May Week 2, 2024: In this weekly series, we highlight 5 climate tech startups to watch by featuring the incredible startups, companies, or projects that are leading the fight against the climate crisis.
Each month, we add these startups to our running list, which we have categorized based on fuel emission sector data from the most detailed, recent data SBC could identify from the World Resource Institute in 2016.
This initiative from Startup Basecamp aims to support founders by giving them access to networking and exposure opportunities that help them to scale and finance their climate tech solutions.
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With care,
Guillaume and the SBC TEAM
Cross-cutting enablers
1. DiviGas
Founded: 2019 – Melbourne, AUS
Founders: Andre Lorenceau & Ali Naderi
Elevator Pitch: DiviGas provides a new way to separate hydrogen with a membrane that has
stunning robustness and performance.
Problem they solve: Purifying Hydrogen fails where it is needed most, when it is mixed with CO2, acidic gases, and against heavy molecules. DiviGas fixes all of this. Green/Blue/Grey hydrogen all require purification after generation or after use, and the industry relies on decades old technology to do it. New manufacturing processes bring the edge of polymer nanotechnology to make an affordable membrane without exotic & expensive materials.
Impact: Divi-H, Divigas’ new polymeric membrane, can purify hydrogen up to 99.95% purity from any feedstock composition, with best in class recovery rate, and is the most robust system against adverse feed conditions. Divi-H can be used in a wide range of application, from fuel gas recovery & loop optimization through syngas adjustment, carbon capture and biomass gasification.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in DiviGas?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch, see here.
GHG Capture, Use, and Storage
2. Aquatic Labs
Founded: 2022 – Cambridge, MA, USA
Founder: Allan Adams
Elevator Pitch: Aquatic Labs is redefining oceanic exploration and monitoring with their groundbreaking suite of tools designed to track carbon, nutrients, and biodiversity in the world’s waters.
Problem they solve: Monitoring the vast and complex ecosystems within the world’s oceans has traditionally been challenging due to the lack of adequate tools that can operate under such demanding and varied conditions. Current methods often fall short in their ability to provide continuous and detailed data that is critical for effective ocean management and research. Aquatic Labs addresses this gap by providing advanced tools that facilitate comprehensive monitoring of oceanic health, carbon levels, and biodiversity, enabling better-informed decisions for conservation, regulation, and the sustainable use of ocean resources.
Impact: By enabling detailed and persistent monitoring of oceanic conditions, these tools help scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders understand and manage the impact of human activities on marine ecosystems. The data gathered aids in tracking ocean health, assessing the effectiveness of carbon sequestration efforts, and understanding ecological changes, contributing to more effective responses to environmental challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in Aquatic Labs?
If you are interested in learning more, see here.
Industry (chemical and cement)
3. Sonocrete
Founded: 2018 – Cottbus, DE
Founders: Ricardo Remus & Christiane Rößler
Elevator Pitch: Sonocrete brings ultrasound technology to concrete production enabling strongly increased early compressive strengths, thus giving the opportunity to greatly reduce the carbon emissions.
Problem they solve: By enabling a 40% reduction in cement clinker use in concrete production, Sonocrete helps decrease the carbon footprint of one of the most emission-intensive materials in the construction industry. For an average concrete plant, this could mean a reduction of about 3,200 tonnes of cement clinker annually, and on a global scale, the savings could reach up to 110 million tonnes per year.
Impact: Lithos Carbon’s use of crushed basalt for enhanced rock weathering represents a dual triumph for environmental sustainability and agricultural innovation. This method not only captures and stores atmospheric CO2 permanently but also revitalizes soil, increasing its nutrient content and improving crop resilience against drought and pests. By turning a waste product into a resource for greener farming, Lithos Carbon showcases a scalable, effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gases and promoting sustainable agriculture practices worldwide.
Stage: Seed.
Want to learn more about Sonocrete?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch see here.
Energy use in Transport
4. Gaussion
Founded: 2021 – London, UK
Leadership: Tom Heenan
Problem they solve: One of the biggest hurdles in the adoption of electric vehicles is the prolonged charging time compared to the quick refueling of traditional combustion engines. This creates “range anxiety” among potential EV users. Additionally, frequent and fast charging typically degrades battery life, further deterring users. Gaussion addresses these challenges by enabling ultra-fast charging that is both battery-safe and compatible across different battery chemistries, thus eliminating major barriers to EV adoption and enhancing user convenience.
Impact: By reducing charging times, Gaussion lowers the threshold for transitioning from fossil-fuel-driven vehicles to cleaner electric alternatives, thus decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Moreover, the technology’s ability to maintain battery life even with rapid charging cycles means fewer resources are needed for battery replacements, further minimizing the ecological footprint.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in Gaussion?
To learn more about this company, see here.
Industry (chemical and cement)
5. Turnover Labs
Founded: 2022 – New York, NY, USA
Founder: Marissa Beatty
Elevator Pitch: Turnover Labs is transforming the chemical industry with its mission to decarbonize chemical production through innovative technology. By developing some of the world’s most durable electrolyzers, Turnover Labs tackles the challenge of converting impure CO2 emissions from industrial processes into valuable chemical feedstocks.
Problem they solve: The chemical industry is heavily reliant on petroleum, a significant source of global carbon emissions, and struggles with how to handle impure CO2 waste. Many existing carbon capture technologies cannot process CO2 streams with high levels of impurities typical in industrial emissions, limiting their usefulness. Turnover Labs addresses this gap with its patent-pending electrolyzer technology, which can withstand harsh conditions and impurities, transforming these challenging CO2 streams directly into valuable chemicals.
Impact: By converting waste CO2 into chemical feedstocks, the technology provides a dual benefit: it reduces the volume of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere and diminishes the industry’s dependence on petroleum. The use of durable electrolyzers ensures a long service life and greater efficiency, further decreasing the need for frequent replacement and the associated environmental impact.
Stage: Pre-Seed.
Interested in Turnover Labs?
If you are interested in learning more, see here.
Do you know of other startups we should include in our Startups to Watch Series? Submit to our list!
How do these startups fit in with all the others we have looked at?
Check out our running list of the 400+ climate tech startups to watch we have featured.
