ConnectDER is Scaling Home Electrification with a $35MM Series D Fundraise
Photo credit: ConnectDER
Unlocking Affordable and Accessible Home Electrification
Across the U.S., 60 million homes lack the electrical capacity to support solar panels, EV chargers, and battery storage without costly upgrades. ConnectDER is solving this critical bottleneck with plug-and-play adapters that cut installation time from a full day to just 15 minutes, slashing costs and making clean energy accessible to millions of households.
Now, with a $35 million Series D fundraise led by Decarbonization Partners, alongside MassMutual Ventures and existing investors, ConnectDER is poised to scale its impact nationwide. It plans to bring its game-changing solution to more homes and roll out its next-generation IslandDER™ technology for whole-home backup power.
“Every generation has a moment to meet … and for us, I feel that climate change is the moment that our generation has to meet. It’s a huge, menacing, massive problem, but it’s also an interesting problem to try and tackle. There’s a lot of amazing, interesting things we can do to tackle it.” - Whit Fulton, Founder of ConnectDER, during an interview on the Climate Champions podcast
Photo credit: ConnectDER
A Simple Yet Powerful Idea
ConnectDER was built on a simple idea: What if the meter socket, already a standardized connection point in nearly every home, could serve as an all-in-one interconnection for solar, EVs, and batteries, bypassing the need for expensive electrical panel upgrades?
Founder Whit Fulton was fascinated by climate science from a young age. After years of working in energy forecasting and climate tech, he realized that electrical panels were a significant bottleneck in home electrification. Although the costs of solar panels and batteries had dropped significantly, outdated breaker panels continued to be expensive, time-consuming, and a major barrier to clean energy adoption.
By leveraging the existing utility meter socket, ConnectDER eliminated this problem, offering a safe, easy, and scalable solution. This breakthrough made solar, EV charging, and home battery backup affordable for far more households. This is especially helpful for lower-income homeowners, who are often priced out of electrification.
“We believe that 1 in 3 houses that use our product, use it in such a way that they would not have gone solar if not for the existence of our product.” - Whit Fulton, Founder of ConnectDER, during an interview on the Climate Champions podcast
Overcoming Barriers: The Role of Catalytic Capital
Despite its potential, ConnectDER initially faced resistance from traditional venture capitalists wary of the utility sector’s slow-moving regulatory environment. Early-stage investors were hesitant to back a hardware-based solution that required deep engagement with utilities.
This is where early direct investments mobilized by Prime Coalition played a pivotal role. Prime recognized ConnectDER’s potential early on, providing the funding that helped the company secure investor confidence, extend its runway, and close its Series A, which were critical steps toward commercialization.
Prime’s investment wasn’t just financial. It served as a mark of credibility. Other investors saw Prime’s involvement as a signal that ConnectDER was a high-impact, mission-driven company worth backing. That credibility helped ConnectDER navigate an 18+ month fundraising process, securing a mix of alternative funding sources, including virtual debt and recoverable grants.
Scaling Up: Series D and the Next Phase of Growth
With 25,000+ ConnectDER adapters already installed across the U.S., the new Series D funding will allow the company to:
Expand into new markets, reaching millions more households.
Scale manufacturing to meet rising demand.
Launch IslandDER™, a groundbreaking new product that enables homes to disconnect and reconnect from the grid using solar, batteries, or EVs for whole-home backup power.
“With this latest Series D funding, we’re poised to not only expand our existing markets but also bring a transformative solution for energy storage systems to the market.” – Ivo Steklac, CEO of ConnectDER, quoted in their press release about their recent Series D fundraise
By eliminating cost and complexity, ConnectDER is not just accelerating home electrification. It’s also creating jobs, reducing installation errors, and expanding the clean energy workforce. Their approach makes home energy upgrades far more accessible, particularly in communities where traditional solar and storage installations remain out of reach.
The Future of Home Electrification and the Role of Philanthropy
ConnectDER’s journey highlights the urgent need for more catalytic capital to bridge funding gaps and bring innovative climate solutions to market. Philanthropic investors have a key role to play by unlocking early-stage, risk-tolerant funding, they can de-risk climate solutions and help scale the technologies needed to decarbonize homes across the country.
To learn more about how you can partner with Prime to scale catalytic climate solutions like ConnectDER, reach out to us.
