Yoav Lurie · Impact Edge

Yoav Lurie

Investing in the systems that will shape the next decade.

I founded Simple Energy in 2011, which merged with four companies to form Uplight — a $1.5B public benefit corporation serving over 100 million utility customers, acquired in 2021. I now invest through Impact Edge in companies building across four markets where I've earned the right to have a point of view.

Thesis

I invest in companies rebuilding the foundational systems of how we power our world, how we work, how we connect with each other, and how we make the things we need. Not because impact is a category — because these are the markets where the next two decades of value will be created.

Portfolio

Pillar I

Energy & Power Systems

Fifteen years inside the energy system. Three exits. Still active across software, hardware, and infrastructure.

Uplight
Energy software for 100M+ utility customers. Acquired 2021.

Founder Exited
Simple Energy
Customer engagement and rebate marketplace for utilities. Merged to form Uplight.

Founder Exited
WattBuy
Address-level clean energy access and plan switching.

Chairman Exited
WeaveGrid
Software linking EVs and utilities for managed charging.
Beard SPAC
Energy transition acquisition company.

Board
Lightcell
Photonic engines turning fuel into electricity via light.
Zitara
Battery management software for grid-scale storage.

Exited
Floodlight
Satellite-based GHG measurement and climate risk analytics.
Galy
Lab-grown cotton and cocoa using cellular agriculture.

Also an LP in: Earthshot Ventures · Vision Ridge Partners · At One Ventures · Powerhouse Ventures · MCJ Collective

Pillar II

Future of Work

The relationship between workers, earnings, and how work gets done is being rebuilt from the ground up.

Beem
Low-cost credit for people priced out of mainstream banking.
Branch
Earned wage access and digital banking for hourly workers.
Gridwise
Earnings tracking and mobility analytics for gig drivers.
Hosta AI
Property assessments from photos. Bridges physical and virtual built environments.
StretchSense
Motion capture gloves for animation, gaming, and XR production.
LightTwist
Cloud-based virtual studios for video production.

Pillar III

Trust & Humanity

Real connection is getting harder. Trust is degrading. I back the companies pushing back.

Hive AI
Detection of deepfakes, AI-generated media, and content moderation at scale.
Tin Can
A landline-style phone that gives kids real connection without screens.
Base Operations
Urban security intelligence for global enterprises.

Pillar IV

Advanced Manufacturing

The next decade rewards companies that can build hard things faster, cheaper, and at higher quality.

Momentum Optics
Custom optics manufacturing via laser-chemical machining.

Chairman

Also an LP in: Lux Capital · Praxis Ventures

Colorado

I invest with extra intention here. This is where I've lived, built, and raised my family.

Techstars Boulder
Investor, mentor, advisor, founder, and entrepreneur-in-residence since 2011. Part of the effort to bring it back when it nearly shut down.
The Fund Rockies
Regional early-stage fund.
Matchstick Ventures
Boulder/Twin Cities early-stage fund.