ClearTrace

# High-Level Overview

Cleartrace is an energy data and carbon accounting platform that provides companies with digital infrastructure to measure, track, and verify their energy consumption and carbon emissions[1][2]. The company serves utilities, energy suppliers, and corporate buyers across the renewable energy ecosystem, helping them manage their entire portfolio of energy and carbon assets from a single source of truth[2].

The core problem Cleartrace solves is the fragmentation and opacity in energy data management. Traditionally, companies relied on spreadsheets and siloed data to track energy portfolios and carbon claims—making it difficult to prove sustainability achievements or optimize renewable energy procurement[7]. Cleartrace modernizes this with a fully traceable, hourly-granular platform that delivers 100% verifiable energy and carbon records[1][5]. The company has demonstrated strong growth momentum, securing $24 million in total funding across two rounds, with the most recent being $20 million[3], and counting major clients like JPMorgan, NextEra, Brookfield, and Iron Mountain[5].

# Origin Story

Cleartrace was founded in 2017 in Austin, Texas[1], though the company's product evolution accelerated significantly after 2019. The founding team includes Lincoln Payton (CEO), Evan Caron (Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer), Troy Martin (COO), and Eric Miller (CTO)—a blend of expertise spanning energy, data, and banking sectors[1][6].

The company's trajectory reflects the market's evolving decarbonization needs. In 2019, Cleartrace established itself with blockchain-based energy data infrastructure to create a standardized, single source of truth for energy trading[2]. By 2021, it pivoted to serve corporate renewable energy buyers, helping them understand the hourly carbon impact of their energy portfolios[2]. The 2022 expansion brought supplier-focused solutions for load matching, and by 2023, the platform evolved to address Scope 1 and 2 GHG accounting for commercial and industrial organizations[2]. This iterative approach—staying responsive to market demands—has positioned Cleartrace as a leader in the emerging 24/7 decarbonization space.

# Core Differentiators

• Patented 24/7 Hourly Load Matching Technology: Cleartrace's proprietary methodology enables granular, hourly-level carbon impact analysis—the most advanced decarbonization methodology available[2][5]. This allows companies to match renewable energy generation with consumption in real time, rather than relying on annual or monthly averages.

• End-to-End Ecosystem Coverage: Unlike point solutions, Cleartrace serves the entire renewable energy value chain—utilities, suppliers, and corporate buyers—creating network effects and reducing friction across the ecosystem[2].

• 100% Traceable and Verifiable Records: Built on modern data infrastructure with blockchain foundations, the platform delivers cryptographically secure, auditable proof of carbon reduction claims[1][2]. This is critical for ESG reporting, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder trust.

• Single Source of Truth: By consolidating energy data, GHG emissions, and certificate portfolios into one platform, Cleartrace eliminates spreadsheet chaos and data silos that plague traditional energy management[7].

• Trusted by Enterprise Leaders: Adoption by Fortune 500 companies and major energy infrastructure players (JPMorgan, NextEra, Brookfield, Iron Mountain) validates the platform's reliability and market fit[5].

# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Cleartrace sits at the intersection of three powerful trends: the corporate net-zero transition, the renewable energy acceleration, and the ESG accountability movement. As companies face mounting pressure to prove climate commitments—from investors, regulators, and customers—the demand for transparent, auditable carbon data has become existential.

The timing is critical. Scope 2 emissions (from purchased electricity) represent a major portion of corporate carbon footprints, yet most companies lack visibility into their hourly energy mix. Cleartrace's 24/7 granularity directly addresses this gap, enabling companies to optimize renewable procurement and demonstrate real impact rather than relying on annual renewable energy certificates that may not reflect actual consumption patterns.

The company also influences the broader ecosystem by raising the bar for data integrity. As greenwashing becomes a regulatory and reputational risk, Cleartrace's verifiable, blockchain-backed records set a new standard for what "proof of decarbonization" means—pushing competitors and the industry toward greater transparency.

# Quick Take & Future Outlook

Cleartrace is well-positioned to capture significant value as corporate decarbonization moves from aspirational to mandatory. The company's enterprise traction, defensible technology, and ecosystem-spanning approach create a strong moat in a market that will only grow as climate regulations tighten and renewable energy deployment accelerates.

The next frontier for Cleartrace likely involves deepening Scope 1 and 3 emissions coverage, expanding internationally, and potentially becoming the operating system for energy procurement and carbon accounting across industries. As the clean energy transition intensifies, companies that can prove—hour by hour—where their energy comes from and what their true carbon footprint is will have a competitive advantage. Cleartrace is building the infrastructure that makes that proof possible.