Environmental impact-focused investment platform Elemental Impact, alongside tech giants Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, announced today the launch of the Data Center Innovation Initiative (DCII), a new initiative aimed at investing in clean energy and materials technology startups, and testing their solutions in data center environments for future deployment across broader energy and industrial applications.
According to Elemental Impact, the new initiative is being launched to take advantage of a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” with data centers emerging as one of the largest drivers of infrastructure development, driving a need for power systems, materials, and industrial infrastructure, and creating unprecedented demand and momentum for new technologies.
Dawn Lippert, CEO and Founder of Elemental Impact, said:
“We see this historic buildout of data centers as a way to pull forward important innovations that we’ve been investing in for many years—across energy, materials, and water. By collaborating with Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, we can help accelerate how these entrepreneurs are deploying—commercializing technologies that reduce emissions and deliver more positive impact for communities, including affordable, reliable energy.”
Under the new initiative, Elemental will invest between $500,000 and $5 million in up to 10 technology startups through 2027, with DCII also providing specialized expertise ranging from financing and deployment strategies to workforce development, to help the companies navigate complexities and scale projects faster. As part of their role, Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft will help to identify priority technology areas, provide strategic input during the diligence process, support project deployment opportunities, and share project outcomes to accelerate adoption across the industry.
Nat Sahlstrom, VP of Energy and Sustainability at Meta, said:
“Data centers are uniquely positioned to serve as catalysts for clean energy and sustainable building materials. What excites us about the DCII is the focus on advancing emerging technology projects, building on Meta’s commitment to designing, building and operating sustainable and innovative data centers. By sharing what we learn together, we can support entrepreneurs to scale faster and move these innovations to real-world impact.”
Technology areas targeted by the new initiative will include energy storage, advanced electrical systems, industrial cooling solutions, and low-carbon materials. Each technology will be tested in existing data centers or demonstration sites with the goal of scaling these solutions to improve local energy availability and reliability, enable more efficient use of materials and land, and reduce emissions at scale, Elemental said.
Microsoft Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa said:
“Sustainable data center design represents one of the fastest-growing opportunities for new technology adoption today. That’s why Microsoft has joined with Elemental Impact to convene industry leaders and innovators across the ecosystem in pursuit of promising technologies to reduce emissions. Our focus is on helping scale solutions to deliver reliable, clean power and sustainable materials, while improving efficiency and resiliency in the communities where we operate.”
In addition to the tech giants, the new initiative also includes philanthropic partners such as Breakthrough Energy Discovery, Builders Vision Philanthropy, Salesforce, and the Stolte Family Foundation, as well as legal partner Wilson Sonsini.
