Kenneth LaRoe
CEO
Climate First Bank
Climate First Bank provides FDIC‑insured personal and business banking products that combine market‑rate interest with mission‑aligned lending, directing customer deposits into solar financing, affordable housing, and other climate‑positive loans. Its Impact Personal Checking offers a 3.26% APY with no fees, while transparent reporting shows the carbon‑reduction and community outcomes of each dollar. The bank also offers business money‑market accounts, mortgages, and a solar loan program, all delivered through a standard mobile banking platform.
- Clean Technology
- Financial Technology
Updated 5 months ago
Funding
Raised to date
$46MRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Funding rounds are not available yet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Conventional banks often provide financial services without linking customer deposits to environmental or social outcomes, leaving consumers unable to direct their money toward climate-friendly projects while still earning competitive returns.
Solution
Climate First Bank offers a full suite of FDIC‑insured personal and business banking products that combine market‑rate interest rates with mission‑aligned lending. Customers can earn a 3.26% APY on the Impact Personal Checking account by establishing a recurring direct deposit, while the bank deploys those deposits into solar financing, affordable housing, and other values‑driven loans. Transparent reporting shows how each dollar supports carbon‑reducing projects and community development, and the bank’s B Corp certification, 1% for the Planet membership, and partnership with the Global Alliance for Banking on Values reinforce its commitment to environmental stewardship and social equity. The mobile app provides standard banking convenience—debit card access, online statements, and nationwide ATM networks—without sacrificing the bank’s impact focus.
Target Audience
Primary customers are environmentally conscious consumers and small‑to‑mid‑size businesses seeking competitive banking services that also generate measurable climate and community impact.
Features
- Impact Personal Checking account with 3.26% APY when a $500 monthly direct deposit is set up
- No monthly service fees or minimum balance requirements for checking accounts
- Solar loan program that has financed over $427 M for 9,000+ households, with 30.8% directed to low‑to‑moderate‑income communities
- Business Money Market and savings products that earn higher yields while funding climate‑positive projects
- Residential mortgage and refinancing options that incorporate sustainability criteria
- Mobile banking app for 24/7 account access, debit card transactions, and electronic statements
- Transparent impact reporting linking deposits to avoided CO₂ emissions and community outcomes
- Certified B Corporation, 1% for the Planet member, and net‑zero operational footprint through LEED‑certified facilities and carbon offsets