Today, EIT InnoEnergy, a key player behind Europe’s leading Industrial Unicorns and their commitment to achieving net-zero goals, proudly announces the appointment of Ryan Dings as the new CEO for the US market. This pivotal appointment signifies the organization’s intent to accelerate its initiatives in the US, leveraging its industrial expertise to foster the growth of scale-ups in the region. This strategic move is expected to create jobs, address market needs, and drive progress toward a net-zero industrial sector.
Ryan Dings, who brings over 15 years of cleantech experience, will lead the US market for EIT InnoEnergy and expand the Boston-based team. He will play a crucial role in identifying and growing the US investment portfolio, as well as fostering an environment conducive to knowledge, innovation, industrialization, and investment collaboration with the European market.
Elena Bou, Innovation Director and Co-Founder of EIT InnoEnergy, commented: “Since 2010, our mission has been to achieve net-zero goals. Through this commitment, we have been recognized as the most active global energy investor for the third consecutive year. We already lead in decarbonizing industrial value chains in strategic sectors such as battery storage, green hydrogen, and solar photovoltaics in Europe. We are well-positioned to support US industrial policy initiatives aimed at advancing net-zero objectives.
“Our strategy focuses on identifying, supporting, and scaling the most promising clean energy technologies, ensuring they significantly impact the market. Our portfolio of over 200 companies is estimated to generate $118.5 billion (€110 billion) in revenue and has raised more than $26.9 billion (€25 billion) in investment to date. Ryan’s appointment will enable EIT InnoEnergy to serve as a transatlantic bridge, facilitating capital flow and knowledge sharing to empower both European and US industrial startups to scale and meet US market needs.”
Dings’ diverse expertise makes him highly suitable for the role. He most recently served as the founding CEO of ClimateHaven, the Yale-backed climatetech incubator in New Haven, CT, and as a venture partner at Connecticut Innovations’ $100 million ClimateTech Fund. Prior to that, he led Greentown Labs, North America’s largest climatetech incubator, through significant growth as its COO and General Counsel. He also held the same title at Sunwealth, a Boston-based clean energy investment firm, where he helped launch the firm’s Solar Impact Fund. A real estate lawyer by training, Dings has also been an operator in multiple startups, giving him a comprehensive understanding of investing in, supporting, and scaling compelling clean technologies.
Ryan Dings commented: “We have a few decades to build a thriving regenerative economy to replace centuries of extractive economic activity. Climate change is the challenge of our lifetime and potentially one of our greatest economic opportunities. It will drive innovation and investment if we can harness the right skills, entrepreneurs, and technology to scale unprecedentedly and meet industrial policy targets.
“As the saying goes, ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. So why aren’t Europe and the US, which represent a significant share of the world’s cleantech innovation, collaborating more to multiply progress? The time is now. In my role, I look forward to building a strong bridge between the US and Europe, facilitating the flow of investment, knowledge, and innovation as part of a new symbiotic relationship,” continued Dings.
This appointment coincides with a significant increase in EIT InnoEnergy’s focus on the US market, with a mandate to grow rapidly in the coming year, building on its initial support to startups and investors since entering the US in 2020. The US team will be based in the Boston area and will serve as a hub for European companies looking to scale their offerings in the US.
The appointment follows major growth milestones for EIT InnoEnergy, including the announcement of the completion of a €140 million funding round late last year with new and existing investors.
EIT InnoEnergy will host its first ‘Transatlantic Cleantech Summit’ on September 18 at The Engine in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Dings will join industry stakeholders, policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, share insights, and create connections that will build a robust bridge for technology, capital, and talent between the US and Europe. Event information and registration can be found here.
