# ESS funding: rounds and investors > ESS has raised $58M across 3 rounds since 2017. Investors include Breakthrough Energy, SoftBank Group’s SB Energy and Fidelity. Every round with its source. Source: https://millionrounds.com/company/ess (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article) United States · [Funded startup](https://millionrounds.com/companies) # Who invested in *ESS* 3 rounds we have observed, with the 14 investors named in them. Every figure came from a named source, and where the company reported a raise to the SEC itself, that is shown beside it. Energy Hardware & Electronics Manufacturing Raised 10 months ago Funding summary Updated 26 Oct 2026 **$58M** raised across 3 rounds since 2017, from 3 sources **$13M** Series B **$30M** Series C **$15M** Round - **Latest round:** Round, $15M Jan 2026 - **Biggest round:** $30M Series C · Oct 2019 - **Investors:** 14 (2 led) See who backed them ## The funding story Each circle is a round, placed by date and sized by amount. The line above is the running total. 2019 2021 2023 2025 **$13M** Series B **$30M** Series C **$15M** Round - **First round:** Series B, $13M - **Biggest round:** $30M - **Usual gap between rounds:** 6.2 years ## The rounds - **Jan 2026** Round **$15M** *2 new* *1 returning* [Fidelity](https://millionrounds.com/fund/fidelity) [Portland Seed Fund](https://millionrounds.com/fund/portland-seed-fund) [Breakthrough Energy](https://millionrounds.com/fund/breakthrough-energy) Source recorded - **Oct 2019** Series C **$30M** *8 new* [Breakthrough Energy](https://millionrounds.com/fund/breakthrough-energy) Lead SoftBank Group’s SB Energy Lead [BASF Venture Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/basf-venture-capital) [Pangaea Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/pangaea-ventures) [Cycle Capital Management](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cycle-capital-management) [Evergy Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/evergy-ventures) [IPM Group](https://millionrounds.com/fund/ipm-group) PTT Global Chemical Reported by FinSMEs - **Dec 2017** Series B **$13M** *4 new* [Presidio](https://millionrounds.com/fund/presidio) BASF/ Cycle Capital InfraPartners Pangaea Reported by FinSMEs ## Who was in which round The busiest backers across the latest rounds. A filled square is a round they joined; a dark one, a round they led. **Series B** 2017 **Series C** 2019 **Round** 2026 [Breakthrough Energy](https://millionrounds.com/fund/breakthrough-energy) L SoftBank Group’s SB Energy L [Fidelity](https://millionrounds.com/fund/fidelity) [Portland Seed Fund](https://millionrounds.com/fund/portland-seed-fund) [BASF Venture Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/basf-venture-capital) [Pangaea Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/pangaea-ventures) [Presidio](https://millionrounds.com/fund/presidio) [Cycle Capital Management](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cycle-capital-management) [Evergy Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/evergy-ventures) [IPM Group](https://millionrounds.com/fund/ipm-group) ## Everyone who backed them [Breakthrough Energy](https://millionrounds.com/fund/breakthrough-energy) VC firm **2** rounds, led 1 SoftBank Group’s SB Energy no record of our own yet **1** round, led 1 [Fidelity](https://millionrounds.com/fund/fidelity) VC firm **1** round [Portland Seed Fund](https://millionrounds.com/fund/portland-seed-fund) VC firm **1** round [BASF Venture Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/basf-venture-capital) Corporate VC **1** round [Pangaea Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/pangaea-ventures) VC firm **1** round [Presidio](https://millionrounds.com/fund/presidio) Private equity **1** round [Cycle Capital Management](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cycle-capital-management) Growth equity **1** round [Evergy Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/evergy-ventures) Corporate VC **1** round [IPM Group](https://millionrounds.com/fund/ipm-group) Private equity **1** round BASF/ Cycle Capital no record of our own yet **1** round InfraPartners no record of our own yet **1** round Pangaea no record of our own yet **1** round PTT Global Chemical no record of our own yet **1** round Missing a round, or an investor who was in one? [Tell us](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?slug=ess). ## Also claim to have backed them These 2 firms list ESS as a portfolio company on their own websites, but no report of a round names them. They are the firms' own claims, kept apart from the rounds above. [Mossy Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/mossy-ventures) VC firm Per its own site [Wasson Enterprise](https://millionrounds.com/fund/wasson-enterprise) VC firm Per its own site ## Quick answers about ESS ### Who invested in ESS? ESS's investors include Breakthrough Energy, SoftBank Group’s SB Energy, Fidelity, Portland Seed Fund and BASF Venture Capital, and 9 more on record. ### How much has ESS raised? ESS has raised $58M across 3 rounds since 2017. ### When did ESS last raise? ESS's most recent round was an Undisclosed round of $15M in Jan 2026. ### What was ESS's biggest round? ESS's largest round on record is $30M (Series C), in Oct 2019, led by Breakthrough Energy. ### Who backed ESS first? ESS's first round on record, in Dec 2017, was backed by Presidio, BASF/ Cycle Capital and InfraPartners and 1 others. ### What stage is ESS at? ESS's latest named round is an Undisclosed round, in Jan 2026. ### Where is ESS based? ESS is based in the United States. ### Who led ESS's rounds? Breakthrough Energy led the Series C in 2019. ## Companies like ESS In the same sector, and raised in the last eighteen months. [**Amogy** $125M · Oct 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/amogy)[**Apex** $1.1B · Oct 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/apex)[**LanzaJet** $67M · Oct 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/lanzajet)[**Pivot Energy** $500M · Oct 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/pivot-energy)[**Pennsylvania American Water** $43M · Oct 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/pennsylvania-american-water)[**ZwitterCo** $58M · Oct 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/zwitterco) ## Find investors like these Search every investor by what they have actually funded, then narrow to your stage and market. Free. Open the investor searchOr these rounds in the app