Tech Nation Unveils 25 of the UK’s Leading Climate Tech Startups

• Tech Nation’s 2026 Climate Programme marks its 6th cohort, continuing its mission to support the world’s highest impact climate tech companies
• Collectively, the cohort has raised $250M+ in funding, works with global corporates including Microsoft, Shell, Salesforce, Heathrow, SUEZ and TotalEnergies
• The 2026 cohort has raised over $220 million, with an average of £9 million per company, employs 370+ people, and 76% are planning international expansion
• 23 out of 25 companies are building in hardware or life sciences, signalling a shift toward deep tech climate solutions
• To date, the programme has supported over 165 climate tech startups. Seven have exited, alumni have collectively raised over £1.7 billion, and companies have raised 50% more than the industry average
• The programme focuses on investment, customer acquisition and climate policy, connecting founders with a curated network of global sustainability leaders, operators and investors

25 MARCH 2026 – LONDON

Tech Nation has unveiled the 25 innovative climate tech companies joining its 2026 Climate Programme.

Tech Nation, powered by Founder’s Forum Group, and the UK’s leading growth platform and industry body for startups and their teams, today announces the 2026 cohort of its Climate Programme, selecting 25 high-potential climate and nature tech companies tackling some of the most urgent challenges across food systems, industrial decarbonisation, energy, materials, and nature restoration.

Collectively, the cohort has raised $250M+ in funding, works with global corporates including Microsoft, Shell, Salesforce, Heathrow, SUEZ and TotalEnergies, and represents a new generation of founders building commercially viable, scalable solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises.

The renowned four-month growth programme accelerates high-potential tech startups that bridge the gap between climate innovation and industry. The programme supports leading climate tech companies to scale their impact by accessing the right investors and multinational customers, and by providing founders with a platform to advance climate policy and remove regulatory barriers. 

Backed by Tech Nation’s Founding Partner, HSBC Innovation Banking, and Sage, this year’s Climate Programme showcases a diverse and global cohort. 

The 2026 programme represents Tech Nation’s most mature programme to date, with companies having raised an average of £9 million, employing 370+ people collectively and 76% planning to expand international.

23 out of 25 companies are building in hardware or life sciences, signalling a shift toward deep tech climate solutions.

From soil to electricity, to tidal power inspired by the motion of a whale’s tail, to bacteria engineered to consume plastic, and early wildfire detection powered by silicon, the 2026 cohort reflects a new frontier of climate innovation.

This year’s cohort signals a clear shift in climate innovation:

• From offsets to infrastructure: Founders are building core systems (cement, energy, logistics, materials)
• From sustainability to economics: Many solutions unlock cost savings, new revenue streams, or infrastructure efficiency
• From climate to climate and nature: There is an increasing overlap between carbon removal, biodiversity, and natural capital markets
• From pilots to real deployment: Strong traction with industrial partners, governments, and global enterprises

Notably:

• Industrial decarbonisation dominates, reflecting urgency in hard-to-abate sectors
• Circular materials and biomaterials are scaling into fashion and manufacturing supply chains
• Energy innovation is shifting toward orchestration, storage and decentralisation – not just generation

Established in 2020 as part of the UK Government’s Net Zero by 2050 strategy, the Climate Programme has built an incredible network of over 165 leading climate tech companies including Circulor, Foodsteps (acquired by Registrar Corp), Xampla, Olio, Electron and Ox Delivers. Companies who have been part of the programme have raised 50% more than the industry average and alumni have raised over £1.5 billion since graduating.

Sammy Fry, Director of Climate and Nature at Tech Nation says ““As global competition around climate technologies intensifies, the UK and Europe has a critical opportunity to lead. This cohort demonstrates the strength of our ecosystem. Founders are building solutions that address not only emissions, but energy security, resource constraints and industrial resilience on a global stage.”

Meet the Climate Cohort 2026

Alternative Food Systems

• Aquanzo – Organic waste sustainable nutrition for aquaculture, pets and food systems

Carbon Removals

• Origen Carbon – Capturing & permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Circular Economy & Materials

• Epoch Biodesign – Using enzymes to break down plastic waste
• Modern Synthesis – Engineering biomaterials to replace resource-intensive materials
• Sorted – Scaling intelligent waste sorting and measurement infrastructure
• Xampla – Creating innovative materials from plant proteins to replace single-use plastics
• Vuala – Streamlining food waste recycling for households and businesses

Climate Adaptation & Nature

• Pyri – Detecting wildfires early through bio-based sensing and real-time monitoring
• Treeconomy – Quantifying and unlocking the value of nature-based carbon removal

Decarbonising Industry

• Biozeroc – Developing carbon-negative cement alternatives to decarbonise construction
• Odqa – Harnessing solar energy to deliver industrial heat without carbon emissions
• Vertus Energy – Producing renewable natural gas from organic waste streams
• WASE – Converting waste into energy through advanced bioelectrochemical systems

Energy Storage & Grid

• Allye Energy – Cloud-connected energy storage enabling distributed power systems
• JUICY – Enabling home energy storage to support decentralised renewable power

Renewable Energy Generation

• Bactery – Clean electricity generated from soil
• H2CHP – Fuel-cell efficiency at generator cost
• Kavaken – Making renewable energy more profitable by combining analytical AI & GenAI
• Porpoise Power – Generating tidal energy through underwater propulsion systems

Sustainable Buildings

• Fornax – Simplifying low-carbon heating with integrated systems and flexible payments
• Natural Building Systems – Enabling homes that are healthier and kinder to the planet
• Rensair – Reducing energy consumption of ventilation, while improving indoor air quality
• Tewke – Monitoring and optimising household energy through smart connected systems

Regenerative Agriculture

• NetZeroNitrogen – Reducing agricultural emissions through nitrogen solutions

Mobility & Logistics

Finmile – Optimising delivery operations through intelligent routing and logistics software