June 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. Voltiris
Founded: 2019 – Lausanne, CH
Founders: Nicolas Weber, Dominik Blaser & Jonas Roch
Elevator Pitch: Voltiris combines crop growth and energy sustainability with innovative solar modules that allow greenhouses to produce electricity without reducing crop yields. Their technology enables greenhouse owners to maximize land use and achieve energy sustainability by generating electricity from the unused spectrum of sunlight.
Problem they solve: Greenhouses are essential for sustainable food supply but have high energy demands due to heating and artificial lighting. This leads to significant carbon footprints. Governments, retailers, and consumers are pushing for greener solutions to reduce these emissions. Voltiris addresses this issue by enabling the dual use of greenhouse surfaces for both agriculture and solar energy production.
Impact: Voltiris’ solar modules help reduce the carbon footprint of greenhouses by producing renewable energy without compromising agricultural productivity. This innovation supports sustainable agriculture and energy practices, contributing to the global efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainability in food production. By allowing greenhouses to generate their own electricity, Voltiris helps reduce dependency on non-renewable energy sources, fostering a cleaner and greener future.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in Voltiris?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch, see here.
Waste (water & landfills)
2. Spacedrip
Founded: 2019 – Tallinn, EE
Founders: Hannes Tamjarv & Joonatan Oras
Elevator Pitch: Spacedrip is revolutionizing water management by providing innovative systems for efficient wastewater reuse. Their solutions offer low maintenance, easy deployment, and remote monitoring, enabling sustainable water use across various applications, from irrigation and toilet flushing to industrial processes and emergency situations.
Problem they solve: The increasing scarcity of water resources and the rising demand for sustainable water management solutions present significant challenges for both urban and remote areas. Traditional water management systems often struggle with inefficiency, high maintenance, and limited adaptability to different environments. Spacedrip addresses these issues by offering versatile, easy-to-maintain systems that enable the effective reuse of wastewater, reducing the strain on freshwater resources.
Impact: By enabling wastewater reuse for irrigation, industrial processes, and emergency situations, Spacedrip helps conserve precious water resources, supports sustainable agriculture and industrial practices, and enhances resilience in remote and crisis-affected areas. Their technology contributes to global efforts to manage water resources more sustainably and mitigate the impacts of water scarcity.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in Spacedrip?
If you are interested in learning more, see here.
Energy use in Industry and Buildings
3. Yord
Founded: 2021 – Fribourg, FR
Founders: Sébastien Bron, Denis Zufferey, Lucien Blanchard & Vincent Pilloud
Elevator Pitch: Yord revolutionizes heating systems with an intelligent optimizer that enhances energy efficiency and maximizes comfort. The Yord optimizer calibrates to your building’s thermal behavior from day one, delivering immediate and increasing savings. It seamlessly connects to any heating system without modifications, ensuring quick and easy installation for sustainable energy efficiency.
Problem they solve: Heating systems are a major contributor to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and many existing systems lack the intelligence to operate efficiently. Building owners and managers face challenges in reducing energy costs and improving sustainability without costly upgrades or replacements. Yord addresses these issues by providing an intelligent optimizer that enhances the performance of any heating system, old or new.
Impact: Yord significantly reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions by optimizing the operation of heating systems. Through continuous calibration and monitoring, Yord ensures that heating systems operate at peak efficiency, resulting in lower energy usage and improved air quality. Their solution promotes sustainable energy practices and contributes to the global effort to reduce environmental impact and achieve energy efficiency targets.
Stage: Seed.
Want to learn more about Yord?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch see here.
Cross-cutting enablers
4. Eztia
Founded: 2022 – San Francisco, CA
Founder: Tiffany Yeh
Problem they solve: Extreme heat poses a significant health risk, affecting over 3.8 billion people in 2023 alone. Traditional cooling solutions are often energy-intensive, contributing to further environmental degradation and are impractical for on-the-go use. Etzia addresses this issue by developing wearable cooling technologies that are portable, non-electric, and designed to lower body temperature effectively in hot conditions. This not only enhances safety and comfort for individuals in warm climates but also provides a viable solution for athletes, outdoor workers, and everyday users who need to manage their body temperature effectively to prevent heat-related illnesses.
Impact: By eliminating the need for power-consuming devices and harmful chemicals, Etzia reduces both energy consumption and the release of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, the sustainable design and materials used in Etzia’s products contribute to reduced waste and lower environmental footprint, aligning with global efforts to promote sustainability and combat the adverse effects of climate change.
Stage: Pre-seed.
Interested in Eztia?
To learn more about this company, see here.
Energy use in Industry and Buildings
5. Trawa
Founded: 2022 – Berlin, DE
Founders: David Budde, Robert Quick & Max Lüddemann
Elevator Pitch: Trawa provides holistic, green energy solutions tailored for businesses and industries, offering sustainable electricity sourced from regional solar and wind parks. Their AI-driven platform ensures cost-effective and eco-friendly energy management.
Problem they solve: Businesses face high energy costs and significant carbon footprints due to reliance on conventional energy sources, which are often volatile in price and detrimental to the environment.
Impact: Trawa’s solutions reduce energy expenses and carbon emissions, providing businesses with a reliable, renewable energy supply, and transparency in energy sourcing.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in Trawa?
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.
