# PRIME Coalition

PRIME Coalition is an other based in Salt Lake City, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** other
- **Headquarters:** Salt Lake City, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
- **Founded:** 2014
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** primecoalition.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/primecoalition

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

PRIME Coalition is a nonprofit foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 2014, it supports philanthropic foundations and families investing in market-based climate change solutions. PRIME Coalition has made 10 investments, including a Seed VC investment in Gradient on July 22, 2021.

## Sectors

- ClimateTech
- Energy Transition & Renewables
- Hard Tech

## People

- Sarah Kearney — Founder and Executive Director
- Michele Kimball — Board Chair

## Questions

### How does PRIME Coalition differ from a climate-tech VC fund?

PRIME Coalition is a public charity, not a venture capital fund. It uses grants, recoverable grants, and program-related investments (PRIs) rather than equity. Donors receive tax deductions, and the organization evaluates investments based on greenhouse-gas reduction potential using its proprietary Impact Lens methodology.

### Does PRIME Coalition charge management fees or carried interest?

No. PRIME Coalition is structured as a public charity and does not charge management fees or carried interest. Donors receive a charitable deduction for their contributions. The organization covers operating costs through separate philanthropic grants and program fees.

### How does PRIME Coalition select which climate-tech startups to support?

PRIME Coalition uses a proprietary evaluation tool called the Impact Lens to assess each venture's potential for greenhouse-gas reduction, technological readiness, and scalability. The process includes a technical due-diligence phase, a philanthropic impact scoring, and a final investment committee decision.

### Can donors recover their capital from PRIME Coalition investments?

Yes. PRIME Coalition structures many of its investments as recoverable grants or PRIs, which allow for return of capital to the donor if the venture succeeds. Returns are capped, and all proceeds are recycled into new climate-tech ventures.

### Which sectors does PRIME Coalition avoid?

PRIME Coalition focuses exclusively on hard-tech solutions for climate change mitigation. It explicitly avoids software-only plays, consumer products, and companies that primarily address adaptation rather than emissions reduction.

### Who leads investment decisions at PRIME Coalition?

Sarah Kearney serves as Executive Director and leads the investment team. The board, chaired by Michele Kimball, provides oversight. Investment decisions follow a committee process involving internal staff and external technical advisors.

## Related profiles

- [VilCap Investments](https://altss.com/profile/vilcap-investments)
- [Citi Private Funds Group](https://altss.com/profile/citi-private-funds-group)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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