Bloom Energy is a technology company.
Bloom Energy has raised $400.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Bloom Energy has raised $400.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Bloom Energy has raised $400.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Bloom Energy's investors include Baseline Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, GFT Ventures, Griffin Gaming Partners, Harrison Metal, Index Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, March Capital, Sequoia Capital, Sound Ventures, SV Angel.
Bloom Energy is a technology company specializing in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems that generate clean, reliable onsite electricity from fuels like natural gas, biogas, or hydrogen without combustion.[2][4] It builds Bloom Energy Servers (also called Bloom Boxes), modular platforms for distributed power generation, hydrogen production via electrolyzers, and related applications like carbon capture and marine transportation, serving high-energy users in data centers, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, utilities, and more.[1][2][4] These systems solve grid dependency, energy insecurity, and decarbonization challenges by delivering scalable, 24/7 baseload power with up to 60% lower emissions than traditional sources, while enabling rapid deployment (as little as 90 days) and high reliability (3-9s to 5-9s).[4][5] By 2025, Bloom had deployed about 1.4 GW across over 1,000 sites in nine countries, with revenue from product sales, installations, services, and electricity generation.[2][1]
The company powers major clients like Apple, Walmart, AT&T, eBay, FedEx, and Kaiser Permanente, showing strong growth in mission-critical applications amid rising demand for resilient, low-carbon energy.[3][2]
Bloom Energy was founded in 2001 by KR Sridhar, its current Chairman and CEO, initially as Ion America, and is headquartered in San Jose, California (previously Sunnyvale).[2][5][7] Sridhar, a former NASA scientist with expertise in propulsion and energy systems, developed the core idea from his work on miniature fuel cells for Mars missions, adapting solid oxide technology for terrestrial, scalable power generation.[7] The concept emerged to address global energy reliability and clean production, pivoting from space tech to commercial fuel cells that convert fuels electrochemically without burning.[2][5]
Early traction came from venture funding exceeding $1 billion, government clean energy incentives, and pilots with tech giants; it went public in 2018 after deploying nearly 300 MW by around 2013, marking pivotal validation in data centers and manufacturing.[2][3]
Bloom rides the decarbonization and energy transition trend, providing distributed generation amid surging demand from AI-driven data centers, electrification, and net-zero mandates.[2][4][7] Timing aligns with renewables intermittency challenges, where SOFCs offer firm, dispatchable power using existing fuels while bridging to hydrogen economies via electrolyzers and carbon capture.[1][6] Market forces like grid constraints, rising electricity costs, and policies favoring clean tech (e.g., incentives) favor Bloom, as high-consumption sectors seek resilient alternatives to fossil plants or volatile renewables.[5][7]
It influences the ecosystem by enabling utilities, industrials, and hyperscalers to cut emissions without infrastructure overhauls, fostering hydrogen infrastructure and microgrids that reduce systemic grid strain.[2][4]
Bloom Energy is poised to expand in hydrogen and electrolyzer markets, leveraging its SOFC platform for green fuel production/storage paired with intermittent solar/wind, targeting net-zero by integrating carbon capture and 100% hydrogen ops.[6][7] Trends like AI energy demands, marine decarbonization, and global policy shifts will accelerate adoption, potentially scaling deployments beyond 1.4 GW as costs fall and patents protect moats.[2][1] Its influence may evolve from niche onsite power to core enabler of decentralized, low-carbon grids, empowering businesses toward energy independence—reinforcing its mission to make clean energy abundant and affordable for all.[7]
Bloom Energy has raised $400.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $150.0M Series G in September 2011.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2011 | $150.0M Series G | Baseline Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, GFT Ventures, Griffin Gaming Partners, Harrison Metal, Index Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, March Capital, Sequoia Capital, Sound Ventures, SV Angel, Peter Chernin, Dustin Moskovitz | |
| Feb 1, 2009 | $150.0M Series F | Baseline Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, GFT Ventures, Griffin Gaming Partners, Harrison Metal, Index Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, March Capital, Sequoia Capital, Sound Ventures, SV Angel, Peter Chernin, Dustin Moskovitz | |
| Aug 1, 2006 | $100.0M Series D | Baseline Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, GFT Ventures, Griffin Gaming Partners, Harrison Metal, Index Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, March Capital, NEO, New Enterprise Associates, Pear VC, Sequoia Capital, Sound Ventures, SV Angel, Peter Chernin, Dustin Moskovitz, Hadi Partovi, Karl Jacob, Marc Benioff, Scott Banister |