September Week 3, 2023: In this monthly 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. HyperHeat GmbH
Founded: 2023 – Offenburg, Baden-Wüttemberg, Germany
Founders & Leadership team: Lars Amsbeck & Frederick Lessmann
Elevator Pitch: Hyperheat is on a mission to enable the world’s most energy-intensive industries to reach zero carbon emissions at large scale, low cost and in the time to stop climate change.
Problem they solve: How to achieve precise high controlled temperatures for industrial processes whilst achieving carbon emission targets.
Impact: Process heat up to 1,950°C to run energy intensive processes like cement burning, steel & glass melting and basic chemical production.
All Electric: Using renewable electricity instead of burning fossil fuels – allowing for grid balancing demand in combination with inexpensive thermal storage.
Competitive: Being more economic than natural gas (current and expected price level), even without taking into account the increasing costs of CO2 certificates.
Stage: Pre-seed
Interested in HyperHeat GmbH?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch, see here.
Cross-cutting enablers
2. Hide Biotech
Founded: 2019 – Cambridge, UK
Founders: Yudi Ding and Niels Ramay
Elevator Pitch: Develops leather-like bio-based materials derived from waste to reduce the environmental footprint of leather in fashion.
Problem they solve: According to the UN, with global warming of 1.5 °C there would be increased risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security, and economic growth. Preventing temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 °C would give us a fighting chance. As the fashion/textile industry is responsible for 10-15% of global green house gases emissions, various foundations, UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, and other organisations are calling for a new fashion economy.
Impact: They are a keen advocate for sustainable economy. Not only do they develop sustainable high-quality biomaterial suitable for the fashion industry but also provide a technology platform for creating highly customisable collagen-based biomaterials for other industries.
Their product is intended for leather goods and fashion brands that are seeking sustainable alternative fashion materials, without compromising on quality. Their material is cow-free, climate friendly, non-plastic, waste-derived, non-polluting, while being made of collagen, the same protein that constitutes real leather.
Stage: Pre-Seed
Interested in Hide Biotech?
If you are interested in learning more, see here.
Industry (chemical and cement)
3. Bluestem Biosciences
Founded: 2022 – Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Founders: Billy Hagstrom and Tyler Autera
Elevator Pitch: Bluestem is a decarbonized chemicals company using programmable biology for the biomanufacturing of commodity chemicals in the Midwest.
Problem they solve: Non-carbon alternative to petro chemical ingredients across multiple industries.
Impact: Bluestem’s decarbonized chemical platform will positively impact climate, agricultural economies, and domestic supply chains, building a bio-based chemical future.
Stage: Pre-Seed
Want to learn more about Bluestem Biosciences?
To learn more about their technology or get in touch see here.
Cross-cutting enablers
4. SEGURA
Founded: 2023 – Oxford, UK
Founders: José Castro and Merel Laauwen
Elevator Pitch: Peace of mind about your water safety. Making water testing easy, personal, and transparent.
Problem they solve: 2 billion: The number of people lacking access to safe drinking water; 6 million: The number of homes at risk of lead poisoning in the US alone. More than 50% Proportion of the US population exposed to high-lead levels in early childhood.
Impact: With Segura, affordable, quick, easy-to-use water tests at your disposal.
Step-by-step guidance with each test, plus all test results are automatically saved and can be referred back to 24/7.
Stage: Pre-Seed
Interested in Segura?
To learn more about this company, see here.
Cross-cutting enablers
5. Radiant AI
Founded: 2022 – London, UK
Founders: Jonathan Nwosu, Min Sang Kim and Dakshesh Dharmadhikary
Elevator Pitch: Building tomorrow’s sustainable finance infrastructure. Radiant AI uses advanced AI systems to automate the extraction of crucial key performance indicator (KPI) data, such as energy efficiency metrics, building waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Problem they solve: It is difficult to understand the impact of your green financing. They are here to make it easy for you.
Impact:
Radiant AI is committed to tracking the impact of £2 Trillion in Green Financing that is needed over the next decade.
Stage: Pre-Seed
Interested in Radiant AI?
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.
