Resources for Climate Entrepreneurs

This section contains a range of curated resources for individuals who are interested in starting or working in start-ups that will positively address climate change. Four are highlighted to get you started. Additional resources follow, organized by resource type.

Highlights

Entrepreneurs Roundtable AcceleratorA large, generalist tech accelerator in New York that also supports very early climate tech start-ups with funding, in-kind resources, and a large mentor network.
Evergreen Climate InnovationsThis decade-old non-profit venture fund focuses on early stage disruptive climate start-ups primarily in the Midwest United States.
SignalA crowd-sourced database of investors and companies, enabling entrepreneurs to seek investors by sector of interest, investment sizes (including pre-seed), geographies of interest, similar investments, etc.  A social graph allows users to identify pathways for warm introductions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeThe IPCC is an authoritative UN body for assessing the science of climate change.  Extensive reports and resources.

NGOs

Climate Action 100+“An investor-led initiative to ensure the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters take necessary action on climate change." While its focus is on large companies, it provides insight and access that is valuable to entrepreneurs.
ClimateTechVCClimateTechVC, run by a diverse group of climate-related investors and entrepreneurs, provides an extensive database of venture capital funds, corporate investors, and start-up accelerators focused on climate-related start-ups. There are also newsletters, research insights, and a job board.
Freeing Energy"The mission of the Freeing Energy Project is to mobilize the talents and energies of entrepreneurs, policymakers, and communities towards a cleaner, cheaper, and more resilient local energy future."
Rocky Mountain InstituteRMI is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to transform global energy systems across the real economy towards a zero carbon future.
TechstarsA global network of accelerators for very early companies, each of which focuses on either a geography or a theme. Relevant accelerators include Sustainability, Food, Energy, Future Industries, and Social Impact. Techstars provides selected start-ups with capital, a rigorous program, and access to an extensive network of mentors.

Governmental & Intergovernmental Programs

Connecting Climate EntrepreneursA new program launched by the US Department of State, CCE “seeks to address the climate crisis and contribute to economic empowerment in developing countries by nurturing entrepreneurship aimed at climate solutions.” The program provides access to funding, expertise and networks, including to accelerators.
Climate-KICAn EU-backed “Knowledge and Innovation Community, working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon, climate-resilient society.” The community includes over 450 businesses, universities, NGOs and local governments, and provides deep resources for entrepreneurs.
National Renewable Energy LaboratoryPart of the US Department of Energy, NREL advances the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and renewable power technologies and provides the knowledge to integrate and optimize energy systems. NREL provides open access to a wide range of data and tools.

Educational Institutions, Programs & Courses

Duke University | Center for the Advancement of Social EntrepreneurshipCASE is part of Duke’s Fuqua Business School, and its mission is “to prepare leaders and organizations with the business skills needed to achieve lasting social change.”  It includes resources for both impact investors and entrepreneurs.
International Universities Climate AllianceA global collaboration of universities supporting research and education in climate adaptation and mitigation.  Useful for entrepreneurs working in evidence-based and scientific entrepreneurial areas.

Podcasts

America AdaptsThis podcast series explores issues in the emerging field of climate adaptation.
Climate OneAn initiative of the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, Climate One produces podcasts and public radio series to engage advocates, influencers and policymakers in empowering conversations that connect all aspects of the climate emergency.
Harvard Business School | Climate RisingThis podcast series explores both climate entrepreneurship and the impact of climate on business in general.

Successful Climate-Related Startups

Carbon CureCarbon Cure’s technology works to reduce the carbon cost of concrete manufacturing, which is a key contributor to greenhouse emissions worldwide.
Carbon EngineeringCarbon Engineering develops a Direct Air Capture solution that removes carbon from the air itself, rather than from smokestacks and similar industrial sources. Their goal is to remove one million tons of CO2 per year.
ContinuumAgContinuumAg’s software system monitors and optimizes soil health so that farmers can employ successful regenerative agricultural methods.
Form EnergyForm Energy develops novel energy storage systems which can enable a persistent, fully-renewable electricity grid.
Heart AerospaceHeart Aerospace is developing an all-electric regional airplane. They expect to deliver their first commercial planes in 2026.
Kobold MetalsLithium is a critical component for batteries, and its supply can be fraught with geopolitical and ethical considerations.  Kobold is an AI-driven mineral exploration company designed to ensure that exponential demand increase is met by ethical supply.
Modern MeadowModern Meadow is a private, early stage biofabrication company that has developed biotechnologies for the creation of leather and other textiles without any reliance on animals. With over 2.3 billion livestock slaughtered every year just for their skins, Modern Meadow’s alternative approach makes a significant contribution to reducing the deleterious global effects of ranching.
Proton EnergyFounded in 2017, Proton has developed hydrogen fuel production that will generate zero-emission energy.
Running TideRunning Tide builds technologies that sustainably scale the natural processes of the ocean to increase biomasses that function as carbon sinks.
WatershedA venture-backed software platform that enables large companies to measure their carbon emissions with the goal of driving them to zero.
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