December 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.
Do not hesitate to join our collective movement by requesting your membership.
With care,
Guillaume and the SBC TEAM
Energy use in Industry and Buildings
1. David Energy
Founded: 2019 – NY, USA
Leadertship: James McGinniss
Elevator Pitch: David Energy is revolutionizing the power grid by integrating smart technology with renewable energy to create a cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable electricity system. By bridging modern technology like batteries, smart thermostats, and EVs with existing energy infrastructure, David Energy empowers homes and businesses to efficiently manage electricity, lower costs, and maximize renewable energy potential. It’s the electricity company built for a sustainable, 21st-century future.
Problem they solve: The traditional electricity grid is outdated, opaque, and reliant on fossil fuels, making it inefficient, expensive, and environmentally harmful. Customers lack transparency and control over their energy use, while the grid struggles to fully harness renewable energy, impeding the transition to a clean energy future.
Impact: David Energy accelerates the shift to a 100% clean energy grid by optimizing renewable energy use, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and enabling energy-efficient operations. By integrating smart devices into its platform, the company helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize waste, and create a more sustainable energy ecosystem for homes and businesses.
Stage: Series A.
Interested in David Energy?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch, see here.
Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use
2. AirForestry
Founded: 2020 – Uppsala, SE
Founders: Ole Gelin, Mauritz Andersson & Markus Romar
Elevator Pitch: AirForestry is revolutionizing forest thinning with electric harvesting drones that work from the air, reducing ground damage, preserving biodiversity, and enhancing forest carbon sequestration. By eliminating the need for heavy machinery and access roads, AirForestry offers a sustainable, fossil-free approach to forest management that benefits the environment, enhances biodiversity, and improves the working conditions of operators.
Problem they solve: Traditional forestry thinning methods rely on heavy machinery that damages the forest floor, destroys surrounding trees and vegetation, and requires extensive access roads. This process harms biodiversity, disrupts soil health, and contributes to CO2 emissions, undermining the forest’s ability to act as a carbon sink.
Impact: AirForestry’s innovative aerial thinning technology eliminates ground damage and reduces the need for access roads, freeing up 20% of forest land for carbon sequestration. By preserving soil health, plants, and roots, the drones improve forest ecosystems and prevent mercury runoff into waterways. The electric-powered drones further minimize carbon emissions, promoting a sustainable, biodiverse, and resilient forest system for future generations.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in AirForestry?
If you are interested in learning more, see here.
Energy use in Transport
3. Nevoya
Founded: 2022 – San Francisco, CA, USA
Founders: Sami Khan & Thomas Atwood
Elevator Pitch: Nevoya is a fully electric truckload carrier revolutionizing freight logistics by making zero-emissions freight simple and efficient. Through bespoke technology and optimized routes, Nevoya delivers operational excellence for shippers, 3PLs, and drivers, all while contributing to a cleaner, greener future.
Problem they solve: Class 8 trucks in the U.S. contribute 7% of total greenhouse gas emissions, causing significant environmental damage, including air pollution, water contamination, and habitat destruction. With demand for freight transportation growing, these impacts are set to increase, highlighting the urgent need for a sustainable solution.
Impact: By transitioning to fully electric freight solutions, Nevoya dramatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, helping decarbonize the supply chain. Their innovative approach promotes sustainable logistics without sacrificing cost or performance, paving the way for a cleaner transportation industry and a healthier planet.
Stage: Seed.
Want to learn more about Nevoya?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch see here.
Cross-cutting Enablers
4. Forward Earth
Founded: 2023 – Berlin, DE
Founders: Micha Schildmann, Giuseppe Gentile & Cari Davidson
Elevator Pitch: Forward Earth is a next-generation carbon management platform leveraging AI to automate and simplify carbon tracking and compliance. Their integrated, white-label software seamlessly embeds into existing compliance and supply chain systems, enabling companies to calculate emissions at both corporate and product levels with unparalleled efficiency and transparency.
Problem they solve: As global regulations like CSRD and carbon border mechanisms intensify, businesses face challenges in tracking, managing, and reporting carbon emissions across complex supply chains. Current solutions are time-intensive, costly, and often lack integration, making compliance and sustainability efforts inefficient.
Impact: By automating carbon management and providing actionable insights, Forward Earth empowers businesses to meet compliance standards, reduce emissions, and drive sustainability throughout their supply chains. Their approach accelerates the adoption of carbon-reduction strategies, fostering a measurable and scalable impact on global climate goals.
Energy Use in Transport
5. Feon Energy
Founded: 2022 – Woburtn, MA, USA
Founders: Wenxiao Huang & Zhiao Yu
Elevator Pitch: Feon Energy is redefining energy storage by revolutionizing battery electrolytes through a pharma-inspired molecule design platform. By tailoring non-flammable, high-performance electrolyte molecules for specific battery chemistries, Feon Energy enhances safety, cost-efficiency, and energy density, unlocking transformative potential across industries such as electric vehicles and electrified aviation.
Problem they solve: Traditional battery electrolytes rely on generic materials that fail to fully meet the diverse performance needs of modern applications. This leads to safety concerns, limited energy density, and increased costs, restricting advancements in critical sectors like transportation and renewable energy.
Impact: Feon Energy’s tailored electrolytes enable safer, more efficient batteries that reduce reliance on resource-intensive designs, lower manufacturing costs, and enhance the adoption of electrified transportation. This contributes to decarbonizing energy systems and accelerating the global transition to sustainable energy solutions.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in Feon Energy?
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.
