We invest in digital solutions to climate change.

We fund climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Digital, to us, means software and simple hardware.

BUOYANT INVESTMENT THESIS

Digital Solutions to Climate Change:

We invest in software and simple hardware that helps adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
FINANCIAL
IMPACT
+
CLIMATE
IMPACT
OUR FOCUS
BUILT
ENVIRONMENT
food &
agriculture
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
MOBILITY
climate
intelligence
WATER
ENERGY
Early Stage
Seed & Series A
Climate Impact
Mitigation & Adaptation
Learn about our Focus
OUR APPROACH

We’re hands-on partners.

As a 100% woman-owned firm, we believe in building high-performing, diverse teams.
See our Approach
Our mIssion:

Invest in and actively support founders creating high impact digital solutions in our fight against climate change, while delivering exceptional outcomes for our stakeholders.

Our calling is to create a climate-resilient world where current and future generations flourish and nature is restored.
Our Core Values
OUR LIMITED PARTNERS
Buoyant is proud to work with some leading corporations and institutions as investors.
OUR PORTFOLIO

We invest in digital-focused, diverse teams on a mission to address climate change, today.

SEE OUR PORTFOLIO
Canopy
Shifted Energy
Reel Data
Beni
Audette
FloodFlash
StormSensor
SupplyShift
RaptorMaps
Canopy
Shifted Energy
Reel Data
Beni
Audette
FloodFlash
StormSensor
SupplyShift
RaptorMaps
Canopy
Shifted Energy
Reel Data
Beni
Audette
FloodFlash
StormSensor
SupplyShift
RaptorMaps
Canopy
Shifted Energy
Reel Data
Beni
Audette
FloodFlash
StormSensor
SupplyShift
RaptorMaps
BUOYANT FOUNDERS

Built by founders, for founders.

MEET THE TEAM
Amy Francetic

Amy Francetic

Managing General Partner
Co-Founder

‍

25 years in energy + tech. Founded two companies, sold one, advising fellow founders, & serving on boards of directors along the way.

Read Amy's full Bio
Allison Myers

Allison Myers

General Partner
Co-Founder

Business exec. & entrepreneur with a passion for bold climate solutions.

The Buoyant team has deep expertise in energy transition and supporting ambitious startups that are tackling existential climate issues. They have been invaluable in connecting us with financiers and asset owners in the utility-scale solar ecosystem, so we can power their digital transformations and build and maintain more solar assets.”
“
Nikhil Vadhavkar
CEO, Raptor Maps
The team at Buoyant is far more than your typical VC. Even before the docs were finalized, they got heavily involved in helping with lead generation, partner introductions, and strategy alignment. Invaluable at board meetings, and always ready to review investor materials, as well as refine messaging and provide feedback on all aspects of the business. Couldn't be happier to have them on my team.”
“
Alexander Gershenson
CEO, SupplyShift
We are so grateful for the Buoyant team's commitment to supporting Beni! They played a huge role in syndicating our round, bringing in new investors and helping us structure our approach. We could not have had a successful (and oversubscribed) round without them. I am excited to continue to work with Amy & Allison as fellow female leaders in climate tech.”
“
Sarah Pinner
Co-Founder & CEO, Beni
Amy and the team at Buoyant have brought invaluable knowledge of the US climate space to FloodFlash. This has been vital as our business has expanded to a new continent from our beginnings in Europe. I feel Amy’s support in the boardroom where she is a clear and challenging voice of leadership, and in the market as a source of new leads, information, and customers.”
“
Adam Rimmer
Co-Founder & CEO, FloodFlash
See our Portfolio

We invest in bold solutions for big problems.

Tell us about yours.

If you're a digital ClimateTech founder and think we could be the right partner for you, please reach out.
Share your vision
THE LIGHTHOUSE:

Subscribe to stay updated on news, insights, & invites to special events within our community.

We’re lighting the path forward for the ClimateTech industry—keep up with us along the journey.

View our Publication

Solve for Today.
Scale for the Future.

About Us
Amy Francetic is co-founder and Managing General Partner of Buoyant Ventures, a new venture fund in Chicago with $81M AUM that invests in digital climate solutions for energy, transportation, agriculture, water, and the built environment.

Her career spans over 20 years of high technology entrepreneurship, private equity, and research. Amy previously founded and led Energize Ventures, a $165mm venture fund that invests in digital energy technologies.

She also co-founded and served as CEO of technology accelerator Evergreen Climate Innovations (formerly Clean Energy Trust,) which has invested in over 40 early-stage clean energy companies across the Midwestern US. She now serves as Chair of its Board of Directors. Amy also held roles at private equity firm MVC Capital, and at Stanford Research Institute where she worked on an early version of the voice recognition technology that became Siri. Earlier in her career, she was co-founder and CEO of a consumer technology company that was funded by Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, and that she sold to the Danish toy company, Lego Systems. Amy also helped fundraise for mobile gaming company, GluMobile, on whose board she served until it went public on the NASDAQ.

In addition to the Evergreen Climate board, Amy serves on the boards of Buoyant Ventures portfolio companies FloodFlash, ReelData, Beni, and Raptor Maps.  She also serves on the Advisory Board for the WISER Institute at the Illinois Institute of Technology. In 2020 Crain’s recognized her for the third time as one of Chicago’s Top 50 Technology Leaders. In 2019 she was honored by Streetwise as one of the “20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans.” In 2015 she was an Emerging Leader at the Chicago Council for Global Affairs. In 2014 she was awarded the Corporate Citizen of the Year Award from the Executives’ Club of Chicago, and Leading Woman in Technology from the Illinois Technology Association. Amy is a regular lecturer in energy and entrepreneurship at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago’s Law School. She has a BA from Stanford University.

Amy lives in Lake Forest, IL with her husband and two teenage daughters.