Tom Ferguson

Founder and Managing Partner at Burnt Island Ventures · Joined 2020

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Biography

Tom Ferguson is the founder and Managing Partner of Burnt Island Ventures, a venture firm dedicated to early stage water companies. He holds an MA from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as lead author of the first CDP Water Disclosure Report in 2010, then spent years at the water accelerator Imagine H2O, where he built its programming and supported portfolio companies that went on to raise more than $600 million. He launched Burnt Island Ventures in 2020 and has since closed a $30 million debut fund and a $50 million second fund, both anchored by the water technology company Xylem.

Education

Previous Experience

Career Timeline

2010
Served as lead author of the first CDP Water Disclosure Report.
2020
Founded Burnt Island Ventures after building programming at the water accelerator Imagine H2O.
2022
Closed Burnt Island Ventures' $30 million debut fund.
2025
Closed the firm's $50 million second fund, anchored by Xylem.

Sources & References

Burnt Island Ventures team page ↗Business Wire, Fund II close (Oct 2025) ↗Forbes, Fund I close (Feb 2022) ↗