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Register today and save on Trellis Impact 25 — bringing together VERGE, Bloom, and GreenFin, Oct 28-30 in San Jose, CA.

Climate tech investment is in a holding pattern — which hasn’t stopped climate entrepreneurs pressing forward with ingenuity, grit and vision.

Early- and growth-stage climate tech investment totaled $13.2 billion in the first half of 2025, down 19 percent from the year prior, according to CTVC. This cooling market is pushing founders back to fundamentals: proving unit economics and delivering superior customer value.

Policy winds have also shifted. The Trump administration has rolled back many, though not all, of the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives, creating headwinds for renewable energy and electrification.

Still, tailwinds remain for technologies aligned with the AI and data center boom, including nuclear energy, geothermal and energy storage. And carbon capture is finally entering the mainstream, with innovative startups getting both investment and commercial traction.

The next wave

Against this backdrop, Trellis’s annual 25 Climate Tech Startups to Watch showcases the next wave of innovators. This year, 109 startups applied from 13 countries, having collectively raised more than $750 million. From this pool, 25 founders will pitch across breakout sessions at Trellis Impact 25, with the winner — decided by live audience voting — crowned Trellis Startup of the Year at VERGE, Oct. 28-30 in San Jose.

Scroll down to learn more about the companies and cast your vote.

The format is simple: founders pitch their solutions to a panel of investors and corporate leaders, gaining visibility, connections and a spotlight within the Trellis network. And the Trellis community gets a roadmap for where climate tech is heading.

For the first time, we’re also sharing a snapshot of the applicant data. While application numbers have held steady year to year, the capital flowing into applicants has nearly doubled since 2022. The median raise climbed from $766,000 to $2.1 million in that period, showing that more startups are securing meaningful rounds. Sector representation is diversifying, too: energy remains important but less dominant, while industry and nature-focused solutions are gaining momentum and transport continues to lose share. (You can see the top 25 Climate Tech Startups of 2024 here.)

Together, these shifts reflect a climate tech ecosystem that is maturing, broadening and showing stronger impact — even amid macro funding slowdowns.

Why these 25 startups stand out

Every startup on the Climate Tech 25 has seed or series-A funding and demonstrates an edge in each of five criteria: solution, business model, customer need and traction, team and pitch presentation. All are incorporated, have already developed a product and employ at least one person full-time.

Our team of climate experts narrowed 109 submissions down to five of the most promising companies in each of the five categories.

Cast your vote

Scroll down below to watch founder pitch videos for all 25 startups in each of five categories — land use and carbon; energy; transport; industry; and nature.

Cast your vote for the company you believe has the most potential. A maximum of 2 company votes per day. Oct 15 is the last day to vote.

The winner of the online vote will be announced at VERGE.

The five finalists will each have 2.5 minutes to pitch in front of business leaders and investors. On Oct. 29, the audience will select the startup of the year, which will be featured in an article on Trellis.net.

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Land Use and Carbon

Therm Solutions Inc.
Therm Solutions Inc.
46

Helps grocers and food distributors reduce superpolluters (HFCs) and earn incentives. Video features Fritz Troller, Co-Founder and CEO

Sluicebox.ai
Sluicebox.ai
10

Uses AI to cut emissions from chips, semiconductors, and devices. Video features Sarah Tang, President & Co-Founder

Revalue
Revalue
1

Improves quality of global nature projects through tech and expert review. Video features Stuart Rowland, CEO

Planet Savers, Inc.
Planet Savers, Inc.
4

Builds carbon‑capturing air filters that use rocks to cool the planet. Video features Kei Ikegami, Founder and CEO

Mitti Labs
Mitti Labs
12

Partners with rice farmers through AI and remote sensing to cut methane, save water and earn credits. Video features Xavier Laguarta, Co-Founder

Energy

Fourth Power
Fourth Power
10

Delivers multi-day thermal batteries that convert surplus energy into reliable power. Video features Arvin Ganesan, CEO

SkyCool Systems
SkyCool Systems
1

Develops materials to reduce building heat without energy use. Video features Arjun Saroya, CEO

Revterra
Revterra
2

Balances power fluctuations, protecting infrastructure and enabling renewables. Video features Patrick Flam, CFO

Accelerate Wind
Accelerate Wind
4

Installs unique rooftop wind turbines to generate clean power and complement solar. Video features Erika Boeing, Founder and CEO

Ammobia Inc.
Ammobia Inc.
4

Produces low‑cost clean ammonia. Video features Karen Baert, Co-Founder and CEO

Transport

Greenlane
Greenlane
10

Builds EV charging stations for trucks, buses, and heavy vehicles.

Celadyne Technologies
Celadyne Technologies
2

Produces clean hydrogen energy to replace fossil fuels for maritime and heavy duty trucking. Video features Gary Ong, Founder & CEO

Volexion
Volexion

Enhances Li‑ion batteries with cheaper, safer next‑gen cathode materials. Video features Damien Despinoy, President & COO

Photon Marine
Photon Marine
7

Builds electric boat motors and tools to cut costs and pollution.

Universal Fuel Technologies (Unifuel)
Universal Fuel Technologies (Unifuel)
2

Converts renewable feedstocks into drop-in SAFs and chemicals. Video features Alexei Beltyukov, CEO

Industry

Sun Metalon
Sun Metalon

Turns dirty metal waste into clean, reusable material without smelting. Video features Kazuhiko Nishioka, Co-Founder & CEO

DexMat
DexMat
202

Creates a lighter, stronger, flexible alternative to metal with lower footprint. Video features Bryan Hassin, CEO

Birch Biosciences Inc.
Birch Biosciences Inc.
13

Designs ‘molecular scissors’ to break down and recycle plastics. Video features Johan Kers, Co-Founder and CEO

E-ThermoGentek Co.
E-ThermoGentek Co.

Creates thermoelectric modules that convert industrial waste heat into power. Video features Arjun Menon, Head of Overseas Market Development

Hamilton Perkins Collection
Hamilton Perkins Collection
1

Transforms waste plastic into sustainable textiles. Video features Hamilton Perkins, CEO

Nature

Working Trees Working Trees
Working Trees

Partners with ranchers to scale silvopasture carbon projects and sell credits. Video features Leif Gonzales-Kramer, CEO

Dunya Analytics
Dunya Analytics
6

Helps companies measure and improve nature impacts through analytics tools. Video features Megan Pillsbury, Founder and CEO

Airbuild Inc.
Airbuild Inc.
140

Uses algae‑powered systems to clean water, capture carbon and create biofertilizer. Video features David Gory, Co-Founder & CEO

Ecovia-Bio
Ecovia-Bio
2

Produces biobased polymer alternatives. Video features Geoff Horst, Chief Innovation Officer