Several non-governmental organizations, such as PLANETech, a non-profit dedicated to advancing climate technologies, are at the heart of this ecosystem. By fostering collaboration among startups, investors, and policymakers, PLANETech accelerates the development and deployment of solutions critical to combating climate change.

Working alongside the Israel Innovation Authority, mHealth Israel, MassChallenge Israel, Startup Nation Central, and Women in Tech Israel, the country leans into partnerships—bringing together investors, NGOs, and CEOs to share insights and apply lessons learned at breakneck speed. There is an unmistakable urgency and purpose among these entrepreneurs as the ticking clock for meeting 2050 net zero goals becomes louder.

Israel’s commitment to renewable energy is evident in its ambitious goals—aiming to generate 30% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. The Ashalim Solar Thermal Power Station, one of the largest of its kind, stands as a testament to the nation’s leadership in harnessing solar energy. Additionally, Israel is at the forefront of alternative proteins, mitigating the environmental impact of traditional livestock farming by developing lab-grown meat and plant-based alternatives that promise sustainable and ethical food solutions.

The startup ecosystem, bolstered by government initiatives, venture capital, and a national culture of innovation, ensures a steady pipeline of groundbreaking technologies. Private equity leaders such as Shani Zanescu of Jibe Ventures, Adi Vagman of E44 Ventures, Anne Baer of iKare Innovation, and Jonathan Schwartz of IBEX Investors are providing the community with needed perspective on market challenges and financial backing to help climate-tech startups scale effectively and find future funding sources.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to sit down with executives from several remarkable companies, discussing their progress, research priorities, and strategies for scaling their solutions. Here are some high points from those conversations:

AgriPass: Precision Agriculture Through AI Robotics

Founded in 2023, AgriPass is transforming smart agriculture with its AI-powered robotic system for weed management. By leveraging AI and IoT, AgriPass helps farmers make informed decisions, addressing soil degradation and water scarcity—two significant threats to global food security.

AgriPass is revolutionizing sustainable agriculture with AI-driven, robotic weeding technology—offering farmers a powerful alternative to chemical herbicides while preserving soil health. By executing rapid, precision-based weeding at hundreds of weeds per second, AgriPass reduces labor costs, minimizes soil disruption, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions linked to traditional farming. Its Adaptive Selective Tilling (AST) approach aligns with global regulatory shifts, including the EU Green Deal, making it a future-ready solution.

As herbicide resistance and soil degradation threaten food security, AgriPass stands at the forefront of regenerative agriculture, supporting high-residue farming and climate resilience. This innovation isn’t about efficiency; it’s about securing the future of agriculture while protecting the planet.

Weeding the Way:

• Real-time crop and weed distinction using sensors and cameras
• The non-chemical approach that minimizes soil disruption while enhancing fertility
• Targeting 2027 production ramp-up after securing seed funding
• Collaboration with global agriculture experts

AgriPass technology aligns with tightening environmental regulations, positioning it as a cost-competitive solution for sustainable farming.

CarbonBlue: Versatile Carbon Capture Infrastructure

Innovative solutions that bridge environmental urgency with economic viability are essential in the global effort to confront climate change. CarbonBlue stands out as a game-changer in carbon dioxide removal (CDR), leveraging a unique water-based approach that transforms existing water infrastructures such as desalination plants—into CO2 capture hubs.

Unlike many traditional CDR methods, which require extensive construction or chemical-intensive processes, the CarbonBlue system is adaptable, scalable, and environmentally sensitive. The company addresses two significant climate challenges by mitigating ocean acidification while extracting CO2.

Beyond its technical advantages, CarbonBlue progress and industry recognition signal its potential to reshape the climate tech landscape. With $10 million in seed funding and a goal to remove gigatons of CO2 annually, the company is proving that climate innovation can align with economic sustainability. Its 3-in-1 solution—combining carbon removal, desalination, and e-fuel production—positions it as more than just a CDR player; it is an integrated climate tech possibility. As the world seeks scalable climate solutions, the CarbonBlue approach deserves much attention.

Latest Advancements:

• Secured a $10 million seed round in July 2024
• Developed water-based CO2 removal technology integrated into desalination plants and e-fuel production with the potential to remove gigatons of CO2 annually
• Pilot facility repurposing existing infrastructure for climate action

CI Sensing: Safety and Simplicity

Based on CI Networks’ legacy expertise, CI Sensing is revolutionizing energy system efficiency and safety monitoring through advanced sensing technology for gas detection and emissions, focusing on methane and other hazardous gases. The company’s innovative approach transforms uncertainty into certainty, addressing a critical issue in today’s monitoring systems: frequent false alerts lead to alert fatigue and increased operational risk. By significantly reducing false alarms, CI Sensing enhances site safety and reliability.

The company’s solutions offer unparalleled flexibility, allowing for installation across diverse locations, from offshore platforms to urban facilities. CI Sensing prioritizes data security by utilizing on-premises devices, eliminating the risk of data leaks associated with cloud-based systems. This comprehensive approach improves operational efficiency and strengthens monitored sites’ integrity and safety, marking CI Sensing a leader in the energy sector’s digital transformation.

Risk Reduction:

• Reduces risk and increases reliability by minimizing false alerts and addressing the issue of alert fatigue in monitored sites
• Training is made simple with one standard device used across multiple gas production platforms
• Offers greater flexibility with installations adaptable to various locations, enhancing utility across different energy system environments
• Prioritizes data security through on-premises device operation, eliminating risks associated with data leaks

Eco Wave Power: Harnessing Ocean Energy

Since 2011, Eco Wave Power has developed patented, cost-efficient technology for converting wave energy into electricity. Its innovation offers a predictable, low-impact alternative to fossil fuels, enhancing energy security worldwide.

While wave energy lags behind solar and wind adoption, it is increasingly cited as a promising complement to mainstream renewables and, for the right reasons – predictability in providing more consistent energy output than intermittent solar and wind, aiding grid stability. Recent 24/7 operations at Israel’s Jaffa Port (even during storms) and a licensed 100-kW project in Los Angeles demonstrate operational consistency.

The Eco Wave Power onshore and nearshore design minimizes marine disruption by attaching custom-made floaters to existing marine structures, with most of the system located on land. This approach significantly reduces potential impacts on aquatic life and coastal ecosystems, distinguishing it from offshore competitors. Third-party testing verified the technology as environmentally friendly, with no adverse effect on the surrounding environment. By utilizing existing infrastructure, the company avoids introducing new structures into the ocean, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.

Wave energy technologies, including Eco Wave Power, still face scrutiny regarding potential coastal ecosystem impacts; the company has prioritized environmental protection in design and implementation. As a publicly traded company, Eco Wave Power emphasizes its environmentally responsible approach, aiming to advance wave energy with minimal ecological disruption.

Breakthrough Achievements:

• Secured a permit for a 100-kW wave energy station at the Port of Los Angeles in December 2024 and partnered with Shell for the project
• Onshore system operational in waves as low as 1.6 feet
• Installation slated for early 2025

Firedome: AI-Driven Wildfire Prevention and Response

Wildfires have become one of the most devastating consequences of climate change, destroying ecosystems, displacing communities – even cities – and straining emergency response systems over extended periods – even putting their lives at heightened risk. Firedome combines the resourcefulness of information and action by integrating AI-driven predictive analytics, real-time data monitoring, and automated fire suppression deployment. The company’s platform augments situational awareness for firefighting teams, drawing on advanced sensors and satellite imaging to identify high-risk areas before ignition occurs. With its ability to seamlessly interoperate with other emergency response systems, Firedome is a coordinated defense against wildfires, improving response efficiency and protecting vulnerable landscapes.

Beyond detection, Firedome delivers an immediate, on-site solution—its autonomous systems can deploy fire-retardant liquid precisely where needed, slowing the spread of flames before they escalate into uncontrollable infernos. This proactive approach reduces reliance on costly aerial firefighting missions and increases the odds of containment in the critical early moments of a fire. As extreme heat and prolonged droughts intensify wildfire risks worldwide, Firedome technology offers a lifeline, empowering communities and emergency teams with the tools to fight fire before it takes hold.

Key Takeaways

• AI-Powered Fire Prevention – Uses predictive analytics and real-time data to identify wildfire risks before they ignite.
• Seamless System Integration – Interoperates with existing firefighting and emergency response infrastructure for coordinated action.
• Automated Fire Suppression – Deploys fire-retardant liquid precisely where needed to stop flames from spreading.
• Scalable and Cost-Effective – Reduces reliance on expensive aerial firefighting while enhancing community resilience against wildfires.

Hydro X: Reinventing Hydrogen Storage

Hydro X’s water-based hydrogen carrier, developed in 2018, slashes storage costs to under $1/kg while eliminating flammability risks. This is a company to watch closely, addressing the primary obstacles to greater use of hydrogen—safety and cost. Generally, ammonia has been used to store hydrogen. So, the Hydro X water-based solution replaces the ammonia as a carrier.

Hydro X technology could play a crucial role in enabling the hydrogen economy as the global focus on decarbonization intensifies. The company’s ability to address safety and cost concerns is a significant industry change. Its non-toxic approach simplifies infrastructure needs, de-risks hydrogen projects, and supports the transition to clean energy. With 94% energy efficiency, Hydro X technology offers a safer and more cost-effective alternative to ammonia for long-distance transport, using existing oil tankers to do the job.

Investors, energy companies, and policymakers interested in advancing clean energy solutions should closely monitor the company’s progress. As Hydro X moves to commercialize and scale its technology successfully, it will significantly accelerate the adoption of hydrogen as a key component of the global energy transition.

Innovative Solution:

• Water-based hydrogen carrier reduces storage costs to under $1/kg
• Eliminates flammability risks
• A non-toxic solution simplifies infrastructure needs
• 94% energy efficiency

SolCold: Solar-Powered Cooling Breakthrough

Established in 2016, SolCold is pioneering a nanomaterial coating that reflects sunlight and actively cools surfaces, providing an energy-efficient alternative to traditional cooling systems. The company has harnessed the power of nanotechnology to create a coating material that uses sunlight to cool cars, buildings, planes, and even clothing items or electronic devices.  It’s not conceptual!  SolCold is already an in-market enterprise working with some of the global economy’s best-known corporate brands.

Medika Life sat with SolCold co-founder and CEO Yaron Shenhav at the company’s new offices in Rehovot, amidst the new workstations being assembled, to learn about his journey as a science-based engineer who took his idea from a Hebrew University lab to the company’s prototype development site in nearby Nes Tziona. Its new headquarters provides sufficient production facilities to scale globally.

Product Highlights:

• Glacier 110 coating reduces surface temperatures by 5–13°C through passive cooling
• Automotive trials show 9–12°C cabin temperature reduction and a 30% lower AC energy use, extending electric vehicle range by 7 percent
• In-market applications show the ability to protect stored foods and beverages, reducing company dependency on fossil fuel cooling systems
• Addresses rising global cooling demands in building materials
• Startup World Cup World Cup Winner at the CES Las Vegas 2025 competition

A National Ecosystem Driving Global Innovation

Israel’s climate-tech surge is fueled by collaborations among startups and a robust innovation ecosystem, including incubators and accelerators pushing ideas from concept to commercialization. Collaboration is the superpower of healthy innovation communities.

Uniquely, the country is a testing ground for these pressing ideas. Its renewable energy targets—30% by 2030—and leadership in alternative proteins further highlight its integrated approach to sustainability. Private equity leaders provide critical scaling support, ensuring these innovations achieve global impact. 

These companies exemplify Israel’s ethos of transforming existential challenges into scalable, economically workable solutions. By merging technological ingenuity with environmental stewardship, they redefine what’s possible in the challenge to overcome climate change.

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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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Israel – The Climate of Innovation Heads to COP28

While some are still considering whether to head to Dubai for COP28, Israel is committed to having significant presence at the “Davos of Climate Change.” Known for its health, defense, technology and entrepreneurship achievements, the country is emerging rapidly as a global environmental innovation leader.  Israel plans to bring a 1,000-person delegation representing some 100 companies to Dubai. 

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.

“With our global outreach to multinational companies and investors, we are advancing the Israeli energy sector and its technologies as an important and viable solution to the world energy challenge and a solutions hub for reducing global carbon emissions,” said the non-profit’s Head of Climate Tech Sector Yael Weisz Zilberman. “Mapping sub-sectors and the companies in each provides broad accessibility to Israeli technological solutions and enables the entire sector to expand its activities.”

Many consider COP28 as Israel’s “declaration to lead” event. For the second consecutive COP event, the Israeli pavilion in Dubai will appear under the “Climate of Innovation” umbrella. The connection of Israel to innovation is expected; the country known for making the desert bloom takes on ecological challenges with can-do confidence married with an inventive spirit to develop groundbreaking solutions that can significantly impact climate change and support sustainability.  But that doesn’t happen without dedicated, collaborative effort.

Collaboration is Key to Creating Technology that Addresses Climate Change

Through a combination of government support, academic research and a strong, healthy community of entrepreneurial businesses, Israel is a fertile proving ground for environmental innovation, so much so that the country’s innovation community has created a collaborative blueprint for other nations to follow. 

The Israeli government has implemented policies and initiatives to support and promote innovation with major companies at home and abroad, and with other nations to prioritize climate change and sustainability for investment and development.  It has resulted in Israel becoming a laboratory for research and development in renewable energy; water purification, desalination and management; and sustainable agriculture. It’s also an approach that delivers returns on investment by building a collaborative culture of innovation.

For example, a collaborative Environmental Sustainability Innovation Lab (ESIL) dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability is among the nation’s many exciting projects. Another is the creation of the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), a cooperative effort between the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Israeli Ministry of Economy launched in 2019. Start-ups participating in these incubators receive advice and funding to build infrastructure and have a better pathway toward financing for their “proof of concept.”

The incubator is a model for accelerated progress, and its reputation has had global benefits. Morocco, the fourth Arab country to normalize ties with Israel, is now pursuing cooperation with Israel in environment, natural resources and climate change. If long-time enemies can recognize that without a sustainable planet, all are lost, it provides hope that we can make progress against rising global temperatures.

Investing in the Planet’s Future

Crucial in advancing environmental innovation is Israel’s thriving startup ecosystem. The country is home to a growing community of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists passionate about accelerating technological solutions to pressing environmental problems. Startups are tackling diverse issues, ranging from waste management and recycling to energy efficiency and urban sustainability. Purpose-centered investors with proven ROI track records are focusing on the progress and potential of Israeli-based environmental innovations.

Investors are also crucial to that collaborative effort. Among the premier, global, purpose-focused investors watching the sector in Israel is ARK Invest, which believes innovation can solve the most persistent problems and help transform the way the world works. They are doing more than watching the start-up nation; they are going all-in, looking for both return on investment and meaningful social impact.

ARK Invest recognized that Israel is a world leader in developing innovative products and services.  Its Chief Investment Officer Cathie Wood shared with Medika Life that “Israel’s companies are advancing scientific research and enhancing many sectors of the global economy. Ranked highly in the world for technological advancements and entrepreneurship and responsible for many innovations, ARK thinks Israel has earned its status as an innovation powerhouse.”

The Climate Innovation Model

Through government support of collaboration that brings together a matchless entrepreneurial ecosystem; technologists with a proven track record of practical advancements; a community of thriving startups; and visionaries in Israel and other countries, Israel has become a must-watch leader in addressing climate change and promoting sustainability. Other nations – particularly emerging nations – face similar challenges and conditions, and they can accelerate the 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.

A world facing climate change that threatens human health and long-term existence needs proven models that point the way to achieving a sustainable future. Israel, poised to join the inner circle of climate leaders, is a success story and a model for others to follow.

[The next report will come from Israel and highlight some companies at the forefront of environmental and sustainability innovation.]

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