List of Funded Environmental Startups For 2026

📅 Last Updated: January 13, 2026 | New environmental startups added weekly

Looking for recently funded environmental and climate tech startups? You’re in the right place. Environmental startups are experiencing unprecedented growth, with the global climate tech sector now valued at over $1.4 trillion. Environmental startups raised a record $53.8 billion in 2024, representing a 78% increase from 2023 as investors recognize the massive market opportunity in sustainability solutions.

Our team tracks environmental startup funding announcements every week, maintaining the most comprehensive database of verified contacts, funding details, and company intelligence. Below, you’ll find 100 recently funded environmental startups with actionable data you can use today.

👉 Jump to the List of 100 Funded Environmental Startups

Quick Stats: Environmental Startup Funding in 2025

• 🌍 Major hubs: San Francisco, London, Berlin, Singapore, Boston
• 💰 Total funding 2024: $53.8 billion across 2,400+ deals
• 🌱 Environmental Startups tracked: 590 companies in our database
• 📈 Growth rate: 78% increase year-over-year
• 🎯 Top sectors: Carbon Capture (22%), Renewable Energy (20%), Circular Economy (18%)

Why Environmental Startups Are Attracting Record Investment

Environmental startups have emerged as one of the fastest-growing investment categories globally, driven by converging forces that make climate technology both urgently necessary and commercially viable. The sector has evolved from philanthropic ventures to mainstream business opportunities backed by the world’s largest investors.

Several key factors drive unprecedented interest in environmental startups:

• Regulatory Momentum: Over 130 countries have committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, creating massive policy-driven demand for environmental solutions. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and US Inflation Reduction Act provide hundreds of billions in incentives for environmental startups.
• Corporate Climate Commitments: Over 5,000 companies representing $14 trillion in market cap have set science-based climate targets, creating guaranteed demand for environmental technology solutions from sustainability startups.
• Technological Breakthroughs: Dramatic cost reductions in solar (90% since 2010), batteries (89% since 2010), and green hydrogen production have made environmental solutions economically competitive with fossil alternatives for the first time.
• Consumer Demand: 73% of global consumers are willing to pay premium prices for sustainable products, creating market pull for environmental startups addressing consumer needs.
• Financial Returns: Environmental startups are demonstrating that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive. Top climate tech funds are posting returns comparable to traditional tech investing, attracting more capital.

According to PwC’s State of Climate Tech 2024 report, climate tech funding has grown 11x faster than overall VC investment since 2020, with environmental startups representing 14% of all global venture capital deployed.

The sector’s maturation is evident in the number of environmental unicorns, which grew from just 7 in 2019 to over 90 in 2024. Major exits including Northvolt ($12B valuation), Rivian ($66B IPO), and ChargePoint ($2.4B SPAC) have validated the commercial viability of environmental startups at scale.

Recently Funded Environmental Startups

Below is our curated database of the 100 most recently funded environmental and climate tech startups. This data is updated weekly and sourced from Crunchbase, company announcements, regulatory filings, and direct submissions.

Environmental Startups at a Glance

• Number of environmental startups in our database: 595
• Number of verified email addresses in our database: 824
• Number of social profiles in our database: 1,504
• Other data points stored: 8,382
• Total funding raised in 2024: $3,138,912,623
  • Seed: $323,943,497
  • Series A: $578,914,392
  • Series B: $237,523,561
  • Series C: $289,641,769
  • Other funding*: $4,530,894,051
• Total funding raised in 2025: $697,955,548

*Other funding includes private equity, debt financing, and various other types of capital.

Sector	% of Total Funding	Notable Companies	Average Round Size
Carbon Capture & Storage	22%	Climeworks, Carbon Engineering	$85M
Renewable Energy	20%	Fervo Energy, Energy Vault	$127M
Circular Economy	18%	Rubicon, TerraCycle	$42M
Sustainable Agriculture	16%	Apeel Sciences, Indigo Agriculture	$68M
Green Materials	14%	Bolt Threads, MycoWorks	$55M
Water Technology	10%	Gradiant, Epic Cleantec	$38M

Top Sectors for Environmental Startups

Carbon Capture & Climate Solutions

Carbon capture and direct air capture technologies attracted $11.8 billion in funding during 2024, making it the largest category within environmental startups. The sector addresses the critical need to remove existing CO2 from the atmosphere while preventing new emissions, with solutions ranging from direct air capture to enhanced weathering and ocean-based carbon removal.

Major environmental startups in this sector include Climeworks (valued at $1.2 billion, operating the world’s largest direct air capture facility), Carbon Engineering (backed by Bill Gates and Chevron with $200M+ funding), and Charm Industrial (converting biomass into carbon-negative bio-oil). The sector benefits from growing corporate carbon removal purchases, with Microsoft, Shopify, Stripe, and Meta committing over $2 billion in advance purchase agreements.

The Frontier Climate initiative, backed by companies including Alphabet, Shopify, and Meta, has committed $925 million to carbon removal purchases, creating guaranteed demand for environmental startups in this space. Government programs including the US 45Q tax credit (up to $180 per ton captured) and EU Innovation Fund provide additional financial support.

Renewable Energy Innovation

Energy startups raised $10.7 billion in 2024, driven by innovations beyond traditional solar and wind. Environmental startups in this category are developing next-generation renewable technologies including geothermal energy, green hydrogen production, advanced battery storage, and grid optimization software.

Notable environmental startups include Fervo Energy ($462M Series E, developing enhanced geothermal systems), Energy Vault ($100M Series C, gravity-based energy storage), and Freyr Battery ($850M funding, producing battery cells for EVs). The sector benefits from dramatically declining costs – solar installation costs have dropped 90% since 2010, making renewable energy the cheapest electricity source in most regions.

The International Energy Agency projects renewable energy capacity additions will reach 440 GW annually by 2030, up from 340 GW in 2024, creating massive growth opportunities for environmental startups. The US Inflation Reduction Act provides $369 billion in clean energy incentives over the next decade, while the EU’s REPowerEU plan commits €300 billion to renewable energy independence.

Circular Economy & Waste Management

Environmental startups focused on circular economy solutions raised $9.6 billion in 2024, addressing the $4.5 trillion annual global waste problem. These companies are developing technologies for recycling, upcycling, waste-to-energy conversion, and product-as-a-service models that eliminate waste at the source.

Leading environmental startups include Rubicon (valued at $2 billion, waste management platform connecting businesses with recyclers), Loop Industries ($500M funding, chemical recycling technology converting plastic waste back to virgin-quality materials), and Ridwell ($15M Series A, consumer recycling service). The sector also includes innovative business models like rental and subscription services reducing product waste.

The circular economy opportunity is enormous – the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates circular business models could generate $4.5 trillion in economic benefits by 2030. Environmental startups benefit from growing regulatory pressure, with the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan mandating increased recycled content in products and extended producer responsibility schemes.

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

Agriculture startups with environmental missions raised $8.5 billion in 2024, addressing both climate mitigation (reducing agriculture’s 24% contribution to global emissions) and adaptation (helping farms survive climate impacts). Environmental startups in this category include precision agriculture, alternative proteins, vertical farming, regenerative agriculture, and supply chain transparency.

Major environmental startups include Apeel Sciences ($635M funding, plant-based produce coating extending shelf life), Indigo Agriculture ($1.2 billion raised, marketplace for regenerative agriculture carbon credits), and Symbrosia ($5.8M Series A, seaweed-based livestock feed reducing methane emissions by 80%). The alternative protein sector alone attracted $3.1 billion in 2024, with companies like Impossible Foods and Perfect Day demonstrating commercial viability.

The sector addresses a massive market opportunity – McKinsey estimates that sustainable agriculture could be worth $1.2 trillion annually by 2030. Environmental startups benefit from both consumer demand for sustainable food and farmer economics, with regenerative practices often improving yields while reducing input costs.

Green Materials & Manufacturing

Environmental startups developing sustainable materials and manufacturing processes raised $7.5 billion in 2024, replacing carbon-intensive traditional materials like plastics, concrete, steel, and textiles. This category includes bio-based materials, advanced recycling technologies, carbon-negative construction materials, and clean manufacturing processes.

Notable environmental startups include Rubi Laboratories ($7.5M funding, converting CO2 into textile fibers), PANGEA Movement ($287K seed, plastic-free consumer goods packaging), and Allonnia ($20M Series A, bioremediation for environmental cleanup). The sustainable materials sector is driven by corporate commitments to eliminate virgin plastics and reduce scope 3 emissions across supply chains.

The market opportunity is substantial – the global green building materials market alone is projected to reach $377 billion by 2029. Environmental startups benefit from material performance advantages in many cases, with bio-based materials often outperforming traditional alternatives while reducing environmental impact. Major brands including Lululemon, Adidas, and Hermès are partnering with environmental startups to source sustainable materials.

Environmental Startups by Region

North America: Leading Climate Tech Innovation

North America dominates environmental startup funding, accounting for 48% of global climate tech investment ($25.8 billion in 2024). The region benefits from the world’s deepest venture capital markets, strong university research commercialization, and significant government support through the Inflation Reduction Act.

United States: US environmental startups raised $22.3 billion across 780+ deals in 2024. Major hubs include the San Francisco Bay Area (carbon capture, clean energy, sustainable food – 35% of US climate funding), Boston (green materials, energy storage – 18% of US climate funding), and New York City (circular economy, climate fintech – 12% of US climate funding).

The US benefits from the $369 billion Inflation Reduction Act providing tax credits for clean energy production, EV adoption, carbon capture, and green hydrogen. Notable exits including Rivian’s $66 billion IPO and ChargePoint’s $2.4 billion SPAC validate the commercial potential of environmental startups.

Canada: Canadian environmental startups raised $3.5 billion in 2024, with strength in clean energy, green materials, and climate tech software. The government’s Net Zero Accelerator program provides $8 billion in funding for decarbonization projects, while provincial incentives in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec support environmental innovation.

Europe: Policy-Driven Environmental Growth

European environmental startups raised $20.4 billion in 2024 (38% of global climate tech funding), driven by the EU’s ambitious Green Deal and carbon pricing mechanisms creating strong regulatory pull for environmental solutions.

United Kingdom: UK environmental startups raised $6.8 billion in 2024, with London serving as Europe’s leading climate tech hub. The UK’s commitment to offshore wind (50GW by 2030) and green hydrogen production creates massive opportunities for environmental startups in these sectors.

Germany: German environmental startups raised $5.2 billion in 2024, with particular strength in industrial decarbonization, green mobility, and renewable energy. The Energiewende (energy transition) policy creates strong domestic demand, while German engineering expertise enables deep-tech environmental innovations.

France: French environmental startups raised $3.6 billion in 2024, supported by the government’s France 2030 investment plan allocating €54 billion to green innovation. Paris hosts growing climate tech ecosystem focused on carbon capture, sustainable aviation, and circular economy solutions.

Nordic Region: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland collectively raised $4.8 billion for environmental startups in 2024. The region leads in per-capita climate tech investment and benefits from abundant renewable energy, progressive environmental policies, and strong industrial partnerships. Notable environmental startups include Northvolt (Swedish battery gigafactory, $12 billion valuation) and Climeworks (Swiss direct air capture, $1.2 billion valuation).

Asia-Pacific: Scaling Sustainability Solutions

Asia-Pacific environmental startups raised $7.6 billion in 2024 (14% of global climate funding), with particularly strong growth in China, Singapore, and Australia.

China: Chinese environmental startups raised $3.8 billion in 2024, focused on renewable energy, EV infrastructure, and industrial efficiency. China’s carbon neutrality by 2060 commitment and dominance in solar manufacturing and battery production create advantages for environmental startups.

Singapore: Singapore serves as Southeast Asia’s climate tech hub, with environmental startups raising $1.5 billion in 2024. The government’s Green Plan 2030 allocates significant resources to environmental innovation, while Singapore’s geographic position enables regional scaling for environmental solutions.

Australia: Australian environmental startups raised $1.2 billion in 2024, with strengths in renewable energy, carbon farming, and sustainable agriculture. The country’s abundant renewable resources and innovative agriculture sector create unique opportunities for environmental entrepreneurs.

India: Indian environmental startups raised $1.1 billion in 2024, addressing massive environmental challenges including air pollution, water scarcity, and agricultural sustainability. The country’s large domestic market and growing environmental awareness drive opportunities for environmental startups with solutions at price points suitable for emerging markets.

Funding Trends in Environmental Tech

Early-Stage Climate Investment

Seed-stage environmental startups raised $4.2 billion across 980+ deals in 2024, with median seed rounds of $3.5 million (up from $2.1 million in 2022). Early-stage climate tech is attracting increasing attention from both specialized climate funds and generalist VCs recognizing the massive market opportunity.

Notable seed rounds in 2024:

• pH7 Technologies: $25.6M seed for carbon-negative materials (largest climate tech seed round of 2024)
• Badwater Alchemy: $2M seed for water treatment solutions
• Buluttan: $1M pre-seed for environmental AI and data analytics
• LEP: $1M seed for agricultural biotech addressing climate impacts

The trend toward larger seed rounds reflects environmental startups’ capital intensity compared to typical software startups. Climate tech companies often require significant investment for R&D, pilot projects, and demonstration of technical feasibility before achieving product-market fit. Specialized seed funds like Collaborative Fund, Lowercarbon Capital, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures actively support early-stage environmental founders.

Growth-Stage Environmental Companies

Series B and later environmental startups raised $31.4 billion in 2024, demonstrating ecosystem maturation. Growth rounds averaged $127 million, with environmental startups successfully proving their technologies at scale and attracting late-stage capital traditionally reserved for software companies.

Major growth rounds in 2024:

• Fervo Energy: $462M Series E for enhanced geothermal systems
• Radiant: $300M Series D for portable nuclear microreactors
• Rezolv Energy: $351M private equity for renewable energy projects
• Spark Cleantech: $35M Series A for advanced materials manufacturing

Late-stage environmental startups increasingly attract international capital, with US-based funds investing in European companies and vice versa. The growth of climate-focused private equity funds and infrastructure investors provides alternative capital sources beyond traditional VC, enabling environmental startups to scale without dilutive equity raises.

Corporate Venture Capital Interest

Corporate venture capital in environmental startups reached record levels in 2024, with $12.3 billion deployed across 320+ deals. Major corporations recognize environmental startups as both strategic opportunities (providing solutions for their own decarbonization) and investment opportunities (offering attractive returns in growing markets).

Most active corporate investors include:

• Energy Companies: BP Ventures, Shell Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures investing in clean energy and carbon capture
• Automotive: BMW i Ventures, Stellantis Ventures, Toyota Ventures backing sustainable mobility
• Industrials: Breakthrough Energy Ventures (Bill Gates), Amazon Climate Pledge Fund supporting broad climate solutions
• Tech Giants: Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, Google Ventures backing environmental AI and analytics

Corporate VCs provide environmental startups with more than capital – they offer strategic partnerships, pilot customers, distribution channels, and technical expertise. Many environmental startups successfully leverage corporate partnerships to validate technology and accelerate go-to-market timelines.

2026 Environmental Startup Innovation Trends

The environmental startup landscape in 2026 is being shaped by several transformative trends:

AI-Powered Environmental Solutions: Over 180 environmental startups are now leveraging AI and machine learning for climate applications including carbon accounting automation, optimization of renewable energy grids, precision agriculture, climate risk modeling, and supply chain emissions tracking. AI enables environmental solutions that were previously impossible or economically unviable.

Emissions Measurement & Transparency: Growing regulatory requirements for corporate emissions reporting (EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, SEC climate disclosure rules) are driving demand for environmental startups providing automated carbon accounting, supply chain emissions tracking, and ESG reporting software. The sector raised $2.1 billion in 2024.

Climate Adaptation Technologies: While most environmental startups focus on emissions reduction, the growing impact of climate change is creating opportunities for adaptation technologies including drought-resistant crops, wildfire prevention and monitoring, flood protection, extreme weather forecasting, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Investment in adaptation technologies grew 140% in 2024.

Decentralized Renewable Energy: Environmental startups are developing community-scale renewable energy solutions including microgrids, peer-to-peer energy trading platforms, and distributed battery storage. These solutions address energy access in developing markets while building resilience in developed economies.

Regenerative Business Models: Beyond sustainability (doing less harm), environmental startups are embracing regenerative approaches that actively restore ecosystems. Examples include carbon farming platforms enabling farmers to generate carbon credits, rewilding projects combining conservation with economic returns, and regenerative ocean farming.

Key Investors in Environmental Startups

The environmental startup funding landscape includes specialized climate tech funds, generalist VCs adding climate focus, corporate venture arms, and government-backed initiatives:

Leading Climate Tech VCs:

• Lowercarbon Capital – Focuses on radical climate solutions, backed companies including Charm Industrial, Watershed, and Twelve
• Breakthrough Energy Ventures – Bill Gates-founded fund investing $2 billion in climate tech across energy storage, agriculture, transportation
• Congruent Ventures – Early-stage climate fund with investments in battery technology, sustainable materials, clean energy
• MCJ Collective – Community-driven climate fund supporting hundreds of environmental entrepreneurs

Generalist VCs Active in Climate:

• Kleiner Perkins – Historic tech VC with growing climate portfolio including ChargePoint, Desktop Metal
• Sequoia Capital – Backed environmental companies including Impossible Foods, Solugen, and Climeworks
• Accel – Invested in climate tech including UiPath (operational efficiency), Farmer’s Business Network
• Andreessen Horowitz – Growing climate portfolio through bio fund and infrastructure investments

Corporate Climate Investors:

• Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund – $1 billion fund backing carbon removal, renewable energy, water sustainability
• Amazon Climate Pledge Fund – $2 billion fund investing in environmental startups across multiple sectors
• Breakthrough Energy Ventures – Coalition of billionaires including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma investing $2+ billion in climate tech

Government & Multilateral Support:

• European Investment Bank – €100 billion climate bank supporting environmental startups across Europe
• US Department of Energy – Loan Programs Office providing billions in low-cost capital for clean energy deployment
• Green Climate Fund – UN-backed $10+ billion fund supporting climate projects in developing countries

Government Support & Climate Policy

Environmental startups benefit from unprecedented government support as nations race to meet climate commitments:

United States:

• Inflation Reduction Act – $369 billion in clean energy incentives including production tax credits for renewable energy, 45Q carbon capture credits ($85-180 per ton), EV tax credits, and green hydrogen production incentives
• CHIPS and Science Act – $52 billion for semiconductor manufacturing including provisions for energy-efficient chip production
• Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – $62 billion for clean energy transmission and grid upgrades

European Union:

• EU Green Deal – €1 trillion investment plan supporting environmental startups across renewable energy, circular economy, sustainable transport
• Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – Import tariffs on carbon-intensive goods creating competitive advantages for clean alternatives
• Innovation Fund – €40 billion supporting demonstration of innovative clean technologies
• REPowerEU – €300 billion plan to end dependence on Russian fossil fuels, accelerating renewable energy deployment

United Kingdom:

• Green Finance Strategy – £12 billion government investment mobilizing £100+ billion private capital for green projects
• UK Infrastructure Bank – £22 billion capitalizing bank supporting environmental infrastructure
• Net Zero Innovation Portfolio – £1 billion supporting breakthrough climate technologies

Canada:

• Net Zero Accelerator – $8 billion fund supporting industrial decarbonization projects
• Strategic Innovation Fund – $2 billion annual investment including climate tech initiatives
• Carbon Pricing – National carbon price rising to $170 per ton by 2030, creating strong incentives for emissions reduction

How to Use This Environmental Startup Database

This database is updated weekly and designed for multiple use cases:

For Sales & Business Development Teams: Contact environmental startups within 30 days of funding announcements when budgets are freshest and companies are actively seeking vendors. Our verified email addresses reach decision-makers directly. Learn how to sell to recently funded startups.

For Investors & VCs: Track emerging climate tech trends, identify co-investment opportunities, monitor portfolio companies’ competitors, and discover high-potential environmental startups at various stages. Our data includes funding history, investor details, and sector classifications.

For Job Seekers: Recently funded environmental startups are actively hiring across all functions. Use funding announcements to time your applications when companies are expanding teams. Our database includes LinkedIn profiles and social links for direct outreach to hiring managers.

For Service Providers: Target environmental startups needing legal, accounting, HR, marketing, or technology services post-funding. Companies that just raised capital are actively seeking vendors to support their growth. Sustainability consulting, engineering services, and technical talent are particularly in-demand.

For Researchers & Analysts: Source data for climate tech market analysis, track funding trends across environmental sectors, identify emerging technologies and business models, and analyze geographic distribution of climate innovation. Our comprehensive dataset enables rigorous analysis of the environmental startup ecosystem.

For Corporate Innovation Teams: Identify potential acquisition targets, strategic partners, and technology providers addressing your organization’s sustainability goals. Many corporations successfully leverage relationships with environmental startups to accelerate their own decarbonization while supporting innovation.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Environmental Startups

Related Startup Resources

Looking for startups in other sectors? Explore our comprehensive guides:

By Industry:

• Energy Startups – Renewable energy and clean power innovations
• Agriculture Startups – AgTech and sustainable food systems
• FinTech Startups – Climate fintech and green finance
• AI Startups – AI-powered environmental solutions
• Healthcare Startups – Health impacts of climate change

By Funding Stage:

• Seed Startups – Early-stage environmental companies
• Series A Startups – Growth-stage climate tech
• Series B Startups – Scaling environmental solutions
• Recently Funded Startups – Latest funding announcements across all sectors

By Geography:

• United States Startups – US environmental innovation
• UK Startups – British climate tech ecosystem
• Germany Startups – German environmental engineering
• Australia Startups – Australian renewable energy and AgTech