Top 100 CleanTech Startups to Watch in 2026
The CleanTech sector is tackling environmental challenges with a wide range of technologies across the globe. Companies are working on everything from carbon capture and nuclear energy to creating plastic alternatives.
This includes major players like X-energy, which has raised $1 billion for its modular nuclear reactors, and Climeworks, with $946.1 million for direct air capture.
Below is our list of 100 CleanTech startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Tether builds software that turns parked electric vehicles into a vast, interconnected battery for the power grid. Their AI platform optimizes EV charging and discharging to help utilities manage energy demand and increase stability.
| Headquarters | Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden |
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | Luis Medina Rivas, Martim Perestrelo |
| Funding Amount | $1.5M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Pre-Seed |
| Top Investors | Techstars, K Fund, Draper B1, Enzo Ventures, Inclimo Climate Tech Fund |
X-energy develops advanced modular nuclear reactors and proprietary fuel technology for clean energy generation. The company's Xe-100 reactor is designed to be a safer and more versatile alternative to traditional nuclear power plants.
| Headquarters | Rockville, Maryland, United States |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Kam Ghaffarian |
| Funding Amount | $1B |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Alumni Ventures, Ares Management, Jane Street Capital, University of Michigan, NGP Energy Capital Management |
Chestnut Carbon develops and manages large-scale forestry projects through reforestation and afforestation. These nature-based initiatives generate high-quality carbon removal credits.
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | Ben Dell |
| Funding Amount | $660M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | JP Morgan, Kimmeridge, Bank of Montreal, CPP Investments, DBL Partners |
Climeworks develops direct air capture technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Their facilities offer carbon removal as a service, permanently storing the captured CO₂ for businesses and individuals.
| Headquarters | Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Christoph Gebald, Jan Wurzbacher |
| Funding Amount | $946.1M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Partners Group, Zürcher Kantonal Bank, Baillie Gifford, GIC, Global Founders Capital |
Pivot Bio develops microbial products that help cereal crops like corn, wheat, and sorghum self-fertilize. Their technology enables plants to capture nitrogen from the atmosphere, offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers.
| Headquarters | Berkeley, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Alvin Tamsir, Karsten Temme |
| Funding Amount | $616.9M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | National Science Foundation, Temasek Holdings, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Rockefeller Capital Management |
Chakr Innovation develops cleantech products that capture harmful emissions from diesel generators. Their material science approach converts the captured particulate matter into a pigment, providing a sustainable solution to air pollution.
| Headquarters | New Delhi, Delhi, India |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Arpit Dhupar, Kushagra Srivastava, Prateek Sachan |
| Funding Amount | $26.6M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | IAN Group, Iron Pillar, Inflexor Ventures, IAN Angel Fund, SBICAP Ventures |
Xampla creates a high-performance, natural material from plant protein as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. Their technology offers a fully biodegradable solution for brands in the homecare, personal care, and food industries.
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Marc Rodriguez Garcia |
| Funding Amount | $39.4M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Parkwalk Advisors, Business Growth Fund, Amadeus Capital Partners, Matterwave Ventures, Emerald Technology Ventures |
Cylib developed a proprietary recycling process to transform waste from end-of-life batteries and production scrap into marketable raw materials. Their technology enables a circular economy for the battery industry by reintroducing valuable resources back into the supply chain.
| Headquarters | Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany |
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $92.7M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Grant |
| Top Investors | Speedinvest, 10x Founders, Bosch Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, Porsche Ventures |
Terrestrial Energy develops advanced nuclear power plants to provide carbon-free energy for global industry. Their Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) technology is designed to generate cost-competitive heat and electricity.
| Headquarters | Oakville, Ontario, Canada |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Canon Bryan |
| Funding Amount | $106.6M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | US Department of Energy, Strategic Innovation Fund |
Kyoto Fusioneering builds specialized components and plant engineering solutions for the fusion energy sector. Their work focuses on key systems like plasma heating and fuel cycles, aiming to accelerate the path to commercial fusion power.
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan |
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Konishi Satoshi, Richard Pearson, Shutato Takeda, Taka Nagao |
| Funding Amount | ¥22.3B |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | MUFG Bank, Global Brain Corporation, SMBC Venture Capital, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Coral Capital |
90 Additional CleanTech Startups Worth Following
Our top ten picks are just the beginning of the story. Together, these companies have raised billions of dollars to tackle challenges in energy, manufacturing, and more.
The list includes companies at every stage, from brand new startups to established players. Below is a look at the other cleantech startups that are catching our attention.
| Startup | Main Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Clarity AI | Environment | 2017 | $80M | Venture Round |
 Motiv Electric Trucks | Mobility | 2009 | $310.8M | Undisclosed |
 Fortera | Manufacturing | 2007 | $175.5M | Venture Round |
 NoTraffic | AI | 2017 | $75.7M | Series B |
 Rad Power Bikes | Environment | 2007 | $329.3M | Series D |
 Amogy | Energy | 2020 | $298.3M | Venture Round |
 Natron Energy | Hardware | 2012 | $352.6M | Venture Round |
 Mill | AgTech | 2020 | $70.4M | Series C |
 Svante | Environment | 2007 | $505.3M | Grant |
 ICE Thermal Harvesting | Energy | 2021 | $151.7M | Debt Financing |
 itselectric | Energy | 2021 | $11M | Grant |
 Dat Bike | Mobility | 2021 | $41.9M | Series B |
 Metalchemy | Biotech | 2019 | £1.6M | Equity Crowdfunding |
 mopo | Energy | 2013 | $19.5M | Venture Round |
 Aira | Environment | 2022 | $710.5M | Venture Round |
 Sonnedix | Energy | 2009 | $7.7B | Debt Financing |
 Charm Industrial | AgTech | 2018 | $100M | Series B |
 VEMO | Energy | 2021 | $373.3M | Private Equity |
 Scindo | AI | 2020 | £4M | Seed |
 Stride | Energy | 2021 | $8.5M | Series A |
 Boston Metal | Manufacturing | 2012 | $455.5M | Convertible Note |
 ChargerHelp! | Energy | 2020 | $20.3M | Series A |
 Solstice | Energy | 2014 | $4.7M | Grant |
 Mycocycle | Manufacturing | 2018 | $8.8M | Seed |
 Phoenix Tailings | Manufacturing | 2019 | $102.6M | Series B |
 Sublime Systems | Environment | 2020 | $202M | Venture Round |
 Augmenta Inc. | Design | 2018 | $25.6M | Seed |
 Pachama | AI | 2018 | $88.3M | Series B |
 TerraPower | Energy | 2006 | $1.5B | Venture Round |
 Electric Hydrogen | Energy | 2020 | $798.3M | Debt Financing |
 WattBuy | Environment | 2017 | $16.6M | Series A |
 OnPath Energy | Environment | 2006 | £120M | Debt Financing |
 Arcadia | Energy | 2014 | $575.5M | Series E |
 Atlas Renewable Energy | Energy | 2017 | $1.5B | Debt Financing |
 Gradiant | Energy | 2013 | $392.4M | Series D |
 Turntide Technologies | Environment | 2013 | $491.5M | Venture Round |
 Symbrosia | AgTech | 2018 | $8.6M | Series A |
 Northvolt | Hardware | 2016 | $13.8B | Debt Financing |
 Boldr | Energy | 2022 | $7.7M | Seed |
 Universal Hydrogen | Mobility | 2020 | $82.5M | Corporate Round |
 ZeroAvia | Mobility | 2017 | $306M | Grant |
 Palmetto | Energy | 2009 | $1.8B | Debt Financing |
 Lunar Energy | Energy | 2020 | $300M | Series C |
 dcbel | AI | 2015 | $145M | Venture Round |
 BlocPower | Energy | 2014 | $266.6M | Grant |
 Blykalla | Energy | 2013 | SEK80M | Grant |
 EVE | Analytics | 2020 | $100k | Seed |
 Green Li-ion | Environment | 2020 | $35.5M | Series B |
 SWTCH | Environment | 2016 | $48.9M | Grant |
 Elcogen | Energy | 2001 | $145M | Venture Round |
 Kita | Environment | 2021 | £4.4M | Seed |
 X1 Wind | Environment | 2017 | $7.5M | Venture Round |
 Greenitio | Enterprise | 2021 | $1.5M | Seed |
 ALKEMIO | Environment | 2023 | $400k | Pre-Seed |
 Isometric | Analytics | 2022 | $25M | Series A |
 e-Zinc | Energy | 2012 | $73.2M | Series A |
 Octopus Energy Group | Environment | 2015 | $2.9B | Private Equity |
 Carbon Clean Solutions | Environment | 2009 | $212.4M | Series C |
 TagEnergy | Energy | 2019 | $1.2B | Debt Financing |
 Thorizon | Energy | 2018 | $42.5M | Series A |
 trawa | Energy | 2022 | $36.4M | Series A |
 SUNSPEKER | Marketing | 2022 | €2.1M | Debt Financing |
 ZunRoof | Energy | 2016 | $9.8M | Venture Round |
 Narwal Robotics | Environment | 2016 | $114.1M | Series E |
 Nanosci | Manufacturing | 2020 | $1.2M | Seed |
 ZeroNorth | Environment | 2020 | $73.3M | Debt Financing |
 QuantE Energy | Environment | 2024 | $500k | Seed |
 Chara Technologies | Environment | 2019 | $5.6M | Seed |
 Zendure | Environment | 2017 | €15.7M | Series A |
 eAgronom | AgTech | 2016 | $26.7M | Series A |
 Ascendance | Mobility | 2018 | €51M | Undisclosed |
 Ceibo | Environment | 2017 | $35M | Series B |
 Kilimo | AgTech | 2014 | $9.8M | Series A |
 RAIKU | Environment | 2021 | €9.9M | Grant |
 Continuum Industries | AI | 2018 | £12.3M | Series A |
 microTERRA | AgTech | 2019 | $13M | Seed |
 ICODOS | Manufacturing | 2022 | €2M | Pre-Seed |
 syte | AI | 2021 | €8.2M | Seed |
 Rovco | Media | 2016 | £24M | Series B |
 5B Australia | Environment | 2013 | A$81M | Series B |
 Airly | Environment | 2016 | €11.9M | Series A |
 Lumoview Building Analytics | Analytics | 2019 | €5.5M | Seed |
 everox (former C2CA) | Manufacturing | 2016 | €10M | Venture Round |
 EMPYRIO | Environment | 2018 | €650k | — |
 GreenPlat | Environment | 2016 | $5.1M | — |
 Alternative Plants | AgTech | 2017 | €550k | Seed |
 BioElements | Biotech | 2014 | $30M | Series A |
 Submer | Environment | 2015 | $127.1M | Debt Financing |
 Reefilla | Mobility | 2021 | $5.5M | Seed |
 HYBRICO Energy Technologies | Energy | 2016 | $15.2M | Venture Round |
