Eric Toone
February 11, 2026
Dr. Eric Toone serves as the Chief Technology Officer of Breakthrough Energy. As the CTO, Dr. Toone oversees the organization’s technological roadmap and evaluation. As part of his work at Breakthrough Energy, Eric also serves as a Managing Partner of Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the venture capital arm of Breakthrough Energy.
Previously, Eric was a Chemistry professor at Duke University, where he authored nearly 300 publications. He also served as Director of ARPA-E, where he advanced wide-bandgap semiconductors and grid innovations. An inventor on over 30 patents, Eric co-founded three pharmaceutical companies and led Duke’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative from 2012 to 2016. Originally trained as a bioorganic/physical organic chemist, he has dedicated his career to bridging science and impactful applications.
