We are scientists and investors with purpose. We draw strength from layered knowledge, long-term observation and identifying patterns to unwind complex problems.
At Lichen Ventures, we envision a future where progress doesn’t come at the planet’s expense. We believe our tomorrow is shaped by the potential of climate-hard-tech innovations to substantially benefit and change the trajectory of our planet’s health and sustainability. We are focusing on US-based companies whose unit economics pencil out without monetizing their climate impacts, whose savings are undeniably just good business.
Our thesis includes sectors that are most ripe for disruption and hold the most power for positive impact: biomanufacturing, adaptation and resilience, industrial decarbonization, critical minerals, and methane management. We invite those who disrupt with discipline and those operating at the frontier of climate-hard-tech to join us.
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Lichen Ventures was born from a simple but urgent conviction: the climate crisis demands more than good intentions—it requires deep science, daring founders, and disciplined disruption.
Founded by Justin Brodie-Kommit, PhD, a scientist-turned-investor with roots in both biological research and venture capital, Lichen Ventures exists to fund early-stage climate-hard-tech companies, those that often are technically complex yet have an outsized impact to our planet.
Empathy isn’t sentiment; it’s strategy. It underpins the fiduciary integrity of our investments, the bold founders we back, and the like-minded misfits we call partners—raging against the machine to fix what it broke. In a world of high stakes and hard science, empathy grounds us and moves us all forward.
We commit to entrepreneurs and the challenges they face. Our steadfast approach to scalable climate-hard-tech ingenuity fosters a solid foundation for adapting to unpredictable market forces. Even when the path isn’t clear, we are relentlessly in for the long game.
We take our cue from the lichen whose symbiosis allows it to thrive and rebuild ecosystems despite hostile terrain. We believe in relationships where everyone contributes and everyone benefits. From our founders to our investor network, we foster innovative ecosystems where knowledge, risk, and reward are shared.
We are scientists and investors with purpose. We draw strength from layered knowledge, long-term observation, and identifying patterns to unwind complex problems. We don’t just know our field—we inhabit it.
Lichen Ventures helps connect the dots between local innovation and global impact. We leverage our expert network including academics, think tankers, policy makers, investors, founders and sector experts. We believe in collective intelligence—because scaling climate solutions requires more than individual wins; it demands shared progress.
Explore detailed responses to common inquiries about our investment approach, climate innovation focus, and the impact of our symbiotic network. We’re committed to clarity and transparency for founders, partners, and stakeholders.
Every investment starts with a single question: Will this innovation meaningfully move the needle on climate? We only back technologies that significantly mitigate our climate crisis or enhance our adaptation and resilience to it. The bar is high because the stakes are higher.
We write $200,000 investments into US-based Seed Stage companies and do not lead rounds.
We’re more than capital—we’re a symbiotic network. Like the lichen that inspired our name, we thrive in tough environments by connecting founders, researchers, investors, and operators. Together, we build resilient ecosystems where everyone contributes and everyone benefits.
Lichen Ventures is led by Justin Brodie-Kommit, a climate-hard-tech investor and community builder with a PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins. He’s invested in over 80 climate-tech companies, co-founded climate meetups, and helped scale platforms like Resilient Earth Capital. His fluency across biology, policy, supply chains, and venture ecosystems is matched by a personal motivation: building a better planet for his daughter.
With a nimble fund structure, we engage deeply with every founder we back. That means technical insight, commercial strategy, and the kind of emotional resilience it takes to build hard things that last. We’re partners in the long haul—not just investors. Our managing partner and venture partners provide wraparound support for all of our portfolio companies, from catalytic connections and marketing to human capital and operational support.
From being a driving catalyst to launch DC Climate Week to convening the Baltimore/Maryland Climate Collective, Lichen Ventures helps connect the dots between local innovation and global impact. We leverage our expert network including academics, think tankers, policy makers, investors, founders and sector experts. We believe in collective intelligence—because scaling climate solutions requires more than individual wins; it demands shared progress.
We envision a world where progress doesn’t come at the planet’s expense. A world built by ventures bold enough to challenge what’s broken, disciplined enough to rebuild it, and resilient enough to endure. We’re not here for hype—we’re here to fund the future, together.
Lichen are among the planet’s most resilient organisms, born from the symbiosis of algae and fungi. Lichen are also ecosystem builders—pioneer species that restore life after disruption. At Lichen Ventures, we invest in that same spirit of symbiosis: building a regenerative future between humanity and our planet.