US, projecting they will soon outnumber gas stations. This shift is fueled by substantial investments and advancements in EV infrastructure, crucial for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable transportation. Investments in companies Electric Era are examples of why, despite recent industry headwinds, we continue to believe in the opportunity for value creation in this space. #EVs #chargers #infrastructure https://lnkd.in/grxnx3_i

Melissa Cheong, Managing Partner at Blackhorn Ventures, will be speaking on a panel about Funding Innovation at the Burridge Center for Finance, part of the University of Colorado Boulder - Leeds School of Business. She will be joined by an impressive lineup of industry leaders: Vijay Khatri, Rustandy Endowed Dean of Leeds Jeremy Held, Bow River Kevin Allen, Access Mode Kat Orekhova, Darkmode Ventures Ian Edelson, Partners Group Ryan Heckman, Rallyday Frederick Colen, Arrowmark David Matherly, WhiteHorse Caitlyn Van Valin, Odyssey Trust Steven Novakovic, CAIA, CFA, Tarryn Humphries, CAIA, MSFN Marc Patterson, Endeavor 👉 Don't miss this opportunity to hear from leading experts. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gMGZ6zmk #Innovation #VentureCapital #Finance #PanelDiscussion #BurridgeCenter #CULeeds

The US needs to focus on innovation, training, and infrastructure investment to revitalize productivity. "Why has U.S. manufacturing productivity stopped increasing?" by Noah Smith (one of our favorite economists) examines the stagnation in U.S. manufacturing productivity since the early 2000s. Potential factors include offshoring, decreased investment in new technologies, and changes in industry composition. With investments in companies like Formic and Datch, we're big believers in the idea that innovation is part of the solution to revitalize this critical sector. #manufacturing #innovation

Thanks to everyone who participated in #ClimateWeekNYC! Every year, the urgency for action grows, and so does the incredible community of people driving industrial impact. We were thrilled to co-host an event with our friends at Active Impact Investments on the energy transition, featuring portfolio companies King Energy and ThinkLabs AI, Inc. We also participated in several panels, including at the Oliver Wyman Forum on mobility. #NYClimateWeek #NYCClimateWeek2024 #ClimateAction #EnergyTransition #Sustainability

Google is structuring deals to expand a new method for buying clean electricity that could open a major new path to viability for low-carbon power projects that have been too expensive for utilities to pursue on their own. With Tier 1 utilities including American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Southern Company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority engaged around the deployment of geothermal, advanced nuclear power plants, long-duration storage, and grid enhancements, a new era of utility partnerships in the energy world is underway. https://lnkd.in/gMqBWKGF #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #Innovation

Melissa Cheong, Managing Partner at Blackhorn Ventures, headed to the Blueprint Conference in Vegas last week for a Women in Construction Tech lunch with Minna Fingerhood, Meirav Oren (Fainaru), Sherry Chris, and Antonia Elisa Soler Blasco. We're excited to help create more opportunities for women in leadership roles in real estate and construction. #WomenInLeadership #Construction #RealEstate #BlueprintVegas #ConstructionTech #PropTech #WCT