That tension became unmistakable during the recent EcoHealth dialogue convened by The Galien Foundation. The gathering brought together innovators addressing climate and environment needs, not-for-profit organizations mobilizing global youth action and corporate-enabling technologies strengthening responsible business.

Their work spans ocean-wave power, grassroots environmental leadership, women-led solar entrepreneurship, next-generation water treatment, industrial cooling, soil restoration platforms and algae mitigation technologies. Their perspectives may differ, but their commitment to science is united. However, each voiced the same underlying truth: climate tech, like medicine, advances only when society answers the defining question of our era –Who pays?

A Planet Under Stress and a Market Slow to Respond

Climate instability is not a distant worry; it is a daily force shaping people and planetary health. When lakes collapse due to toxic blooms, communities lose access to drinking water, fisheries and tourism. When drought tightens its grip, agricultural regions face diminished yields and economic pressure. When wildfire smoke drifts across borders, respiratory health deteriorates even hundreds of miles away. Stability in water, air and soil is inseparable from human wellbeing, and climate innovators working in these areas, such as BlueGreen Water Technologies, which restores threatened lakes, operate on the very front line of prevention.

Yet companies like BlueGreen often face a steep path to investment because their work benefits everyone but belongs to no single customer. A restored lake sustains tourism, agriculture, local economies, ecological health and community wellbeing. However, responsibility is spread across municipalities, counties, state agencies, and the Federal government and national ministries, all of which manage immediate crises that overshadow the slow, devastating progression of environmental decline.

The same challenge confronts innovators such as Solar Sister, which expands access to clean, safe solar energy for communities without reliable power, and the POP Movement, which mobilizes youth populations to drive local environmental action. Their impact is generational, and their value is immeasurable, yet their funding often relies on philanthropy or public grants, mechanisms that rarely match the scale of the problems they address.

Even climate technologies designed for industrial operations face the challenge of being essential but not urgent in public budgets. Infinite Cooling, for example, captures water evaporating from power-plant cooling towers, reclaiming resources that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere. It offers a response to the costs of water as an essential business resource. Yet, because these benefits impact industries – from pharmaceutical companies to power plants – rather than county governments, adoption is championed by supply chain and corporate financial stewards. 

A similar story emerges from companies like Greenore, which is building biological solutions to regenerate soil systems. Healthy soil underpins food security, agricultural productivity and community resilience. It is as essential to global health as any medicine. However, soil restoration often lacks a corporate customer and competes with established agricultural practices and stretched public budgets.

Corporate Imperative: Climate Tech Cannot Wait

Compare these funding obstacles with the experiences of corporate-oriented climate tech innovators whose solutions support operations, reduce costs, or address regulatory pressures. Eco Wave Power illustrates the point with clarity. Its technology harnesses ocean waves to produce clean electricity, transforming coastal infrastructure into renewable-energy assets. For ports, industrial campuses, and commercial centers along coastlines, this is not only an environmental benefit but also an energy security strategy and an additional revenue source.  The value is concrete, the payer is clear. Operations leaders can place it within a capital plan.

The contrast is evident in how global companies behave. Cloud providers racing to meet AI demand are committing billions to renewable power purchases, as their data centers cannot operate without stable, cost-controlled energy. Manufacturing companies often sign long-term agreements for clean electricity because energy risk poses a significant threat to their production output and profitability. Logistics and e-commerce giants invest heavily in biodegradable packaging because regulations are tightening, and sustainable materials avoid reputational damage and secure supply chains. These forms of climate innovation do not wait for budget approvals across 10 public agencies. They fit within the clearly defined corporate operating model.

Two Speeds, One Planet

The result is a two-speed climate economy. The technologies that support business continuity scale quickly; in contrast, the technologies that protect the environmental foundations of life struggle to secure investment despite their importance.

The Galien Foundation EcoHealth dialogue highlighted the precarious nature of this imbalance. BlueGreen restores waterways before they collapse. Solar Sister brings clean energy into homes before households turn to harmful alternatives. Greenore regenerates soil before agricultural regions face collapse. POP Movement ensures communities are engaged before consequences become irreversible. However, without clear lines of accountability, these organizations perpetuate the existential paradox of the Myth of Sisyphus, who is constantly pushing the rock uphill only to see it roll down again and again.  The problem is real.  The solution is proven. The funding environment is challenging.

Meanwhile, corporate-oriented climate tech companies are racing to meet demand because their value proposition directly connects to corporate cost, efficiency, or continuity. Eco Wave Power and Infinite Cooling demonstrate how quickly solutions advance when they operate within a budget line rather than under a public-funding process.

The Answer That Determines the Future

The question, then, is not whether climate innovation exists; rather, it is whether it is effective. It is without question. The polemic is whether society is prepared to fund climate innovations that protect human survival with the same urgency as those that safeguard business operations.

Municipalities, counties, and state agencies are tasked with safeguarding water, soil and air; yet, public funding cycles often prioritize immediate crises over slow-burning threats. Tourism boards rely on restored lakes and healthy ecosystems, yet rarely have the budget authority to invest early. Agricultural departments rely on resilient soil, yet their funding models prioritize short-term yields over long-term regeneration. Responsibility is diffused across institutions, so that no one bears the full responsibility to allocate resources.

This is where climate tech faces its greatest challenge and where corporate and public leadership must step forward. Preventive climate action needs its equivalent to the payer system that supports access to health care. Blended finance, climate resilience bonds, public–private partnerships and impact investment models can help fill the gap. Policy can make restoration and resilience non-negotiable long before crises mature. Communication can transform the invisible and delayed into the immediate and owned.

The innovators showcased in the Galien Foundation EcoHealth dialogue offer a roadmap. Their work illustrates that climate technologies are not abstract “science fiction” climate solutions; they are the infrastructure of human continuity. They restore the systems that allow communities to thrive, and they ensure the global economy has the stable environmental foundations it requires.

The future of climate tech equity will be defined by whether society chooses to treat environmental health with the same seriousness as business operational resilience. Without an answer to who pays, one side of the climate tech industry will continue sprinting while the other waits for the world to catch up.  

The post The Climate Tech Paradox: Innovation Surges, But Who Pays? appeared first on Medika Life.

It’s frustrating, but setbacks often come with silver linings. There’s always next season, another chance to try the restaurant, or new prospects waiting on the horizon.

But what happens when the stakes are higher? When the failure to achieve a critical goal means more than a personal letdown — it threatens the very foundation of your work?

Imagine your technology fails to get the certification needed to hit the market, putting your startup’s survival in jeopardy. Or the policy you’d counted on to support your market entry doesn’t pass, leaving you to face an uphill battle.

Or, how about the world’s biggest economy pulling back from collective climate action?

Facing a New Reality

For innovators around the globe, the shifting priorities of the US Federal government vis-à-vis climate action struck a blow. Policies like withdrawing from the Paris Agreement (again), reducing investments in clean energy infrastructure, and pivoting back to fossil fuels have left many in the climate sector on edge.

But these challenges are a call for resilience and persistence. For the climate tech sector, this isn’t just about political setbacks — it’s about reimagining its role in a world where change is constant, risks are high, and opportunities are emerging in unexpected places.

The question isn’t whether climate action will continue; it’s about who will lead it and where innovation can make the greatest impact.

We are entering a new reality. Whether that reality is good or bad is a matter or perspective and priorities — completely subjective.

What is clear is that the world is facing new challenges related to climate –more destructive and unpredictable wildfires, increased desertification, more plastic littering the environment and entering our food systems and our bodies, and biodiversity at risk from all manner of pollution. Our natural ecosystems are out of balance and we see the impact — wildfires, floods and excessive heat.

To put it differently, we are faced with a serious set of unmet needs. And when there are unmet needs, there is an opportunity for innovation. And very few do innovation better than Israel — a testing ground for climate innovations for decades.

Global Climate Action Will Continue to Set the Course

Even as the US Federal government reconsiders its role in global climate action, the momentum hasn’t stopped. Instead, leadership has diversified. States, nations, corporations and individuals are stepping up, creating a dynamic environment where businesses must adapt and pivot to new opportunities.

For instance, The United States Climate Alliance — a group of 24 bi-partisan governors representing 60% of the US economy, have made clear that climate action will continue in the United States, albeit, state-led. Former mayor of New York City, and billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, has committed, together with other US climate donors, to help cover the United States’ financial commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The US Isn’t the Only Player in the Game

The European Union continues to exhibit strong leadership in transitioning its economy. Policies including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EU’s Green Deal will put Europe on track to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

China has become a world leader in solar energy, and a leading producer of wind turbines and electric vehicles, driving the global shift to clean energy. The country is investing in its green infrastructure, aiming to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

For climate innovators in general, and Israeli entrepreneurs specifically, understanding how to do business in these markets will be essential in the coming years. Climatetech companies should dedicate some resources to understanding these markets of opportunity.

The Resilience of Climate Investors: US, EU and Israel

Despite some big players pulling back, and investment in climate tech trending down, many investors see the sector as a critical component of a diverse portfolio, not just because it’s good for the planet, but because it makes business sense.

The overall climate investment ecosystem is strong. Breakthrough Energy Venture, founded by Bill Gates, has not slowed on its commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050, raising an $839M fund in August 2024. AllianzGI and the European Investment Bank just raised €450M for climate action in emerging markets. A slew of early-stage VCs are ready to invest in the next climate dream.

Israeli investors, too, have shown confidence in the climatetech sector, backing technologies that promise to reshape the future of climate action. Firms like Ibex Investors, E44 Ventures, Jibe Ventures, and iKare Innovation continue to invest in new climatetech solutions in clean energy, sustainable farming, carbon capture and water conservation, from early-stage through scale-up and beyond, demonstrating a commitment to both financial returns and global environmental impact.

These Israeli investors are helping bridge the gap between innovation and global markets, positioning Israel as a leader in climatetech solutions, even as some US-based companies face increasing political and regulatory uncertainty.

Why We Need to Double Down on ClimateTech Investment

No matter who is in power, people still need access to clean water, healthy and sustainable food sources, clean air, and safely manufactured products. It’s not only the health of the planet that is at stake but human health as well.

Moreover, unlike solutions of the clean tech past that carried too high a “green premium,” today’s climatetech players understand that to make it, they must have a bullet proof business case. They have to be competitive with the conventional, overwhelmingly fit with existing infrastructures, and as much as possible, not ask people to change their behavior too much, at least in the short term.

The Role of Communications in Navigating Today’s Market

Amid the maelstrom of shifting political, economic, and regulatory conditions, resilience isn’t just about innovation — it’s about effective storytelling. Climatetech companies must do more than develop cutting-edge solutions; they must connect these innovations to the world’s most pressing challenges in a way that inspires action and outline societal and economic value.

Communication is the bridge that connects innovators with investors, policymakers, and communities. It’s what transforms a technology into a must-have solution and builds the trust needed to secure partnerships, investments, and market adoption.

The narrative must be bold, credible, and universal — showing how technology addresses unmet needs, meets the moment of climate urgency, and drives systemic change. By crafting and sharing compelling stories, climatetech leaders can position themselves not just as participants in the climate movement but as indispensable drivers of its success.

The post When Plans Shift: The High Stakes of Climate Innovation appeared first on Medika Life.

She didn’t know how to answer but said something like, “Trees can become very old, and they carry a lot of wisdom.”

I suppose as a 3 or 4-year-old, I found that to be a satisfactory answer.

When I think about that question now — which seems like a pretty deep question for a 3- or 4-year-old — I still don’t know the answer. But what my mom said back then remains true. Trees have a lot of wisdom to share.

What Trees Teach Us About Climate Change

Many of us learned in grade school that you could know a tree’s age by counting its rings. In fact, these rings tell us a lot more about the environment over time than just a tree’s age. NOAA Climate.gov is home to the International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB), which includes ring-width data from forests globally. The data bank has information from over 4,600 locations across six continents!

Climate scientists use these tree growth records, statistically matching the data with local weather records to estimate past temperatures or precipitation. This provides valuable climate histories that extend back hundreds or even thousands of years! More importantly, these insights help us understand natural climate variability over time and can help us create a baseline to assess human-induced climate change.

But Wait, There’s More: The Roots of Sustainable Development

Trees are nature’s record keepers. But, they are also an important resource that has driven the development of societies. Our use of this natural resource marks the birth of sustainable development as a concept.

The earliest notions of sustainability reach back over 300 years. In 1713, the German mining director Carl von Carlowitz wrote Sylvicultura Oeconomica, an essay on forestry, in which he called for sustained use of the forest to feed industry. However, Carlowitz stipulated that the use of trees should be limited to “only as many trees as would allow a continuous replenishment of an equivalent number of mature trees…allowing the forest to be maintained and managed over the long term.” In short, we can use trees, but only as quickly as we can replenish forests for sustained use.

3 Sustainability Principles We Can Learn from Trees

1. Resilience and Adaptation

Trees are masters of resilience and adaptation. They endure harsh climates, pests, and human interference, constantly evolving to survive and thrive. Some species, like the bristlecone pine, can live for thousands of years, adapting to changes in their environment over millennia and building resilience to harsh weather and bad soil.

Resilience and adaptation are also key focus areas in developing sustainability strategies on a global scale. Technology will help societies adapt to more arid climates, drought, desertification, and other impacts.

Desalination, drip irrigation and atmospheric water generation are helping to ensure water security for human consumption and agricultural and industrial needs. Agronomists are developing more robust fruit and vegetable varietals that can withstand climate changes and developing innovations to support desert farming, and the food tech industry continues to develop more efficient methods for alternative protein cultivation to ensure our future food security.

2. Resource Efficiency

Trees are remarkably efficient in their use of resources. They optimize water and nutrient absorption through complex root systems, the efficiency of which can inspire sustainable practices in human systems. For instance, adopting water conservation techniques in agriculture, including wastewater cleaning technologies to ensure we maximize use of every drop, optimizing energy use in buildings, and creating more efficient transportation systems can all contribute to a more sustainable future in which we maximize use of all our resources.

Moreover, trees rely on an almost limitless energy resource — the sun — to manage energy through photosynthesis. It’s not a new idea that we must extend our use of renewable resources as much as possible — solar, wind, hydrogen and even waves can serve as renewable energy sources. We must, however, ensure that the economic case also make sense for these energy sources if we are to phase out the use of oil and gas.

3. Models for Circular Economy

Trees embody the principles of a circular economy. They recycle nutrients through leaf litter, support diverse ecosystems, and create habitats for countless species. In a circular economy, waste is minimized, and materials are reused and recycled, much like how trees operate within their ecosystems.

So too, circular solutions can come in the form of materials we use — and ensuring everything is designed from the start for reuse. Companies are doing this by creating a new life for household waste, textile waste, and agricultural waste. The circular economy must go beyond this.

John Elkington, the grandfather of sustainable business uses a fish-and-water metaphor. We may clean up individual fish — finding ways to reuse waste, clothing and agricultural waste — yet, if the ocean is dirty, these fish will not be able to thrive. Our markets must also heed circular economic principles.

By embracing these principles, we can develop systems that reduce our environmental impact and foster sustainability.

So, Do Trees Have Souls?

While I’m still not certain trees have souls, what I do know is that trees have inspired humanity for millennia, from the Garden of Eden’s Tree of Knowledge and Tree of Life to Newton’s apple tree to the beauty of Japan’s cherry blossom trees and the wonder of the great Sequoia trees in California.

Let’s ensure we continue to learn from their wisdom and keep our planet healthy enough for them to thrive.

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Already recognized for its health, defense, and technology achievements, the country is emerging rapidly as a global environmental innovation leader. How can such a small nation punch so heavily above its weight in high science and intense engineering advances? Simply put, Israel has all the right stuff: more engineers per capita than most developed nations, an entrepreneurial, collaborative energy that is infectious, a heavy focus on STEM, and a keen business understanding that Israel is a critical development-center hub with North America and Europe as the primary business targets.

According to Start-Up Nation Central, the non-profit that connects Israel’s tech and science community to the world, almost 1,000 Israeli enterprises are pursuing a range of decarbonization, climate adaptation, and environmental protection technologies with the potential to mitigate the impacts of climate change and address its root causes.

Israel plans to rub shoulders with the world’s leading NGOs and companies and highlight its advances at the upcoming COP28 gathering in Dubai. Under the banner of the Israeli Innovation Authority – a collaborative body of government agencies – this organization announced that it will sponsor 100 Israeli environmental innovation start-ups and expects to bring a 1,000-person delegation to Dubai at the end of November for the three-week convening of policy leaders, mega-corporations and change agents.

During the summer trip, we met with 11 companies on the frontlines of climate tech innovation. We cannot say whether they are among those the Israel Innovation Authority will sponsor – but they should undoubtedly be on the sector’s “to-follow” radar screen. As necessary, their subsectors – biodegradables, food supply, renewable energy, sustainable urban development, and water supply – reinforce how environmental innovation has become big business.

Biodegradables

Biodegradables are crucial for addressing climate change and reducing the burden of persistent waste. Unlike conventional plastics, they minimize pollution and conserve resources. Inventing products and promoting greater use can mitigate plastic-related emissions, decrease landfill waste, and advance toward a more sustainable future.

Solutum

What happens to shrink-wrap after it is discarded? Unsurprisingly, it often ends up in landfills with other non-biodegradable waste products. Solutum is addressing this challenge and may enable mega-companies to comply quickly with policies from 28 countries that have laws to encourage reduced and greater recycling of discarded packaging. The company seeks to reduce plastic pollution through sturdy and biodegradable alternatives. Its approach uses natural biomass that dramatically reduces fossil fuel use. It controls the compound’s temperature sensitivity to water through proprietary manufacturing to create predetermined temperature and dissolving times to eliminate waste from landfills. LinkedIn

Here is the Medika Life feature article on Solutum.

WipeFlush

Wet wipes are a plastic-based product that clog pipes and enter septic systems. They are another ubiquitous plastic product entering water systems. WipeFlush founder Moshe Toprovsky is a lawyer by training and now a declared environmentalist. Toprovsky came up with an idea to make the wipe industry sustainable and support the continued convenience of wipes without damaging the environment. While at an early stage, the category is a must-watch.   LinkedIn

Food-Chain Sustainability

Plant-based alternative meat options are an environmental priority and reduce the carbon impact of traditional animal agriculture. Tasty alternatives require fewer natural resources, produce lower greenhouse gas emissions, use less land and water, and attract corporate and consumer interest. The faster we shift toward plant-based proteins, the sooner we can tackle the pressing climate challenges of deforestation and excessive water usage while ensuring a sustainable food supply to meet the growing global demand.

More Foods

The world is moving in the direction of consuming less meat. Some cite health priorities, and others are concerned about how meat production raises our carbon footprint. Yet, according to More Foods CEO Leonardo Markovitz, though most consumers want to reduce their meat consumption to live healthier lives, consumers don’t consider today’s meatless options healthy. The health-conscious, discerning public sees what’s in alternative meat products and aren’t impressed by the ingredients. More Foods has developed a new, scalable platform using pumpkin and sunflower seeds, leveraging the ability to extract oil from the seeds and create a scrumptious product already finding its way into popular restaurant chains. More Foods uses the leftover fragments from this process, turning them into a powder and a textured product. LinkedIn

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy innovation is essential to confront climate change and ensure a sustainable future. There’s no way around it: we must transition away from fossil fuels. By advancing technologies like solar, wind, and hydropower, it is possible to reduce carbon footprints and create new economic opportunities. Innovation in renewables for some nations will lead to energy independence and pave the way for a resilient energy infrastructure that meets global energy demands while preserving the planet.

BrightMerge

Transitioning entirely to electric cars and trucks seems like a no-brainer. The barrier to entry for car fleet managers, city planners and consumers is access to charging stations. Where to place power and how much requires data analysis and usage trends. Here is where cloud-based technology and AI can accelerate the adoption of the category. BrightMerge has created its “Microgrid Operations Platform” to help decision-makers better understand how much power a grid can produce and determine where and when to supplement the energy needs.  LinkedIn

First Airborne

The earth has enough sun and wind to meet renewable energy consumption needs. First Airborne is well on its way to helping wind farms address one of the sector’s biggest challenges – efficiency and profitability. The potential of wind power lies in its ability to generate clean electricity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to energy diversification. Now, it is one of the fastest-growing infrastructures in history. Measuring wind power is crucial to secure its place as a practical solution, and First Airborne is at the forefront of combining drone and highly sensitive measurement technologies to enable wind power to reach its greatest potential.

Here is the Medika Life feature on First Airborne.

Flower Turbine

Wind power needn’t interrupt the natural landscape. The company’s wind turbines capture the look of “tulips,” which are low-noise and produce alternative energy on-or-off the utility grid.  Flower Turbine is global – headquartered in New York, it operates a European subsidiary, its -manufacturing plant is in The Netherlands, and its engineering team is rooted in Israel. Its move from start-up to commercial operation underscores the potential of this company to scale up and secure multi-national government contracts.  LinkedIn

Hard to believe?  Just watch:

Rhino Eco

Rhino Eco promises to make solar and clean energy accessible. People have moved past the aesthetic hesitancy of having solar power panels affixed to their rooftops. Cost remains a factor, however, and individual companies offering solar panel installation must lower the barriers to adoption. Drawing upon the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Rhino Eco uses “fintech” to empower climate tech solar energy purchasing decisions. The solar panel sector includes larger and smaller contractors. Rhino Eco supports the sector – from installers to home owners – by offering several loan and lease financing options through its network and uses aggregated information technology to personalize financing possibilities tailored to each homeowner’s needs.  LinkedIn

Sustainable Urban Development

Urban clusters contribute significantly to climate change due to increased energy consumption, heat island effects, and carbon emissions. New construction materials with improved insulation and reduced carbon footprint are crucial to counter this. Also, “bioshade”— strategically planting trees and vegetation—mitigates heat, enhances air quality, and reduces energy needs for cooling. Implementing these innovations in urban design can curb climate change, create sustainable cities, and improve the quality of urban life.

BioShade

Increasing population density in urban centers is matched by deforestation and construction. Society is creating “urban heat islands.” Planned and scaled vegetation cover can help. Planting trees in cities can help. But trees require growing time – and heat waves are frequent and dangerous. BioShade Green Infrastructure is one pathway to reduce urban hot spots. This proven nature-based solution provides biological shading, natural shade, and natural cooling benefits, improving city air quality.  LinkedIn

ECOncrete

State, Federal, and local governments on the coast recognize that water lines are rising. Concrete reef barriers are the go-to solutions as populations build along desirable coastlines. However, this leads to ecosystem degradation – increasing risks to coastal residents, environmental marine life, and longer-term biodiversity.

Marine artificial reefs and water barriers are usually concrete-based, and designers too frequently disregard biodiversity priorities and ecological impact. Low-cost materials secure the “low-bid position” on public works contracts. But, what appears to be low-cost has a tremendous economic impact. Kicking the can down the road when it comes to construction sustainability is becoming costly. ECOncrete has created a material composition and design that supports biological sustainability and marine life. Its benefits are many. This environmental construction advance improves structural performance and reduces mitigation fees and penalties cost-effectively. LinkedIn

GreenVibe

Among the more expensive elements in construction is cement. However, expense is only one part of the architect’s and construction company’s burden. Cement production contributes to substantial carbon emissions, consuming fossil fuels and releasing CO2 during manufacturing and curing processes, significantly contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions. Each ton of concrete produces around 910 kg of CO2. GreenVibe has “wearable-like” technology to measure how much concrete concentration is needed to build safer, environmentally sound structures. Accurate factual data can reduce cement usage in the industry by 25%. LinkedIn

Water Supply

Climate-independent atmospheric water generation offers a transformative solution to water scarcity. By extracting moisture from the air, this technology provides a reliable water source regardless of regional climatic conditions. It reduces pressure on traditional water sources, enhances resilience to droughts, and ensures a more secure and accessible water supply for communities worldwide.

Be Air

Today, there are two main methods of atmospheric water generation:

1. Liquid desiccant absorption, and:
2. Cooling and condensation.

These methods have high water maintenance and are limited geographically by relative humidity rate. BeAir is taking on this technological challenge. Rather than reinvent the wheel, the company’s engineers have adapted membrane material from high-precision medical devices. The result is a new pathway – an accessible and easy-to-place almost anywhere – system that generates drinkable water from “thin air” using a precise energy force using 60% less power than other sector players. Be Air seeks to redefine how to tap into climate-independent atmospheric water generation with reduced energy requirements and minimal maintenance.  LinkedIn

The Climate Innovation Model

Israel has become a must-watch global hub in addressing climate change and promoting sustainability through the Israeli government’s support for collaboration that brings together a matchless entrepreneurial ecosystem, technologists with a proven track record of practical advancements, and a community of thriving startups. Other nations – particularly emerging nations – face similar challenges and conditions, and they can lead the charge in a global transition to a greener, more sustainable future by fostering collaboration to create an infrastructure that guides, supports and brings purpose-centered investors to the table of possibilities. These 11 companies and the 1,000 plus more in Israel may be role models for environmental innovation we should support through counsel, connections, and investment.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Nicole Grubner, partner and Environmental Innovation Lead, FINN Partners Israel, Cullen Burnell, chief of staff, Health and Purpose, FINN Partners, Levi Shapiro, founder and curator, mHealth Israel, Adam Salkin, partner, Herzog Law, Tel Aviv, Israel and to all the climate tech champions in the “Start-Up Nation” for sharing with me their efforts to improve planet earth.

The post Climate Tech May be Among the World’s Greatest Public Health Priorities appeared first on Medika Life.

No longer are the table stakes only about return on investment. Corporate leaders, NGOs and governments recognize that climate tech can serve two distinct roles, providing: 

1. A needed path to intervene around climate change
2. A business development laboratory for future products leading to profits.

Several prominent private equity groups have begun to recognize that climate technology and sustainability information platforms offer fertile ground for return on investment – promising returns for limited partners and essential benefits to the planet. In a recent visit to Israel, a nation noted for cultivating a bounty of start-up companies and “unicorns,” we met several of the country’s leading incubators, accelerators, and equity groups that have made climate tech their investment priority.

Seven Powerhouse Investment Groups

While many of the world’s leading equity groups have headquarters and branches in Israel, these seven organizations have prioritized climate tech. If you’re tracking the environmental innovation sector, make sure you’re following these venture capital groups that span the incubator, accelerator, and equity fields:

• Capital Nature is an Israeli private equity group – a front-runner – investing in environmentally focused startups and businesses. Launched as an incubator by the Israel Innovation Authority 10 years ago, Capital Nature, led by one of Israel’s top investors, business executives, and entrepreneurs, Anat Tsour, empowers entrepreneurs to develop scalable ventures by providing financial support, strategic guidance, and connections. The group actively seeks startups that address critical environmental challenges such as renewable energy, waste management, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of green innovation in Israel. LINKEDIN

• Doral Energy-Tech Ventures has emerged as a key player shaping the landscape of climate technology. With its focus on sustainable innovation, Doral Energy-Tech Ventures has consistently invested in – and sought connections with – early-stage solutions that address pressing environmental challenges. Its strategic collaborations with startups and established companies have propelled the development and deployment of groundbreaking technologies spanning renewable energy, carbon capture, and efficient resource management. Roee Furman, managing director of Doral Energy-Tech Ventures, offers portfolio companies a welcomed combination of expertise and funding. Doral Energy-Tech Ventures is a lead global catalyst accelerating the transition to a more resilient and low-carbon future and the vital role private enterprises play in advancing climate tech. LINKEDIN

• Gravity Climate Fund focuses on climate change and sustainability. The fund was launched by one of Israel’s leading voices in climate technology, Bracha Halaf, formerly chief scientist at the Ministry of Energy. She brings her expertise as a principal at Qure Ventures, an OurCrowd fund, to the much-needed effort to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy by investing in early-stage startups and disruptive technologies. Gravity Climate Fund supports ventures that tackle climate challenges head-on, including renewable energy, energy storage, electric mobility, and sustainable infrastructure. Their strategic investments and support help drive technological advancements and create a more sustainable future.

• Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) is a government agency that promotes technological advancements and innovation across various sectors, especially the environment. The Authority supports initiatives focused on environmental sustainability, offering grants, funding programs, and mentorship to startups and research institutions – even supporting “laboratories” to field test promising innovations. The problems facing cleantech companies are not unique to Israel. IIA is sponsoring some 100 Israeli-based companies heading to COP28 in Dubai. IIA has a solid track record in clean technologies, resource efficiencies, and sustainable practices as the nexus among academia, industry, and government. LINKEDIN

• Mass Challenge Israel is the largest and most diverse zero-equity accelerator in Israel and has included a climate tech track among its operational priorities. Its comprehensive programs enable climate-focused startups to thrive by providing strategic mentorship, resources and connections to investors and industry leaders. Mass Challenge Israel accelerates the development of cutting-edge solutions addressing the world’s pressing climate challenges through collaboration between entrepreneurs and experts, and by doing so, contributes to the growth of sustainable technologies and the global effort to tackle climate change. LINKEDIN

• PLANETech is a nonprofit innovation community for climate change technologies – a joint venture of the Israel Innovation Institute and Consensus Business Group. Its power team, led by Noam Sonennberg, offers tailored acceleration programs, strategic mentorship, and access to a vast network of investors and industry leaders; PLANETech provides companies with the tools and resources needed to succeed in the complex world of capital and policy. Through its community, it emphasizes knowledge exchange so sponsored companies can refine solutions, scale their impact, and address the pressing challenges of climate change. PLANETech support is instrumental in laying the groundwork for groundbreaking technologies that contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future. LINKEDIN

• Start-Up Nation Central, an Israel-based non-profit organization, has fostered innovation and technological advancements in the field of climate tech. By connecting startups, researchers, investors, and corporates, they are accelerating the development and deployment of solutions addressing climate change challenges. Along with supporting companies at the forefront of climate tech innovation, Start-Up Nation Central has developed a visual inventory of 760 early-stage enterprises developing climate solutions. The go-to voice for the sector at Start-Up Nation is Yael Weisz Zilberman, who leads sector efforts.  LINKEDIN

The climate-tech community is tight-knit, and ready access to private equity leadership is a given. The conference platforms are many, and the post-panel conversation offers plenty of opportunities to connect and chat. Israeli-based private equity groups have shown leadership and gravitas in advancing environmental innovation.

Follow the Money? Not Quite.

Through financial support, strategic guidance, and collaboration, these entities nurture startups by opening their bank accounts and, perhaps more importantly, their contact databases. As Israel continues to prioritize sustainability and environmental innovation, investors and partners outside the “Start-Up Nation” will look at the hundreds of companies entering the climate tech sector and, most importantly, the private equity group portfolios doing the due diligence and counseling behind the scenes. Follow the money and the wisdom!

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