March 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
GHG Capture, Use, and Storage
1. Cotierra
Founded: 2023 – Zürich, CH
Founders: Thomas Käslin, David Bachmann, Marcel Rohner & Lorenz Buser
Elevator Pitch: Cotierra (previously Terra Preta) removes carbon and improves farmers margins by enabling decentralized biochar production in the Global South at scale.
Problem they solve: The dual challenges of improving agricultural productivity in the Global South and addressing climate change require innovative, scalable solutions. Traditional farming practices often lead to environmental degradation and are not optimized for maximum yield or sustainability. Additionally, the complexity of effectively removing carbon from the atmosphere and verifying these actions adds another layer of difficulty. Cotierra tackles these problems by facilitating the local production of biochar, a powerful soil amendment that sequesters carbon while revitalizing the land. This not only aids in carbon removal efforts but also supports farmers by increasing crop yields and reducing dependence on costly, environmentally harmful fertilizers.
Impact: First, by sequestering carbon in the form of biochar, Cotierra directly contributes to the mitigation of climate change, offering a scalable solution to carbon removal that benefits the planet. Secondly, the enhancement of soil health leads to more resilient agricultural systems, capable of withstanding the impacts of climate change and supporting biodiversity. Lastly, by reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, Cotierra’s approach decreases runoff and pollution, further protecting local ecosystems.
Stage: Pre-Seed.
Interested in Cotierra?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch, see here.
Waste (water & landfills)
2. Shayp
Founded: 2017 – Brussels, BE
Leadership: Zineddine Wakrim & Grégoire De Hemptinne
Elevator Pitch: Shayp brings real-time water flow analytics and non-invasive technology that helps reduce and prevent customer-side leakages. Using AI, Shayp helps you leverage water meter data to reveal water usage inefficiencies and leakages in all types of buildings.
Problem they solve: Water waste is a significant yet often overlooked issue in building management, leading to unnecessary costs and environmental strain. Traditional methods of identifying and addressing water leakages are time-consuming and invasive. Shayp simplifies and streamlines this process with AI-driven insights, pinpointing leakages and usage anomalies with high accuracy.
Impact: Shayp’s technology significantly contributes to water conservation efforts, a crucial aspect of environmental sustainability. By reducing water waste in buildings, Shayp gives new water consumption insights with the goal to eradicate water waste & improve water efficiency.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in Shayp
If you are interested in learning more, see here.
Energy use in Transport
3. Addionics
Founded: 2017 – London, UK
Founders: Vladimir Yufit, Farid Tariq & Moshiel Biton
Elevator Pitch: Addionics provides a low-cost drop-in solution, creating the only high power & high energy battery, without compromises.
Problem they solve: The battery industry faces challenges such as improving performance and safety while reducing costs and charging times. Addionics addresses these issues by redesigning battery architecture to fundamentally enhance every aspect of battery performance, overcoming limitations that have long plagued the industry.
Impact: Addionics’ technology contributes significantly to environmental sustainability by enabling more efficient, durable, and safe rechargeable batteries. Improved battery performance means longer lifespans, reducing waste and the frequency of replacements. Furthermore, by enhancing charging times and energy density, Addionics supports the broader adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, key components in reducing global reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions.
Stage: Series A.
Want to learn more about Addionics?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch see here.
Waste (water & landfills)
4. BioMetallica
Founded: 2022 – Singapore, SG
Leadership: KwaDwo Konadu Ansah-Antwi, Xirui LI, Sam Chow K F & Rajeev Kumar
Problem they solve: The precious metal industry often faces criticism for its environmental impact, including high energy consumption, pollution, and waste. Traditional recycling methods can be inefficient and environmentally damaging. BioMetallica addresses these challenges by innovating in the recycling process, making it more efficient and eco-friendly.
Impact: BioMetallica’s eco-friendly recycling services have a profound positive impact on the environment. By improving the efficiency of precious metal recovery, they reduce the demand for virgin metal mining, which is often associated with significant ecological disruption and carbon emissions. Furthermore, their commitment to minimizing the industry’s environmental footprint through advanced recycling technologies contributes to cleaner production practices and promotes the circular economy, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and responsible precious metal industry.
Stage: Seed.
Interested in BioMetallica?
To learn more about this company, see here.
GHG Capture, Use, and Storage
5. Sinkco Labs
Founded: 2021 – Copenhagen, DK
Founders: Viji D. Thomas and al.
Elevator Pitch: Leveraging a biogeo-mimetic approach to carbon sequestration, durably locking atmospheric CO2 at permanent timescales while producing carbon-negative compounds.
Problem they solve: The pressing challenge of climate change requires innovative solutions for reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. Traditional carbon sequestration methods often struggle with permanence and scalability. Sinkco Labs addresses these issues by mimicking Earth’s natural carbon-capturing processes, creating a method that permanently sequesters CO2 while producing valuable, carbon-negative materials.
Impact: Sinkco Labs’ biogeo-mimetic approach to carbon sequestration marks a significant leap forward in environmental sustainability. By durably locking away CO2, their method contributes to the long-term mitigation of climate change impacts, offering a solution to carbon storage.
Stage: Pre-Seed.
Interested in Sinkco 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.
