🔬 ClimateHack Vol 127: PhD Founders Powering ClimateTech

Hi There,

This week, Forbes took a closer look at the rise of the PhD Founder in ClimateTech.

As Scientists-turned-entrepreneurs raise serious capital, including:

• Dr. Xiru Li of Biometallica

• Dr. Etosha Cave of Twelve

• Dr. Ulrike Pfreundt of rrreefs

• Dr. Noah McQueen of Heirloom

• Dr. Leah Ellis of Sublime Systems

• Dr. Jennifer Holmgren of LanzaTech

• Dr. Beth Shapiro of Colossal Biosciences

By translating academic research into practical applications, they’re launching startups tackling renewable energy, materials circularity, carbon utilisation and biodiversity restoration.

And a growing ecosystem, including Activate, Marble, Deep Science Ventures, Unreasonable and Breakthrough Energy Fellows is helping to fuel their success.

In this week’s edition:

🐄 €6 million to develop and commercialise a methane-reducing molecule
🛩️ €2.3 million to accelerate the commercialisation of CO2-to-SAF technology
💥 €115 million fund to support SMEs and scale-ups driving the energy transition

The Digest

📈 What’s up? Coca-Cola announced that it may shift from aluminium cans to more plastic packaging to offset rising costs from President Trump’s new tariffs.

📉 What’s down? The US Department of Transportation has paused funding for a $5 billion EV charging program, in a move seen as part of the Trump administration's efforts to cut renewable energy projects.

💰 Interesting: Tobias Lechtenfeld shares his views on venture debt.

🔦 Good Read: AP News spotlights on mega-polluters (hello Shell, Enbridge, Drax, etc…) taking advantage of billions in green loans.

👩‍🔬 A community-built list of 24 women CSOs and Scientists working in Climate.

👋 The EHL Open Innovation Summit takes place right after the HackSummit. Extend the conversations and collaborations into the realm of open innovation across Future of Food, Regenerative Economies and Luxury with Impact.

AgriFood x Climate

💡 US-based 80 Acres Farms raised $115 million, bringing its total funding to over $370 million, and acquired Israeli biotech firm Plantae Biosciences to enhance plant genetics for indoor agriculture through advanced breeding technologies.

🍨 Sweet protein producer Oobli secured $18 million Series B1 funding and is working with Ingredion on a sugar reduction solution.

🌾 Israel-based bioinsecticide company IBI Ag raised $6.1 million in the first tranche of its Series A round, led by Corteva, to advance its cost-effective, ultra-small antibody technology for sustainable crop protection.

🇦🇺 Australian cultivated meat company Magic Valley received a $100,000 government grant to scale production, optimise bioprocessing, and reduce its costs.

Biodiversity x Climate

🌳 Mast Reforestation raised $25 million to launch a reforestation model that pays landowners upfront by collecting and burying trees to generate carbon credits, with its first project set in Montana's Poverty Flats Fire zone.

🎬 Good watch: 5 reasons why we undervalue mangroves.

🦜 Brainforest’s Venture Program applications are now open. This 8-week program offers hands-on acceleration for startups working on: AI & data for nature intelligence, regenerative agriculture & soil health, monetizing biodiversity, and deep-tech for ecosystem restoration.

Carbon x Climate

🏁 Nature-based carbon removal startup Chestnut Carbon secured $160 million Series B funding to expand its model of converting degraded farmland into forested areas for generating carbon credits, amid rising demand from tech companies. And it must work, because the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team is buying 5,500 metric tons worth of carbon credits from the startup to help offset some of its carbon footprint.

🌱 Carbon finance startup Proba raised €1 million to scale its insetting platform, which helps agri-food companies reduce emissions within their supply chains—particularly in fertiliser production—by generating verified, tradeable decarbonisation certificates.

Energy x Climate

💥 Nuclear startup X-Energy secured an additional $200 million in its Series C round, bringing the total to $700 million, as it advances its Xe-100 small modular reactors, including a 300-megawatt project with Amazon in the Pacific Northwest.

🇪🇸 Madrid-based Nido raised €5 million seed funding to expand its digital platform for residential heat pump installations, which uses 3D modeling technology to streamline the process and has already reduced over 420 tons of CO2 annually across 10 autonomous communities.

🌀 Renew Risk secured £5 million to expand its risk modelling and analytics platform, which helps insurers, investors, and asset managers assess physical risks like hurricanes and earthquakes affecting renewable energy assets.

⚡️ Gridraven, based in Tallinn, raised €4 million to expand its AI-powered Dynamic Line Rating technology into the US, with the aim of optimising electricity transmission without additional hardware.

🔋 Australian battery storage startup Allegro Energy secured a $1.85 million federal grant to scale production of its water-based Redox Flow Batteries, which are designed to be a safer, non-flammable, and recyclable solution for long-duration renewable energy storage.

💨 Mantle8, a French natural hydrogen exploration company, secured €3.4 million seed funding to pilot its proprietary subsurface imaging technology, enhance cross-border scalability, and expand its team as it works toward discovering 10 million tons of natural hydrogen by 2030.

🔌 Estes Energy emerged from stealth, having raised pre-seed funding from the likes of Baukunst, Rally Cap VC, Trucks Venture Capital, DCVC, and Gigascale Capital, to launch its chemistry-agnostic battery platform, designed to power commercial, defense, and AI-driven mobility markets while strengthening the US electrification supply chain.

ESG x Climate

🔢 Cologne-based Planted secured €5 million seed funding to advance its AI-powered ESG software, which helps companies streamline sustainability reporting, decarbonisation, and environmental initiatives.

Funds x Climate

💸 Antwerp-based Junction Growth Investors closed its first fund with €115 million, exceeding its target, to support European SMEs and scale-ups driving the energy transition across distinct verticals such as grid enhancing technologies, sustainable buildings, and (home) energy management systems.

Materials x Climate

💼 Dutch cultivated pork startup Meatable is joining forces with animal-free leather maker Pelagen to enhance the production and scalability of cell-based leather, expanding its impact beyond the food industry.

👨‍🔬 Monash researchers have developed a groundbreaking AI program that uses machine learning and infrared spectroscopy to rapidly analyse microplastic samples, helping scientists better understand and combat environmental microplastic pollution.

🍍 Good watch: Upcycling pineapple scraps into yarn and fabric.

Methane x Climate

💨 Agteria Biotech raised €6 million to accelerate the development and commercialisation of its methane-reducing molecule, with the aim of cutting 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions by tackling methane from cattle.

Mobility x Climate

🚙 FINN secured up to €1 billion in new ABS financing, backed by Citi and Jefferies, to expand its car subscription fleet in Germany and accelerate its growth across Europe.

🔌 EV charging startup Revel secured a $60 million loan from NY Green Bank to expand its public fast-charging network in New York City, adding 267 new stalls by 2027, including a major site at JFK Airport.

🛩️ German sustainable aviation fuel startup Spark e-Fuels raised €2.3 million in a pre-seed funding round, led by Nucleus Capital, to build its pilot plant, expand its team, and accelerate the commercialisation of its CO2-to-SAF technology.

✈️ New Zealand's Fabrum has partnered with Christchurch Airport to launch a hydrogen testing facility at Kowhai Park, supporting the development of green hydrogen-powered aviation as part of a wider consortium with Airbus, Air New Zealand, and others.

Founder Life x Climate

How it feels to start a Climate Startup

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Editorial by Laura, Curation by Nicola