- Daylight Energy raises $75 million to expand a decentralized physical energy network
- Framework Ventures leads the funding round, with participation from A16z Crypto and Coinbase Ventures
- New DayFi protocol links infrastructure energy returns with DeFi investors
Daylight Energy has closed a $75 million financing round to accelerate the growth of its decentralized energy network, marking a significant milestone for the startup as it brings blockchain-driven innovation to physical energy infrastructure.
The round combines equity and project financing, reflecting growing investor interest in decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN).
Funding structure and investor participation
The $75 million package includes $15 million in equity and $60 million in non-recourse project financing, collateralized directly by infrastructure assets, according to CEO Jason Badeaux.
This financing structure enables repayment from the project cash flows themselves rather than relying on the company’s balance sheet.
Framework Ventures led the $15 million equity raise, joined by prominent backers including A16z Crypto, Lerer Hippeau, M13, Room40 Ventures, EV3, Crucible Capital, Coinbase Ventures, and Not Boring Capital.
The project financing portion was led by Turtle Hill Capital, the company said.
Daylight plans to use the new capital to deepen its position in the DePIN ecosystem, with a particular focus on decentralized energy distribution.
The company previously raised $9 million in a Series A round in 2023 led by A16z Crypto, which remains a key supporter.
Expanding the DePIN vision for energy
Founded in 2022, Daylight Energy is building decentralized protocols that enable users to connect energy devices—such as thermostats, batteries, electric vehicles, and solar inverters—to applications.
In return, participants are rewarded for contributing to the network’s distributed infrastructure.
This approach builds on the broader DePIN movement, which seeks to decentralize ownership and control of physical assets—telecommunications, storage, and energy infrastructure—using blockchain technology.
“To build the world’s largest distributed energy network, you must incentivize behavior change to adopt distributed energy and mobilize the massive capital behind it,” Badeaux said. “Crypto is uniquely effective at doing both, creating opportunities to align incentives, lower costs, and rebuild this industry on principles of transparency, ownership, and shared economic returns.”
Daylight’s mission aligns with the wider industry push toward democratized access to clean energy production and participation across the value chain.
By integrating blockchain incentives with real-world energy systems, the company aims to unlock new models of participation and investment.
Introducing DayFi: a bridge between energy and DeFi
Alongside the new financing, Daylight announced DayFi, a yield protocol designed to open energy infrastructure markets to decentralized finance (DeFi) investors.
The protocol will allow users to earn yields directly tied to the electricity revenues generated by Daylight’s growing portfolio of solar generation and storage assets.
This initiative effectively connects renewable energy production with DeFi, enabling investors to access real-world energy revenues through blockchain-native instruments.
Daylight was co-founded by Jason Badeaux, Udit Patel, and Evan Caron, all veterans of traditional energy sectors.
The team’s combined experience and high-profile venture support position Daylight as a leading player exploring how blockchain can transform physical infrastructure markets.
With this new financing secured, Daylight Energy is prepared to expand its decentralized network footprint, integrating generation, distribution, and supply into a transparent, tokenized ecosystem.