A full Plate of Climate Tech News and Opportunities
Welcome to For ClimateTalk – For ClimateTech’s monthly newsletter highlighting upcoming opportunities for climate innovators, thought leaders, and community connectors.
Join Us at the For ClimateTech Innovation Showcase
We’re extending the application deadline to November 24th!
If you’ve been meaning to apply but needed more time, here’s your chance. If you know a hardware company working on buildings, grid, transportation, or industrial climate tech that should apply, now’s the time to nudge them.
What’s included:
- 6-month manufacturing scale-up program, primarily virtual
- Direct access to 40+ industry specialists and supply chain networks
- Strategic partnership introductions
- A network of founders scaling impactful climate solutions
Want to hear more about the impacts of the program directly from companies who have participated? Watch our video here.
Join Scale For ClimateTech (S4C) for an evening of connection and celebration with founders, funders, industry partners, and climate tech innovators.
We’re gathering the S4C community—including our 2025 cohort, alumni, investors, and ecosystem partners—for drinks, conversation, and panoramic views of Manhattan.
Come meet the companies driving climate hardware innovation forward, reconnect with fellow ecosystem members, and toast to the progress we’re making together.
📍 Location: CLA, 1 Grand Central Place, 51st Floor
📅Date: December 10, 2025
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Beverages and light bites provided. Register here.
Special thanks to our host and sponsor, CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) Wealth Advisors, LLC. CLA exists to create opportunities for its clients, its people, and its communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Whether your needs are local or abroad, CLA promises to know you and help you. CLAconnect.com Investment advisory services are offered through CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor.
Funding Opportunities
The NREL Industry Growth Forum (IGF) Pitch Application Deadline has Been Extended!
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) extended its application for startups interested in pitching at its Industry Growth Forum (IGF) until November 26, 2025. The IGF is the longest-running event of its kind, connecting startups, investors, and industry leaders to showcase technologies, build relationships, and spark new business opportunities. IGF 2026 will feature its annual pitch competition followed by one-on-one meetings designed to link innovators with capital and accelerate growth.
Why pitch at the IGF?
- Receive detailed investor review and feedback on your application materials
- Access 1:1 investor networking sign-ups early, securing priority meeting times
- Gain visibility with nearly 300 investors and compete for awards
Apply before Nov. 26 to pitch here.
ChargeUp Accelerator’s Applications Are Now Open
Battery and energy-storage startups can now apply to ChargeUp’s third cohort. Participants receive $25,000 in non-equity support, up to $100,000 for technology development, tailored pitch and due-diligence coaching, and direct access to industry mentors and investors.
Join the Alumni Roundtable info session on Dec. 10 at 12 p.m. ET to learn more. Register here.
Applications are due Jan. 19. Apply here.
Final Call for the Hello Tomorrow Challenge 2025
The application window for the Hello Tomorrow Challenge 2026, the world’s leading deep tech competition, closes on November 30th. This challenge offers selected pre-Series B startups a chance to win €100K in equity-free prizes, gain visibility at the 2026 Global Summit in Amsterdam, and connect with over 1,500 deep tech investors and corporates. Ensure the best climate innovators seize this opportunity by applying today or sharing this
Apply here before November 30, 2025.
Cohort News
REEGen Takes Home First Prize in FuzeHub’s Commercialization Competition
REEgen has taken first place at FuzeHub’s 2025 Commercialization Competition, earning the $150,000 grand prize at this year’s New York State Innovation Summit. The Southern Tier–based company is pioneering a biotechnology approach to recover and purify rare earth elements from industrial waste. Its work is helping build a cleaner, more sustainable, and circular U.S. critical minerals economy—exactly the kind of innovation the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund aims to support.
Read more about the 2025 awardees here.
Janta Power Secures $5.5 Million to Scale Patented 3D Solar Towers
Janta Power, developer of 3D solar towers and Venture For ClimateTech cohort 3 alumni, secured a $5.5 million seed funding round led by Mac Venture Capital and Collab Capital. The patented vertical design triples solar surface exposure and achieves a 50% higher capacity factor than standard flat installations. Already deployed in pilots at major global airports like Munich and DFW, this system is optimized for high-density, space-constrained applications.
Read more about the raise in PV Magazine’s story here.
Plantaer Awarded 2025 J.M.K. Innovation Prize — Selected from Nearly 4,000 Applicants
Plantaer Inc., cohort 4 alumni of Venture For ClimateTech (V4C) and creator of nature-based carbon negative materials for the built environment, has been named one of ten recipients of the 2025 J.M.K. Innovation Prize, chosen from a record 3,790 applicants nationwide.
The prestigious $175,000 multi-year award will advance Plantaer’s efforts to address critical environmental challenges and provide access to a national network of peers and strategic resources supporting early-stage innovators.
Check out the video below to learn more.
COMMUNITY
The Future Showed Up at New York City Climate Week
In the midst of several climate and innovation centered events this fall, our director at Venture For ClimateTech, Jenny Leung, reflected on her experience and perspective during the For ClimateTech Innovation Showcase.
“…more than 300 attendees packed into Newlab to see 19 climate tech founders show what’s possible when innovation meets urgency. Alongside keynote speakers from Breakthrough Energy and Thirdsphere, investors leaned in next to scientists and policymakers swapped notes with startup founders.”
Read Jenny’s full post here to learn what the future has in store for New York State and beyond.
Call to Earth: Rowing 3,000 Miles for Climate Action
Last year in the V4C program, BladeBUG’s Chief Innovation Officer, Stacey Rivers, launched Call to Earth, a campaign raising awareness for ocean health and climate action. This December, Stacey and two teammates will row 3,000 miles unsupported across the Atlantic in the World’s Toughest Row.
The campaign is now seeking supporters and corporate partners. Follow the journey or reach out to learn how to get involved through the page linked here.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain News
NIST Charts a New Path for Resilient American Metals Processing
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a new report outlining strategies to build a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient U.S. metals processing infrastructure. The findings highlight key challenges—from gaps in recycling standards to vulnerabilities in critical material supply chains—that must be addressed to strengthen national competitiveness. The report also identifies five priority strategies, including advancing measurement science, enhancing standards, and improving workforce development. Read more to explore how these insights aim to shape the future of U.S. metals innovation.
Read more here.
Manufacturer & Supply Chain Partner Spotlight: Rochester Stampings
Rochester Stampings has been a cornerstone of Western New York manufacturing since 1958, delivering high-quality metallic and non-metallic stampings to customers around the world. Now led by new ownership and expanded capabilities, the company continues to grow its tooling, die-making, and injection mold expertise. With seven decades of innovation behind them, Rochester Stampings remains committed to safety, quality, and solving the toughest manufacturing challenges.
Learn more and reach out here
Check Out New Opportunities—Join the New York SCP Database
If you are a manufacturer or service provider interested in joining the Scale For ClimateTech Supply Chain Partner (SCP) Database, which offers access to projects, the ability to grow your expertise by solving the latest challenges, and revenue potential through connections and matchmaking with new clients, fill out our interest form here.