Venture for ClimateTech Unveils Newest Cohort Powering the Future of Clean Tech

Twenty High-Impact Companies Set to Receive up to $50,000 Each and Kick-off Six-Month Program
May 20, 2025 09:00 ET | Source: For ClimateTech

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Venture For ClimateTech has selected the next 20 early-stage startups to join its accelerator program dedicated to the commercialization of impactful climate technologies to power the future of clean tech. Participating teams receive up to $50,000 each in non-dilutive funding as well as one-on-one mentoring and curriculum catered to prepare teams for first customer contracts, pilot runs, investors, and business growth. The program, administered by NextCorps and supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), begins virtually on Monday May 19, 2025.

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The 20 companies were selected from a pool of 311 applicants across 66 countries. Applicants undergo a rigorous technical evaluation and vetting process, culminating in a pitch to a highly experienced screening committee. The top 40 companies were chosen from the applicant pool to participate in the Venture For ClimateTech Bootcamp, a week of educational programming and exercises to experience what the program is like, while simultaneously being evaluated on performance, materials, and engagement.

The new cohort of Venture For ClimateTech joins a prestigious league of 58 other alumni companies working to address and mitigate the effects of climate change. Since 2021, team sizes have increased by 80 percent on average, creating 123 new jobs. Cumulatively, the past four cohorts have secured more than $107 million in follow-on funding, averaging roughly $1.8 million per company.

Jack Baron, Managing Director of Venture For ClimateTech, said: These teams represent the top 5 percent of climate innovation startups around the globe, based on their technical expertise, innovation, and team composition. That made the selection process incredibly difficult. Cohort 5 spans the entire energy spectrum—solar, wind, hydrogen, biomaterials, and storage. From energy leadership to greenhouse gas reduction, these companies exemplify global excellence in innovation and job creation. Once again, New York State is leading the way, thanks to support from NYSERDA.

Stephen Bravo, NYSERDA Director of Commercialization, said: The companies selected to participate in Venture For ClimateTech’s next cohort are on the cusp of scaling innovative technologies that reduce emissions and advance innovative clean energy solutions. NYSERDA is proud to support the development and commercialization of products that can contribute to a more sustainable future in New York State.

The three-phase accelerator program kicked off in mid-May with support and mentorship on customer discovery, investor pitching, business validation, building a team, and pathways to scale. The following companies will participate:

• 17, Inc. – Builds modular green ammonia units to store excess renewable energy and relieve overloaded transmission systems (Mountain View, CA, USA).
• Äerd Lab – 3D prints low-carbon building materials from reclaimed construction waste using a proprietary clay-geopolymer mix (Luxembourg).
• Carbon Negative Solutions – Converts industrial waste into cement additives that generate revenue and reduce emissions (Rock Hill, NY, USA).
• Carbix Corporation – Turns carbon dioxide into raw materials for low-carbon cement and concrete using mineral carbonation reactors (Quincy, MA, USA).
• Citrimer – Makes carbon-negative specialty resins from biobased feedstocks (Detroit, MI, USA).
• EARTHICS – Captures CO₂ from industry and converts it into synthetic graphite using a MOF-based carbon capture system (Chicago, IL, USA).
• EsterCycle – Recycles mixed plastic waste into virgin-quality materials via one-pot chemical depolymerization (Arvada, CO, USA).
• Fermi Energy, Inc. – Develops low-cost, sustainable cathode materials for EV batteries (Blacksburg, VA, USA).
• Ganaio, Inc. – Develops regenerative damper systems to harvest energy from EV suspensions (El Cajon, CA, USA).
• H2 Everywhere, Inc. – Produces low-cost hydrogen onsite from water and CO₂ using thermocatalytic processes (Boston, MA, USA).
• Helix Carbon – Recycles CO₂ emissions into synthetic fuels via electrochemical conversion (Cambridge, MA, USA).
• HydroHaul – Advances hydrogen infrastructure for midstream deployment (Boston, MA, USA).
• Magnefy – Offers AI-powered magnetic sensors for predictive grid maintenance (Palo Alto, CA, USA).
• Innovia GEO – Develops shallow-depth geothermal systems to reduce building energy costs (Oakville, ON, Canada).
• IronGrid – Provides warranty solutions for battery systems using ML-based degradation prediction (Palo Alto, CA, USA).
• Lukera Energy – Converts methane emissions into carbon-negative methanol (Carrboro, NC, USA).
• Metal Light – Replaces diesel with a metal-air fuel system for portable electricity (Newark, NJ, USA).
• Remedium Energy – Offers a novel sorbent for carbon capture from flue gas (Cambridge, UK).
• Soarce, Inc. – Transforms regenerative biomass into nanocellulose for composites (Orlando, FL, USA).
• Sunspan – Builds scalable solar panel infrastructure for non-rooftop spaces (Mountain View, CA, USA).

For more information, visit Venture For ClimateTech. To follow these companies’ progress and impacts, subscribe to the For ClimateTech monthly newsletter here.

About Venture For ClimateTech

Venture For ClimateTech is a non-profit global accelerator program, offering mentorship and guidance to innovative companies. It sources the most promising climate tech innovators from around the world and offers them hands-on support until they are ready for first customers, pilot runs, and investment. Venture For ClimateTech is supported by NYSERDA and administered by NextCorps.