Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy lays off climate policy team in Europe and US after USAID funding hit

Breakthrough Energy, the climate-focused initiative founded by Bill Gates, has laid off dozens of employees, according to the New York Times.

The organization has dismantled its U.S. climate policy team, its European team, and staff working in partnerships with other climate groups, as reported by the Times, citing an internal memo and unnamed sources.

“Bill Gates remains as committed as ever to advancing the clean energy innovations needed to address climate change,” a Breakthrough Energy spokesperson told the News York Times. “His work in this area will continue and is focused on helping drive reliable, affordable, clean energy solutions that will enable people everywhere to thrive.”

A month ago, Heatmap also reported that Breakthrough Energy began scaling back its grantmaking budget and notified several nonprofit grantees that it would not renew their support.

However, Breakthrough’s $3.5 billion venture capital arm, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which invests in a wide range of climate tech companies, remains unaffected. The organization’s fellowship program, supporting early-stage climate tech leaders, will also continue, according to a spokesperson.

Bloomberg also confirmed that Breakthrough Energy had laid off dozens of workers across its U.S. and European offices amid a slowdown in climate policy advocacy efforts.

“The group laid off all of its staff in Europe as well as all of its US public policy team and staff members responsible for partnerships, according to a person familiar.”

The layoffs include the entire European staff, the U.S. public policy team, and staff members managing partnerships, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Breakthrough Energy operates as an umbrella organization housing various initiatives to accelerate the clean energy transition. These include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a major investor in early-stage climate technologies with stakes in over 120 companies, a grantmaking program for startup founders, and Breakthrough Catalyst, a funding platform for emerging climate tech. None of these divisions were affected by the recent cuts.

This shift away from climate policy advocacy comes as the Trump administration reduces Environmental Protection Agency staffing, cuts climate project grants, and withdraws from the Paris Agreement.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin recently rolled back environmental regulations related to coal-fired power plants, climate change, and electric vehicles. These moves align with the administration’s broader efforts to curb inflation by scaling back green policies.

The layoffs also coincide with Elon Musk’s DOGE-linked dismantling of USAID. Last month, Gates expressed concern over the situation.

“I’m a little worried, particularly with this USAID stuff. My foundation partners with USAID on nutrition and getting vaccines out … Hopefully we’ll get some of that work back … If we don’t, you could have literally millions of deaths,” Gates said.

BILL GATES: “I’m a little worried, particularly with this USAID stuff. My foundation partners with USAID on nutrition and getting vaccines out … Hopefully we’ll get some of that work back … If we don’t, you could have literally millions of deaths.”pic.twitter.com/5RYcpdcJfF

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) February 4, 2025

Upstream Ownership View Of Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Founded in 2015 by Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy began as a venture fund backed by global investors. Over time, it evolved into a broader initiative, expanding to include climate policy work, support for research, and funding for startups aiming to scale clean energy solutions.

Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) operates as its investment arm, focusing on accelerating innovation in sustainable energy and tackling climate change.

While Gates is the driving force behind BEV, he’s joined by a group of well-known investors who share his focus on sustainable energy solutions. Some of these backers include:

• Jeff Bezos (Amazon)
• Michael Bloomberg (Bloomberg LP)
• Richard Branson (Virgin Group)
• Jack Ma (Alibaba)
• Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries)
• John Doerr (Venture capitalist)
• Vinod Khosla (Khosla Ventures)
• Mark Zuckerberg (Meta)

BEV works as a venture capital fund, putting money into startups developing new technologies in clean energy, agriculture, transportation, and other sectors that contribute to carbon emissions. The group initially committed $2 billion to these investments, but that amount has grown over time.

Below is an upstream ownership view of Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Funding Cuts Impacting GAVI

Breakthrough Energy isn’t the only Gates-backed initiative facing funding challenges. GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, also received significant USAID funding in 2024. Founded in 2000 with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI works to improve vaccine access in low-income countries.

Data from USASpending.gov shows that GAVI is one of the top recipients of USAID grants, receiving $4 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds in 2024 alone.

Bill Gates’ GAVI one of the top recipients of USAID grants in 2024. pic.twitter.com/hZcfFXnjt2

— Association of American Physicians & Surgeons (@AAPSonline) February 4, 2025