Propeller Ventures

Propeller Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund founded in 2022 that invests in science-led founders building at the intersection of the ocean and climate. Its mandate covers companies in, on, around, or adjacent to the ocean, spanning ocean industrials, maritime and shipping decarbonization, carbon removal and monitoring, and marine biology. Propeller Fund I, the firm's inaugural vehicle, closed at $118 million and invests from pre-seed through Series A, typically writing cheques of approximately $500,000 to $3 million.

The firm's thesis rests on an under-allocation of climate capital to ocean-related technology: less than 1% of climate-tech venture investment went to ocean-climate technology in 2021, according to the figure cited by Propeller. The strategy is consequently science-led and research-oriented, with the firm collaborating with scientific institutions including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to evaluate technical claims in domains such as carbon capture and monitoring, marine biology, and industrial ocean technology.

Alongside capital, Propeller provides operating experience and networks to portfolio founders, and has created the Ocean MBA, a programme designed for founders in its sectors. The firm frames its mission around closing the ocean-climate investment gap, applying venture funding to technologies that address both ocean systems and climate mitigation.