GCV Powerlist 2018: Lisa Lambert

Lisa Lambert, former managing partner at venture capital firm Westly Group, this year rejoined the corporate venturing community as senior vice-president and chief technology and innovation officer at UK and US-listed energy utility National Grid.

Before joining Westly two years ago, Lambert had worked at Intel Corporation for 19 years as vice-president and managing director of corporate venturing unit Intel Capital’s software and services group.

Lambert was also founder and MD of Intel Capital’s Diversity Fund, and she led global investments in more than 100 companies and produced top decile returns, including seven flotations and over 30 trade sales.

At National Grid Ventures (NGV), Lambert is in charge of venture and growth capital investing, internal and external innovation projects such as technology scouting, incubations and accelerations, and technology commercialisation and understood to be busy expanding its team to about 40.

NGV’s focus is on three areas: new energy technology, large-scale transmission projects across North America and the UK, and commercial projects outside of traditional regulated utility frameworks, such as utility-scale renewables (solar and wind) and liquefied natural gas.

National Grid had previously explored venture investing under Daniel Hullah, who subsequently joined GE Ventures in 2016.

NGV’s portfolio includes a $100m investment in Sunrun, a provider of solar energy to residential markets, and Enbala, which develops and deploys software that aggregates customer electricity demand, along with energy storage and renewable energy sources, to create a network of continuously optimised distributed energy sources.

National Grid was also a founding member of Energy Impact Partners, a venture capital firm launched in 2015 to fund companies developing emerging energy technologies competing for large-scale transmission projects across North America and the UK.

For its transmission and commercial projects, National Grid has backed Viking Link, a 700 kilometre subsea cable that will enable the trade of renewable energy between Denmark and the UK and expected to be operational by 2023; Granite State and Northeast Renewable Link, transmission projects that will deliver almost nine terawatt hours of energy for customers across New England; and Vermont Greenline, a proposed 400 megawatt transmission cable that will run from northern New York, under Lake Champlain, to Vermont and will deliver renewable energy to New England to help meet regional clean energy goals.

Lambert, who had been ranked first in the inaugural Global Corporate Venturing rising Stars 2016 awards, said: “National Grid is already leading the way in building a clean energy future, and it’s just scratching the surface on what is possible. I look forward to helping advance this ambition for its customers.”

Lambert has sat on the board of directors of several portfolio companies, including most recently Silkroad Technology, Brit & Co, and X Plus 1 (acquired by Rocket Fuel). She is also on the board of directors for the National Venture Capital Association, co-chairwoman of the Venture Forward initiative and the founder, CEO and chairwoman of Upward, a global network of executive women designed to accelerate career advancement.