Climate Flash Report

Daily climate technology and sustainability news - Updated: 2025-10-18

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Climate Tech Startups & Clean Energy

•Climate tech investment is cooling but remains significant: Early- and growth-stage climate tech startups raised $13.2 billion in the first half of 2025, down 19% from the previous year, reflecting a broader VC market slowdown[1]. Despite this, 109 startups from 13 countries applied for Trellis’s “25 Climate Tech Startups to Watch,” collectively raising over $750 million, with the winner to be announced at VERGE in late October[1].

•Major funding rounds in the Pacific Northwest: The three largest investments in the region this year went to climate tech: TerraPower ($650M for next-gen nuclear reactors), Group14 Technologies ($430M for silicon-anode battery materials), and Helion Energy ($425M for fusion energy)[6]. These deals highlight continued investor appetite for breakthrough clean energy technologies, even as hardware-heavy, capital-intensive climate tech faces higher risk perceptions[6].

•New $300M climate tech fund: A coalition of top VCs, including Khosla Ventures and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, launched the All Aboard Coalition, aiming to close a $300 million fund by late October to support startups on the cusp of commercialization, especially as public funding wanes[9]. This comes as direct air capture (DAC) startups raised just $58 million in Q1 2025, down over 60% year-over-year[9].

•Startup failures and downsizing: Some high-profile climate tech firms, such as Running Tide (ocean carbon removal) and Noya (DAC), have folded, while others like Climeworks have cut staff due to high operating costs and funding challenges[9].

ESG Investing & Carbon Impact

•ESG and climate targets are now mainstream: Nearly every major corporate quarterly letter now includes climate targets, and regulators globally are increasing climate-related spending (e.g., EU Green Deal, APAC net-zero initiatives)[2]. Climate tech now cuts across energy, SaaS, agriculture, fintech, mobility, and manufacturing, reflecting its integration into core business strategies[2].

•Impact investment dominance: Climate tech attracts 80–90% of all impact investment dollars, far outpacing social impact startups[7]. Despite a 50% drop in total VC funding, climate tech’s share of global VC has risen from 14% to 16%, indicating relative resilience[7].

•Carbon impact metrics: While specific carbon reduction figures for individual startups are not detailed in the latest reports, the sector’s focus remains on technologies with the potential for gigaton-scale emissions reductions, such as nuclear, fusion, battery storage, and carbon capture[1][6].

Climate Policy & Environmental Innovations

•US policy headwinds: The Trump administration has rolled back many Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives, creating challenges for renewable energy and electrification startups[1]. Recent actions include halting a nearly completed offshore wind project in Rhode Island and freezing funding programs for high-cost, long-term climate technologies[6][9].

•Global funding leaders: The US remains the top country for climate tech funding, with $147 billion invested since 2018—more than double China’s total[7]. Leading hubs include the Bay Area, Boston, Shanghai, and London, with Shanghai, São Paulo, and Paris showing rapid recent growth[7].

•Innovation focus areas: Tailwinds persist for technologies aligned with the AI and data center boom, including nuclear, geothermal, and energy storage. Carbon capture is gaining commercial traction, with innovative startups finally moving beyond pilot projects[1].

•Global South and carbon markets: New toolkits are emerging to help the Global South access carbon markets, aiming to bridge the climate finance gap in developing regions[9].

Climate Flash Report

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Climate Tech Startups & Clean Energy

ESG Investing & Carbon Impact

Climate Policy & Environmental Innovations

Summary Table: Key Climate Tech Developments (October 2025)

Climate Tech

Clean Energy

Climate Policy

Renewable Energy

Climate Data

Sustainability

Environmental Impact

General

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