Collaborative Fund
Canvas Category Consultancy : Company : Venture Capital
We are a network of fund managers investing across asset classes, identifying and supporting companies that live at the intersection of for-profit & for-good.
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Acceleron Fusion Secures $24M Series A Led by Lowercarbon Capital and Collaborative Fund to Revolutionize Clean Energy with Muon-Catalyzed Fusion
Acceleron Fusion, a pioneer in muon-catalyzed fusion energy, has closed a $24 million Series A funding round. The round was co-led by Lowercarbon Capital and Collaborative Fund. This funding marks a significant step in advancing a breakthrough fusion technology that could redefine the future of clean energy while enhancing energy security and independence.
The funding will fuel Acceleron’s efforts to advance its unique approach to clean, safe, and abundant energy. Traditional fusion machines require extreme temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius. Acceleron’s technology uses muons—heavy subatomic particles—to achieve fusion reactions at temperatures below 1,000 degrees Celsius. This approach could speed the transition of fusion from the lab to practical, deployable power plants. Muon-catalyzed fusion, first discovered in the 1950s, is a proven and well-understood physical process. In the mid 1980s, several groups worldwide demonstrated more than 100 fusion reactions per muon, raising the possibility that the process could be used to generate energy. However, calculations done at the time concluded that it would take more energy to power the muon source than could be released by the fusion.
Acceleron is developing an intense, high-efficiency muon source to produce beams of muons using significantly less energy than current facilities, and a high-density fusion cell to allow each of these muons to catalyze larger numbers of fusion reactions. The company is building on decades of previous work in muon production and muon-catalyzed fusion by university and national lab researchers – and leveraging recent advances in materials science, computer simulation, and machine learning to develop the technology to the level of efficiency needed for energy production.
Matereal Inc. Raises $4.5M Seed Round, To Lead the Fight Against Toxic Plastics
Matereal, a pioneering plastic replacements technology, proudly announces the successful closure of its $4.5 million seed funding round, led by the Collaborative Fund. This key investment propels Matereal into its next stage of development to bring a new environmentally safe plastic to market. The funds will support the company on its mission to decarbonize and detoxify the chemical plastic supply chain.
The technology powering Matereal’s transformative agenda is the commercialization of its groundbreaking chemical platform, Polaris™. This innovative non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) is a monumental breakthrough, offering a sustainable and safe alternative to traditional polyurethane—a historically challenging plastic to decarbonize. Nearly every product sold to consumers contains polyurethane, from fashion to paints, but it is not a renewable resource and has limited, to no, end-of-life options. With the global polyurethane market reaching nearly $90 billion annually, the need to address its carbon-intensive and toxic nature is paramount, and Matereal is on a path to replace it.
Anthro Closes $20M Series A Financing and Completes UN 38.3 Battery Certification
Anthro Energy announced two major milestones: the closing of an over-subscribed $20M Series A financing round and completion of UN 38.3 battery certification, a key global safety standard for lithium battery transport. Collaborative Fund led the financing, with significant participation from existing investors including Union Square Ventures, Emerson Collective, and Voyager Ventures. Energy Revolution Ventures, Ultratech Capital Partners, Nor’easter Ventures, and Overlap Holdings also participated in the round. The funds will be used to build a Bay Area-based pilot production facility to commercialize and scale Anthro’s advanced battery technologies.
Anthro’s key innovation is its advanced non-volatile and mechanically tunable polymer electrolyte. The company’s proprietary polymer replaces the highly flammable liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion batteries. “Our polymer electrolyte provides an unprecedented combination of performance, safety, and mechanical integrity,” said Anthro CTO Joe Papp, Ph.D. “By replacing conventional liquid electrolytes with our polymer, we can enable new battery form factors and battery chemistries that can facilitate broader electrification efforts across our economy.”