Entrepreneurs
Working Capital for Business Growth
Let Climate Tech Finance help you find affordable working capital to scale your business
Even with the availability of federal infrastructure and climate funding on the horizon, entrepreneurs developing advanced energy systems and other emission-reducing technologies need access to capital today so they can bring urgently needed climate solutions to businesses and communities.
Venture and private equity funding are options, yet the need for working capital greatly exceeds the supply of this sort of capital. Commercial and community banks can help, except that many of them lack the climate tech industry expertise, business models, and risk assessment tools they’d need to evaluate new climate technology ventures.
To bridge this gap, Climate Tech Finance, in partnership with the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank), offers loan guarantees of up to $5M or 80% to de-risk the lending process for banks and open up new sources of capital for climate tech entrepreneurs.
How It Works
We’ve designed the process to be straightforward, quick, and easy. In most cases, funding is available within one to six months.
1. If you’re a climate tech entrepreneur, begin by submitting an application and speaking with the Climate Tech Finance team.
2. When eligibility is confirmed, provide financial information including a business plan summary, balance sheets and income statements, tax returns, and financial projections to your assigned Finance Lead for review.
3. You’ll be matched with the best lender among those participating in the loan guarantee program.
4. As soon as the lender provides a term sheet, the Climate Tech Finance team will evaluate your technology, prepares forecasts of greenhouse gas emission reductions, and determines the technology’s social equity impacts.
5. Once your application is complete, Climate Tech Finance submits it to IBank to log it at the State Treasurer’s Office.
6. As soon as the lender has approved your loan, the guarantee is underwritten and processed, and funds are transferred to you.
Standard Level of Service for Program Participants
For an early-stage business that is eligible to participate in the Climate Tech Finance program, you can expect financial support in these areas:
- Financial & Business Support
- Evaluation and feedback on your business plan.
- Identification of gaps and recommended solutions.
- Financing Preparation & Documentation
- Review of your financial documents (e.g., balance sheets, income statements, tax returns, and projections).
- Assessment of your company’s business package and advisement of its suitability to receive financing.
- Lender & Funding Connections (for businesses that pass the preliminary financial review)
- Technical assistance in assembling financing packages for potential lenders.
- Connection with identified financial institutions (commercial banks, CDFIs, credit unions) ready to offer debt financing.
- Connection with a local Financial Development Corporation that underwrites the loan guarantee on behalf of the State of California.
