30 environmental startups with innovative solutions (2024)

What are environmental startups?

Environmental startups are the ones who aim to create a sustainable and financially viable future, by producing or offering environmental-friendly products or services. These startups for example use materials that are environmentally friendly so they can help to reduce global warming.

30 best environmental startups worldwide

Even though there are plenty of businesses that are becoming green businesses because it’s good for their branding, we’ve found 30 environmental startups who are putting the planet before their profits for real.

Emitwise

We are starting the list with Emitwise and their AI technology for measuring, reporting, and reducing the carbon footprint of your operations and supply chain. For that purpose, carbon accounting and technology experts designed this platform to help you future-proof your business for a net-zero carbon world. 

By using Emitwise you can fully automate your carbon accounting across all business units and supplies. The platform is easy to use, breaks down your data, and generates powerful visualizations. That way it enables sustainability teams to identify opportunities for improvement and effectively engage stakeholders.

Aurora Solar

Founded in 2013, Aurora Solar by this day has designed over 6 million solar projects. Hence, the favorable impact their platform has on the environment it’s obvious. 

With Aurora Solar, you can confidently design and quote systems from your desk, generate bankable Shade Reports, streamline your entire solar project lifecycle to move faster and accelerate revenue, and even more.

Moreover, their Lead Capture AI turns visitors into qualified solar leads and shows your customers what solar could look like on their homes and how much they could save. And if your goal is to increase sales, then using their Sales Mode will help your team sell faster, one call close, and powerful 3D Design On-the-Go.

Mosaic

Mosaic is another outstanding environmental startup that connects customers’ desire to benefit from solar, with the financing and services that are most suitable for their needs. They work directly with the leading solar and home improvement companies, therefore they make financing fast and affordable for homeowners.

With their innovations in technology and financial products, Mosaic provides easy access to affordable and sustainable home improvements. Therefore, having a sustainable lifestyle has never been more simplified. 

By today, they’ve helped 180k homeowners switch to sustainable solutions, which once again proves that their dedication to using the power of business to significantly impact climate change makes the world a better place.

Laska

With their innovative process, Laska evaluates waste in the most effective way possible, or as they say, their mission is to “convert the life”. They are one of the best environmental startups in 2022 because they have developed a product that is uniting both, the financial gains and measurable environmental impact.

With their upcycling expertise, Laska upcycles end-of-life tires with innovative, sustainable, and eco-friendly approaches, and brings them into the economy as energy and raw materials. Their mission is to eliminate negative impacts on the environment and society, significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, while also creating a product that satisfies the need.

Skeleton Technologies

Skeleton Technologies is founded in 2009, today represents the biggest technological advancement in the industry in the last 20 years. Their driving force is the idea of changing the energy storage industry, and by developing and producing the best ultracapacitor cells, modules, and systems, they’ve proven they are able to help companies save energy.

And as more and more people are finally becoming aware of climate change, in 2019 they have 3X revenue growth and more than 100 million euros in order intake. And that has two beneficial sides. On one hand, businesses are willing to invest in such eco-friendly products, and on the other hand, the experts of Skeleton Technologies have the resources and motivation to further develop environmental innovations and fight climate change.

Cirrus Shower Ltd

Studies have shown that a water crisis is threatening the world and that in fact, we might run out of usable water, but it’s good to say that we have strong business warriors in this field as well. Cirrus Shower is one of those environmental startups that are developing water-saving solutions we can use in our everyday life.  

Their innovative nozzles use water-atomizing technology to increase water efficiency and reduce water consumption by 75%. Moreover, the Cirrus Shower solution also requires less energy to heat the water, which means the environment benefits not only by saving water but by saving energy as well.

And while saving the planet, pleasure is not excluded as well. There are French aromatherapy pods that infuse your shower with natural essential oil goodness. Hence you will be wrapped around with a cloud of therapeutic aromatherapy bliss.

Algenesis Materials

Did you know that 532 billion pounds of plastic are landfilled or incinerated each year? Algenesis Materials, being aware of that, started producing fully biodegradable plastic made from algae and helps the planet recover from the pollution caused by products that are made from fossil fuels. 

This material science and technology company united the knowledge of amazing scientists on a mission to help the planet recover from the pollution caused by products made from fossil fuels. They redesigned plastic materials and their patented technology became the world’s first high-performance, renewable, and fully biodegradable plastic material made from plants.

FUERGY

FUERGY is a team of specialists with decades of experience in the energy sector. After realizing the advantages and potential an energy efficiency solution could deliver, they founded FUERGY so they can create a whole new energy ecosystem.

Their goal is to switch from conventional electricity consumers to innovative green power consumers. Hence, with their in-house developed software and hardware, you can turn your regular power grid into a Smart grid. As a part of their innovations, they’ve developed two products: brAIn – a smart energy storage solution, and mAInchart – a dispatch system for energy retailers.

Homeboy Electronics Recycling

Homeboy Electronics Recycling is another one of the most innovative environmental startups, offering a nationwide recycling program. Their list of recyclables electronic devices includes everything with a cord, cable, or battery. Their social mission besides providing customers with the highest quality electronics reuse and recycling solutions also includes employing people who face systemic barriers to work.

Moreover, with the world becoming more tech-hungry than ever before, and only 20% of the electronic waste produced globally being recycled, the impact this startup has on our environment is huge. By fulfilling any e-waste, IT asset disposition, or data destruction needs you may have, they save the world, one device at a time.

Krill Design

Krill Design, through a process of circular economy, enhances the waste of the food chain and transforms the resources of nature into eco-design products. Have you heard of a lamp made out of orange peels? Even though it might sound unbelievable at first, it’s actually possible with Krill Design innovations, and moreover, it looks amazing. 

By transforming your company’s organic waste into new biomaterials, Krill Design can create products in line with your business desires and needs.

AMP Robotics

AMP Robotics is a recycling robot company dedicated to reimagining and actively modernizing the world’s recycling infrastructure. They strongly believe that technology unlocks the limitations in the waste industry and they leverage the advantages of artificial intelligence and robotics to pursue their mission. 

The mission of this environmental startup is to enable a world without waste. One of their driving forces is their optimism that environmental harm is not a lost battle, and there is still a chance to do something about it. Hence, they are developing new tools, methods, and approaches to solve problems quickly and be a force of change.

Absolar Solutions

Founded in 2020, Absolar Solutions has a mission to decarbonize every property within the UK and beyond. Their unique data and advanced modeling deliver powerful insights across solar radiation, property attributes, and potential energy efficiency measures. ​

This award-winning environmental startup has a team of experienced energy, sustainability, and real estate professionals. With their help, customers can understand their solar energy potential, prospective return on investment and facilitate installations.

Scindo

Scindo is shaping the future of recycling by recycling the unrecyclable. They are harnessing the power of enzymes and are creating a novel biological platform to turn low-value plastic landfill waste into high-value molecules. 

Even though there are a lot of experts working on developing recycling solutions, there are still plastics that can’t be recycled with current methodologies. This is where Scindo comes in to help. This environmental startup creates a more circular economy for plastics by developing an alternative to landfills and incineration.

Carbominer

Carbominer is a Ukrainian hardware environmental startup working on innovative technology that’s able to capture CO₂ from the ambient air locally, thus eliminating at least 35% CO₂ supply costs. Therefore, they’ve set two global goals. One is CO₂ removal, and the other is food production. 

Carbon dioxide causes the atmosphere to heat up faster and that’s the greenhouse effect that causes global warming. Hence, Carbominer uses its qualified workforce to slow down the rising CO₂ level and fix climate change.

Molekule

Molekule’s flagship product is an air purifier with acclaimed, award-winning technology. PECO technology that is developed by Molekule over 25 years by research scientists is an innovative technology that uses free radicals (the same radicals used to destroy cancer cells) to break down pollutants at a molecular level, including viruses, mold, bacteria, allergens, and chemicals. 

Furthermore, compared to standard filters, the air purifier developed by Molekule can destroy pollutants 1000 times smaller and can destroy over 99% of SARS-CoV-2 in 1 hour. This demonstrates how PECO adds a layer of protection against airborne viruses.

Heliogen

Heliogen is focused on developing solar energy solutions that are powerful enough to eliminate the need for fossil fuel energy. Their professional team is working towards unlocking the power of sunlight to replace fossil fuels.

Heliogen’s unique breakthrough technology precisely aligned an array of mirrors to reflect sunlight to a target on the top of a Sunlight Refinery tower, delivering high-temperature, carbon-free thermal energy. This technology is sustainable, scientifically proven, and cost-effective and makes Heliogen one of the most promising environmental startups in 2022.

Redaptive

Redaptive markets its services as EaaS (Efficiency-as-a-Service), helping shepherd its clients through the processes of planning and installing clean energy solutions. Furthermore, they help companies maximize their savings by only charging for energy usage with a monthly utility bill. 

What makes them different from other energy efficiency or sustainability providers is that Redaptive manages the funding, project installation, procurement, and maintenance of LED, HVAC, geothermal, solar, and other sustainable energy and energy efficiency programs.

Encamp

You no longer need spreadsheets, consultants, and outdated EHS software so your company can stay green and manage its environmental compliance. One of the most promising environmental startups, Encamp, developed a centralized platform for managing risk, evaluating regulations, and filing paperwork. 

Moreover, this platform automatically submits reports to agencies and empowers your team to collaborate better and improve knowledge sharing by eliminating outdated technology, inconsistent data management, and copy-paste reporting. Companies that are using this award-winning platform are considering it as a wonderful time saver since Encamp ensures that all the State regulatory requirements are met and any fees are paid on time.

Wunder

Founded in 2014, Wunder simplifies securing financing for commercial solar projects. Their online marketplace streamlines connecting developers to capital sources for funding projects.

Wunder’s platform provides loan origination, underwriting automation, and application tracking for solar construction and long-term financing. This aims to accelerate deal flow and lower customer acquisition costs.

Coral Vita

Founded in 2019, Coral Vita operates commercial coral farms utilizing renewable energy and aquaculture technologies. Their land-based facilities grow resilient coral up to 50 times faster than ocean reefs.

The healthy farmed corals are then transplanted to revitalize damaged reefs. Coral Vita’s farms also raise awareness through community education and eco-tourism visits.

R-Zero

Founded in 2020, R-Zero emerged as businesses and schools sought solutions for operating safely post-pandemic. Their UV-C tech provides whole room disinfection without chemicals. The devices continuously monitor and improve air quality too.

R-Zero’s products allow people to congregate indoors with less worry about transmitted diseases. The company also focuses on environmental responsibility – their units reduce energy waste and use recycled materials.

Bottle+

Founded in 2019, Bottle+ has developed a sustainable alternative to bottled sparkling waters and sodas. Their reusable bottle contains a carbonation system that injects tap water with CO2 to make sparkling water on demand.

Users simply fill the bottle from the sink and press a button for fresh fizzy water. This eliminates the need for hauling cases of bottled bubbly drinks while dramatically cutting plastic waste.

Apeel

Founded in 2012, Apeel has created an innovative protective coating made from plant materials that doubles the shelf-life of produce. Their product forms an invisible extra “peel” when applied to the surface of fruits and vegetables.

This peel slows water loss and oxidation – the main causes of spoilage. Produce coated with Apeel’s edible protection stays fresher longer, reducing waste across the supply chain.

Inspire

Founded in 2013, Inspire provides renewable energy systems like solar panels and home batteries alongside smart energy optimization. Their digital platform gives homeowners control over clean energy production and consumption.

Inspire pairs customized solar and battery installations with real-time usage monitoring via app. Homeowners can track and adjust systems to minimize energy costs. Automated energy advisors optimize savings.

Rheaply

Founded in 2016, Rheaply operates an online marketplace for buying and selling used lab instruments and supplies. This enables circular sharing of resources within the research community.

Rheaply’s platform connects asset owners with buyers, handling logistics and transactions. Items like microscopes, centrifuges, and refrigerators are rehomed to maximize utilization instead of sitting idle.

Optera

Founded in 2021, Optera provides companies with an ESG data management system to oversee carbon and sustainability initiatives. Their platform centralizes measurement, reporting, and reductions planning.

Key features include supply chain emissions tracing, progress dashboards, and scenario modeling. This enables users to quantify impacts, set actionable goals, and track performance over time.

Integriculture

Founded in 2019, Integriculture aims to produce cultured meat and seafood using cell cultivation technology. Their process grows real animal cells without slaughter to create alternatives to conventional meat.

Integriculture focuses on Southeast Asian markets and products like chicken, shrimp, and crab. Their regional approach allows hyper-localized production and distribution to consumers.

Watershed

Founded in 2020, Watershed provides an end-to-end climate management system for companies to track, reduce, and offset their carbon footprint. Their software calculates emissions across operations and supply chains.

It then guides users on decarbonization strategies, displays progress to goals, and facilitates high-quality carbon credit purchases to neutralize remaining emissions. This streamlines corporate climate action.

Grow a Wish

Grow a Wish was founded in 2019 with a mission to make giving more meaningful. Their greeting cards contain native flower seeds embedded in the paper. Recipients can plant the card to grow flowers after enjoying the message. This provides an extra layer of joy and remembrance from each card. 

The wildflower seeds also benefit pollinators and the environment when planted. Grow a Wish partners with charities focused on poverty, children’s education, and the planet.

LevelTen Energy

With LevelTen Energy, even the smaller companies can invest in cleaner energy since they offer renewable energy in amounts and prices proportional to each company’s needs. LevelTen Energy is the world’s largest marketplace for renewable energy buyers, sellers, advisors, and financiers.

They’ve developed the most sophisticated, real-time project and PPA analytics in the industry, and online RFP and planning tools, standard contracts, and instant data which helps companies easily find the best deals.

What all these environmental startups have in common

These environmental startups are working towards the same goal – shaping our future for the better. For that purpose, the world’s most ambitious experts in the field by leveraging technology have developed solutions that are already proven to make a positive impact. Lastly, all of these promising environmental startups are sharing the same goal when it comes to profits as well, and that is mid-to-long-term sustainability rather than just short-term profits.