Cleantech Group

Coming up on April 10, Cleantech Group’s Parker J. Bovée will be moderating a Clean Group event (sponsored by Wilson Sonsini): Every Drop Counts: Navigating Water Challenges in Manufacturing and Data Centers Rapid scaling over the last six years made data centers into a key stressor to water supplies, drawing water from 90% of U.S. watersheds and increasing total withdraws by 35% since 2018. The panel explores the critical role of water as a resource in manufacturing and data center operations. Register for the event to join our esteemed panel of speakers in discussing the potential knowledge transfer of facility location, collaboration with utilities and waste managers, and technical innovations between manufacturing hubs and data centers: https://hubs.li/Q03d3Mh80

Glaciers are melting faster than ever. As the planet gets hotter due to climate change, our frozen world is shrinking, making the water cycle more unpredictable and extreme, putting communities and ecosystems are at risk of devastation. ?? On #WorldWaterDay, join us in advocating for the conservation of the cryosphere and sustainable use of water for a safer, more resilient future: https://hubs.li/Q03c_hqx0

Happy Friday! Here's your recap of top activity in Materials & Chemicals cleantech this week: ? KMX Technologies raised $543K from the Wyoming Energy Authority to install a vacuum membrane distillation system at Ur-Energy's Lost Creek Uranium Mine and processing plant in Wyoming. ? Coreshell raised $24M Series A to begin delivering its silicon in its proprietary expansion containing materials to customers for batteries from Ferroglobe PLC, Asymmetry Ventures, Estrada Ventures, Foothill Ventures, Helios Climate Ventures, Lane Ventures, Translink Capital, Trousdale Ventures, and Zeon Ventures Inc. ? Summit Nanotech (a personal favorite of mine) raised $25M to scale its Direct Lithium Extraction solution from demonstration to full-scale commercial design! BIG CONGRATS to the team for reaching this milestone!! Funding from Evok Innovations, BDC Capital, Xora Innovation, Capricorn Investment Group, Mitsui Kinzoku, LG Technology Ventures, and Aperture Group. ? Homeostasis raised $1.2M from Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), Kayak Ventures, and the Washington Department of Commerce. Funding will be used to convert atmospheric CO2 into battery-grade graphite via 'aqueous mineralization capture' at ton-scale production in 2025. ? Brineworks raised a $2M grant from the EIC - European Innovation Council to scale its direct ocean capture solution. It captures CO2 from heavy emitting industries like maritime and aviation to use as feedstocks to produce e-fuels. #cleantech #watertreatment #directlithiumextraction #DLE #lithium #silicon #carboncapture #mineralization #graphite #criticalminerals Cleantech Group Image credit: Summit Nanotech

Earlier this month in Brussels, the future was most definitely blue (… and that is a good thing). ??? The Blue Invest Day annual gathering celebrates and supports the growth of the EU ocean/maritime community. Since its inception in 2018, Blue Invest Day has grown into a powerful catalyzing component in Europe’s blue ecosystem, bringing together a digital platform and a dynamic community of more than a thousand innovators and dozens of dedicated venture funds. This day is part of the larger Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters Forum 2025, spanning the entire first week of March in Brussels. ???? From investment trends to innovation breakthroughs, read Amelie Desrochers's perspective for the key takeaways from this year’s event: https://hubs.li/Q03cNnyq0 AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles Asian Development Bank Institute Canada's Ocean Supercluster Cove ENEOS European Investment Bank (EIB) Hub Azul Portugal Hatch Blue Idemitsu Renewables Innovative Solutions Canada NOAA National Ocean Service SWEN Capital Partners Washington Maritime Blue #BlueEconomy #BlueInvest #SustainableFinance #MaritimeInnovation #Cleantech #Climatetech

Over $1.6B venture dollars were committed to fusion in 2024 across a wide range of approaches. Although in the near term fusion remains further along the commercialization pathway than SMRs, the potential to generate carbon-free, baseload energy with little radioactive waste makes fusion attractive to many investors. Join our next webinar on April 8, to: ??Review the fusion systems that have seen significant investment the past few years ??Explore advances in magnetic confinement, inertial confinement, and emerging alternative approaches ???Uncover drivers and challenges for the fusion industry Register now: https://hubs.li/Q03cKDVL0

Thank you for republishing the recent Cleantech Group article by Jack Ellis and adding your valuable insight! You can read "Agtech Insights: The Importance of Strategics on Your Company’s Cap Table" here: https://lnkd.in/dZSA4TaR

?? Have you already seen the ???????????? ?????????????????? ???????????????????? ?????????? of #GCIP? Developed in partnership with the Cleantech Group, the Index examines the potential of GCIP partner countries to produce and scale startups and micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises (#MSMEs) essential for commercializing clean technologies in coming years. GCII presents a contemporary framework for evaluating the ?????????????????? ???????????????????? ?????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? (????????) in the GCIP partner countries. The report consolidates key information on policy, cluster development and activities of national ecosystems to identify strengths and opportunities within them. ?? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????? ???????????????? ???? ????????? Unlike traditional rankings, GCII does not score countries based on ecosystem maturity. Instead, it provides a nuanced, country-specific analysis, equipping stakeholders with actionable insights for tailored #cleantech growth strategies. While many assessments focus solely on funding rounds and startup numbers, GCII takes a qualitative approach, highlighting: ? Ecosystem actor density ? Links to international markets ? Inclusivity - ensuring #women, #youth, and minority groups actively participate in cleantech #innovation ?? DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT A CLEANTECH ECOSYSTEM IS AND READ ABOUT EACH OF THE GCIP COUNTRIES? Explore the interactive publication here and share with your networks who may be interested as well: https://lnkd.in/dmwcf2Hs Rana Ghoneim Manasa Suresh Global Environment Facility UNIDO Lucy Chatburn Gabriella Rufo Julie Martin Noah Ross Todd Allmendinger Techo Startup Center International Green Technologies & Investments Center (IGTIC) TüB?TAK Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP)-Lesotho Marorisang Patricia Makututsa, CPFA? Thabo Moea Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development - Kingdom of Morocco National Center for Sustainable Energy Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria Oluyomi Banjo Technology Innovation Agency Sandiswa Qayi Ramaness Parasuraman Zahari Dolomanji Agri House Sand to Green Koolboks Episome Biotechnologies Liliia Akatova Eric Jensen Perez Julia Oberreiter Alessio Brina Gerswynn Mckuur Luca Longo Karin Reiss-Haimbala Theresa Grader Mchenge Nyoka Daria Shumilova SunYoung Suh Olga Rataj

A roundup of last week's standout sustainability deals from around the agrifoodtech world???? ???? Agros, provider of solar-powered smart irrigation and smallholder farmer financing, received $4.25M?from Gaia Impact, Wavemaker Impact, Silverstrand Capital, Global Innovation Fund, and Schneider Electric's Energy Access Asia to expand in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. ???? Ai Palette, provider of an intelligence and insight splatform for the food industry, was acquired by ???? GlobalData Plc (congrats team!) ???? Big Idea Ventures has reached a $53.8M close on its Generation Food Rural Partners Fund, which is focused on commercialising agrifood innovation from the US research sector, with 14 LPs signed up so far ???? British International Investment announced a $75M facility with ???? HBL to boost climate-resilient farming in Pakistan ???? Cano-ela, developer of value-add ingredients from oilseed sidestreams,?raised?$1.74M from Oost NL and Value Factory Ventures to upgrade its pilot facility, increase production capacity, and accelerate collaborations with food producers. ???? Elevarm, provider of bio-based inputs, advisory services, and financing options to boost productivity of smallholder farms, raised $4.25M pre-Series A funding from Intudo, Insignia Ventures Partners, and 500 Global ???? Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada announced over?C$7.6M?in funding under the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund of its Oceans Protection Plan for projects contributing to restoration priorities in coastal and upstream areas of British Columbia ???? GigaCrop raised $4.5M from Playground Global to advance R&D into its photosynthesis-boosting tech ???? Gr?o Direto, which provides a digital platform for agri-commodities trading, secured $15M ???? LettUs Grow partnered with ???? KG Systems to roll-out its aeroponics tech globally ???? Quercus Biosolutions, developer of bio-based crop protection products, emerged from stealth with pre-seed funding ???? Re:meat, a cultivated meat startup, netted $1.1M to launch its first "meat brewery" ???? Scimplify, an online marketplace for industrial chemicals, received $40M?from Accel,?Bertelsmann India Investments, BEENEXT, Omnivore, and 3one4 Capital to expand its presence in the USA and other geographies, and to explore acquisition of its own manufacturing facilities. ???? Syngenta and Planet renewed their partnership to deliver near-daily satellite imagery enabling farmers to remotely monitor crop health, detect pest infestations, and identify disease outbreaks ???? xFarm Technologies has merged with ???? Checkplant, allowing it to enhance the reach of its precision ag solutions in South America (To find out more about Cleantech Group's research & consulting services, visit i3connect.com) #agtech #agritech #foodtech #cleantech #climatetech #agrifood #agrifoodtech Image credit: LettUs Grow

China and the EU: Comparing Two Tech-Forward Plans for the Future of Food Production The EU and China have each unveiled new strategic plans for their agri-food industries—both emphasizing food security, both acknowledging environmental sustainability, and both leaning into cleantech innovation. The EU’s Agri-Food Vision signals a shift from Farm to Fork’s regulatory-heavy approach, opting instead for a competitiveness-first strategy that integrates digital agriculture, alternative proteins, and carbon credit markets. Meanwhile, China’s 5-Year Agri-Food Tech Plan is even more direct in its embrace of cutting-edge innovations—from AI-driven precision farming to gene editing and bio-agriculture. Both plans suggest a broader global shift: food security takes priority, while sustainability follows. But with the right tech solutions, the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Read the full breakdown in Jack Ellis's latest perspective: https://hubs.li/Q03ccljx0 #AgTech #FoodSecurity #Sustainability #Innovation #Cleantech #ClimateTech

Here's your recap of top activity in Materials & Chemicals cleantech last week: ? Capture6 raised $27.5M to advance core water recovery and carbon removal projects in its global pipeline. Funding from Tetrad Corporation, ZERO1NE, Energy Capital Ventures??, Elemental Impact, Bridge Investment, Sopoong Ventures , Third Derivative, and the JACOB S SHAPIRO FOUNDATION. ? Scimplify raised $40M to expand specialty chemicals production, with a focus on the U.S.; while also exploring opportunities to acquire its own manufacturing facilities. Funding from Accel, Bertelsmann India Investments, BEENEXT, Omnivore, and 3one4 Capital. ? ChEmpower Corporation raised $16M disclosed via SEC regulatory filing to advance its semiconductor manufacturing solutions. ? Producer of low-carbon fuels & chemicals using synthetic biology, Photanol, ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy. The team was preparing for large-scale demonstration when financial difficulties hit. I hope to see the team bounce back. ? Atmosic Technologies raised $40M to expand its wireless semiconductors portfolio from Sutter Hill Ventures, Clear Ventures, and Quantum Innovation Fund. ? Although back in February, I was excited to see Albert Invent raised an additional $23M ($40M total) from J.P. Morgan Growth Equity Partners, Coatue, and TCV. Funding will be used for its end-to-end R&D platform to accelerate chemical innovation in materials science using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, rapidly speeding up digital synthesis. #cleantech #synbio #carboncapture #semiconductors #materialsdiscovery Cleantech Group Image credit: Scimplify