Climate First Bancorp
Summary active Updated Jun 15, 2026This profile is AI-generated. If you spot an error, please help us fix it by sharing a URL to the correct information.
Founders
About
Climate First Bancorp is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based bank holding company founded in 2021 by Ken LaRoe 12. It operates Climate First Bank, an FDIC-insured, values-based digital community bank positioned as the world’s first founded specifically to combat the climate crisis, and OneEthos, a Federal Reserve Bank-regulated fintech arm focused on solar lending 23. The bank is a Certified B Corp, a 1% for the Planet member, and has been operationally net-zero since opening in June 2021 23.
As of the June 2026 funding announcement, Climate First Bank had grown to nearly $2 billion in assets over five years and generated more than $11.5 million in net profit in 2025 2. OneEthos has originated over $450 million in solar loans across more than 9,300 individual solar projects, serving a network of over 8,000 solar sales representatives nationwide 23.
Profile is a stub based on the round announcement. Sections below will expand as additional sourced information is verified.
Funding History
| Date | Round | Amount | Lead | Co-investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-09 | Strategic Funding | $67M | Wellington Management, Alliance Bernstein | — 123 |
The June 2026 round was Climate First Bancorp’s first institutional fundraising; prior raises totaling approximately $155 million came from friends-and-family rounds of $44M, $35M, $46M, and $30M 23. The new capital brings cumulative funding to $222 million 12.
What Investors Say
No independently sourced investor commentary captured at profile creation.
What Founders Say
“In the face of weakened environmental protections, we continue to invest in climate solutions and community resilience.” — Ken LaRoe, Founder & CEO, Climate First Bancorp 1
“If we were to look at what an IPO could accelerate, it’s our ability to acquire other banks and access capital more readily.” — Lex Ford, CEO, Climate First Bank 1
Sources
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American Banker, “Climate First secures $67 million in latest funding round,” June 9, 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://www.americanbanker.com/news/climate-first-secures-67-million-in-latest-funding-round↩↩↩↩↩
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GrowthSpotter, “Climate First Bank marks 5th anniversary by closing $67 million funding round,” June 9, 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://www.growthspotter.com/2026/06/09/climate-first-bank-marks-5th-anniversary-by-closing-67-million-funding-round/↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Morningstar / AccessWire, “Climate First Bancorp Closes New $67 Million Strategic Funding Round,” June 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://www.morningstar.com/news/accesswire/1174477msn/climate-first-bancorp-closes-new-67-million-strategic-funding-round↩↩↩↩↩