February Week 4, 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. Planet FWD
Founded: 2019 – San Francisco, CA, USA
Founder: Julia Collins
Elevator Pitch: By combining advanced software with the expertise of climate scientists, Planet FWD empowers businesses to measure, understand, and significantly reduce their carbon footprint. Utilizing the most comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment data and Scope 3 emissions modeling in the food and beverage sector, the platform enables companies to make informed decisions that lead directly to Net Zero. Planet FWD distinguishes itself as the only solution capable of providing detailed analyses on how changes in ingredients, packaging, suppliers, and farming practices can effectively reduce a company’s emissions, guiding them on a clear path to sustainable growth and environmental responsibility.
Problem they solve: The consumer goods industry, particularly food and beverage, faces increasing pressure to address its environmental impact, compounded by complex supply chains and diverse product ingredients. Traditional approaches to carbon footprint reduction are often fragmented and lack the specificity needed for effective action. Planet FWD solves this by offering a holistic, data-driven approach that allows companies to pinpoint and act on the most impactful areas for emission reduction. By providing detailed insights into how specific changes affect overall carbon footprints, Planet FWD removes the guesswork from sustainability efforts, enabling businesses to achieve their climate goals with precision and confidence.
Impact: By enabling companies to identify and implement effective decarbonization strategies, the platform not only aids individual businesses in becoming more sustainable but also drives broader industry shifts towards environmentally friendly practices
Stage: Series A.
Interested in Planet FWD?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch, see here.
Cross-cutting enablers
2. Encode Energy
Founded: 2023 – Chicago, USA
Leadership: Nishu Lahoti & Wiley Wang
Elevator Pitch: Supporting decision makers responsible for deploying electric vehicles with accurate, real-time intelligence driven by machine learning.
Problem they solve: As the world shifts towards electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, decision-makers face significant challenges in deploying EVs efficiently. These challenges include determining optimal locations for charging stations, understanding EV usage patterns, and managing the energy demand on the grid. Encode Energy addresses these issues by providing a data-driven analytics platform that simplifies complex decision-making processes. Their machine learning-powered tools offer insights into the most effective strategies for EV deployment, helping to overcome logistical hurdles and accelerate the adoption of clean transportation solutions.
Impact: By enabling smarter, data-informed decisions regarding EV deployment and infrastructure development, their platform directly contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.
Stage: Early Stage.
Interested in Encode Energy?
If you are interested in learning more, see here.
Cross-cutting enablers
3. Octarine
Founded: 2018 – Copenhagen, DK
Founders: Nethaji Gallage & Nick Milne
Elevator Pitch: Octarine Bio is revolutionizing the synthetic biology landscape with its pioneering platform, committed to crafting bio-based, sustainable solutions for global challenges. Specializing in cell-factory engineering and precision fermentation, Octarine excels in producing an extensive range of bio-based ingredients, from textile dyes and skincare components to health supplements. Octarine’s groundbreaking work, particularly with their OB-CLR product line, offers the textile industry eco-friendly dye alternatives, aligning with their mission to inspire change through nature and protect our planet.
Problem they solve: The production and commercialization of natural ingredients have long faced significant challenges, including inefficiencies in production and limitations in ingredient properties. Additionally, industries like textiles suffer from environmentally harmful practices, particularly in dye production. Octarine addresses these critical issues by leveraging cell-factory engineering and precision fermentation to develop sustainable, bio-based alternatives that meet commercial demands. Their enzyme technology further enhances the properties of natural ingredients, overcoming previous commercialization barriers and providing industries with viable, eco-friendly options.
Impact: By developing bio-based ingredients and dyes, they offer industries a path away from petrochemical dependency and towards a more sustainable, bio-economy. Their OB-CLR dyes provide the textile industry with sustainable, non-toxic alternatives, reducing pollution and promoting eco-friendly practices. The broader application of Octarine’s technologies across various products helps decrease global carbon footprints, reduce waste and pollution, and contribute to a healthier planet.
Stage: Series A.
Want to learn more about Octarine?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch see here.
Energy use in Industry and Buildings
4. Blip Energy
Founded: 2020 – Chicago, Il, USA
Founders: Sophia Wennstedt & Chance Cobb
Problem they solve: Energy storage solutions have traditionally been large, expensive, and primarily tailored for single-family homes, leaving a significant portion of the population without access to these technologies. This lack of accessibility hinders broad adoption and delays the transition to a cleaner energy future. Additionally, grid operators face challenges with volatility and high operating costs. Blip Energy addresses these issues by offering an innovative, portable, and user-friendly smart battery solution that democratizes energy storage, making it accessible to a wider range of households, including those in multi-dwelling units.
Impact: By facilitating wider access to energy storage and enabling households to leverage renewable energy more effectively, Blip contributes to reducing the reliance on fossil fuel-based power plants and lowering carbon emissions. Additionally, by stabilizing grid volatility and reducing the need for peaker plants, which typically run on fossil fuels, Blip’s solution helps decrease overall greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector. The potential collective impact of widespread adoption, akin to connecting every window air conditioner in New York to a smart battery, illustrates the transformative power of Blip’s technology in accelerating the clean energy transition and promoting a more sustainable and equitable energy future.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in Blip Energy?
To learn more about this company, see here.
Energy use in Industry and Buildings
5. CalWave Energy
Founded: 2014 – Oakland, CA, USA
Founders: Thomas Boerner & Marcus Lehmann
Elevator Pitch: Ocean waves are 20-60 times more energy-dense, predictable, and consistent compared to other forms of renewable energy. They are available at night and during winters. CalWave’s patented technology converts this energy to electricity, equipping coastal communities with clean, reliable and local energy while keeping our planet and the health of future generations in mind.
Problem they solve: Traditional renewable energies like solar and wind can be intermittent, and there is a significant need for more consistent and predictable alternatives. CalWave addresses this gap by tapping into the untapped potential of wave power, which is significantly more energy-dense and consistent than other renewable resources. Their wave energy converter technology offers a solution that not only meets the demand for continuous power supply but also withstands the challenges of marine environments, providing a sustainable energy alternative that is both environmentally friendly and economically viable.
Impact: By providing a stable and abundant source of clean energy, CalWave helps reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. Their technology offers a sustainable energy solution that can be deployed across the globe, particularly benefiting coastal areas where wave energy is abundant and underutilized.
Stage: Series A.
Interested in CalWave 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.
