After three impactful years at Energize Capital, Lauren Densham is stepping into a much bigger role.

The Chicago-based climate-focused venture capital firm has promoted her to Partner and Head of Portfolio Services & Impact, a move that reflects both her leadership and the firm’s growing ambitions in the climate tech space.

From KPMG Strategy to Climate VC Trailblazer

Before joining Energize, Densham built a strong foundation during her 15-year career at KPMG.

There, she worked across audit, mergers and acquisitions, sustainability, and strategic transformation.

This unique mix of experience helped shape her vision for responsible investing—something that has clearly resonated at Energize.

When she first arrived at the firm, she was brought on as Head of Impact.

From day one, she infused the firm with a deep operational lens and a clear drive to make investing not just profitable, but purposeful.

Building Energize EDGE: A Post-Investment Powerhouse

One of Densham’s standout contributions has been launching and leading Energize EDGE, a comprehensive platform that supports startups well beyond the check-writing stage.

EDGE isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a structured suite of services spread across five strategic areas:

Go-to-Market
Finance & Operations
Talent
Communications
Impact

Through this platform, Energize provides hands-on support to portfolio companies, helping them grow in sustainable and scalable ways.

It’s a model that speaks to the firm’s long-term, high-touch approach.

Energize Capital: Fueling the Future of Climate Innovation

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Chicago, Energize Capital has positioned itself as a key player in the climate tech investment world.

The firm typically invests early, writing initial checks between $10–20 million, and has already backed 30 innovative companies, deploying more than $750 million in total.

The focus? Scalable solutions to the climate crisis—with a heavy emphasis on operational support, like the kind Densham now leads.

The People Powering the Mission

Lauren Densham joins a strong leadership team that includes:

John Tough
Katie McClain
Juan Muldoon
Kevin Stevens
Tyler Lancaster

Together, this group is steering Energize into a future where climate investing is just as much about impact as it is about return.

What’s Next for Lauren Densham and Energize Capital?

With this new role, Densham will no doubt continue to push boundaries in what portfolio support and impact really look like.

As climate tech continues to evolve—and the world demands more action—her expanded leadership could not come at a better time.

Energize Capital, with Densham at the helm of post-investment strategy, seems ready to meet the moment.