The Top 22 Cleantech and Energy Startups from Disrupt Startup Battlefield

Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch competition attracts thousands of applicants. We reduce these applications to the top 200 contendersand among them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 cash prize. But the remaining 180 startups also blew us away in their respective categories and are participating in their own pitch competition.

Here’s the full list of cleantech and energy startups selected for Battlefield 200, along with a note explaining why they landed in the competition.

ArabBat

What it does: AraBat has developed recycling technology that recovers critical metals like nickel, cobalt and others from used lithium-ion batteries.

Why it’s notable: The company’s process is bio-based, using plant waste like citrus peels rather than toxic chemicals.

Aruna Revolution

What it does: Aruna Revolution has developed a compostable menstrual pad made of natural fibers from agricultural by-products.

Why it’s notable: Aruna has redesigned the menstrual pad into a product that works well while breaking down quickly and avoiding plastic and harmful chemicals.

Carbon bridge

What it does: CarbonBridge builds bioreactors for microbial gas fermentation that transform waste gases like methane and CO₂ into valuable molecules.

Why it’s notable: CarbonBridge claims its technology is more efficient than other methods of synthesizing molecules.

Carbon negative solutions

What it does: Carbon Negative uses an AI-powered platform to transform industrial waste and minerals into cement.

Why it’s notable: The company says its cement can be used with standard equipment, making it affordable, but its process transforms this major building material to become carbon negative.

COI Energy

What it does: COI Energy runs a market where companies can buy and sell excess energy capacity, as well as obtain better predictive information on their energy needs.

Why it’s notable: By allowing corporate campuses to share their reserved energy allocations with each other, the company instantly optimizes network usage.

Coral

What it does: Coral offers a carbon accounting management platform powered by AI.

Why it’s notable: It automates data collection and energy footprint reporting and uses blockchain to track and remain accountable for carbon credits.

Emobi

What it does: Emobi offers an AI-powered cloud platform for universal electric vehicle charging.

Why it’s notable: The company’s service supports secure automatic charging for electric vehicle charging networks, even on existing hardware.

Enygia Limit

What it does: EnyGy has invented a line of higher-performance ultracapacitors, an energy storage device that sits somewhere between a conventional capacitor and a battery.

Why it’s notable: The company makes its ultracapacitors by fusing activated carbon electrodes with an advanced electrolyte and claims this increases energy densities by up to double the capacity of alternatives, while remaining cost-effective.

Ganiga Innovation

What it does: Ganiga offers an AI and robotics-powered trash can called Hoooly that recognizes and sorts recyclables.

Why it’s remarkable: Ganiga sells Hoooly to corporate campuses and industrial sites like airports to increase recycling rates, offering analytics that make ESG reporting easier.

Gemini Energy

What it does: Gemini has developed fuel cell technology capable of generating electricity on site, converting gas into electricity without combustion, it says.

Why it’s notable: The company markets its clean-technology power generator in data centers and says its systems can be deployed in months, versus the years it takes to upgrade a conventional power grid.

Earth Propeller

What it does: Helix Earth has created products for Earth from liquid-gas chemistry designed for spacecraft, including ultra-efficient HVAC and carbon capture systems.

Why it’s notable: The company claims its processes are much more energy efficient while being more affordable and can be installed on commercial roofs.

Energy

What it does: HKG Energy has created a next-generation silicon material for lithium-ion batteries.

Why it’s notable: HKG claims its technology increases battery performance by 80% while costing up to 40% less than those using conventional materials.

HomeBoost

What it does: HomeBoost offers a do-it-yourself energy assessment system that helps homeowners identify leaky windows and find rebate opportunities and other ways to reduce their energy bills.

Why it’s remarkable: It ships custom equipment to homeowners that, paired with a smartphone app, analyzes the home, then home energy experts review and produce the report.

HyWatts

What it does: HyWatts provides modular systems that generate power on site for industrial uses.

Why it’s notable: He calls his system Power-Plant-in-a-Box, which integrates hydrogen storage and reversible fuel cells for, he says, emissions-free off-grid electricity at costs much lower than battery storage.

It’s better

What it does: Kaio Labs develops CO₂ conversion technologies to turn waste carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals like carbon monoxide, formic acid and ethylene.

Why it’s notable: Kaio uses an AI-driven workflow to automate discovery, with the goal of extracting these chemicals at a competitive cost.

MacroCycle Technologies

What it does: MacroCycle has invented a patented polyester textile recycling technology.

Why it’s notable: The company promises to make recycled plastic as cheap as a virgin material using technology that separates desirable synthetic fibers from textile waste.

Namu Robotics Company

What it does: Namu Robotics provides tree planting robots for reforestation projects.

Why it’s notable: The world doesn’t have the resources to replant trees quickly enough, between the labor involved and the land, so Namu’s technology promises to automate the process.

Difficulty

What it does: Naware offers an AI-powered robotic weed eater that attaches to lawn mowing equipment to kill weeds while mowing the lawn.

Why it’s notable: Not only does it automatically detect weeds, but it also uses hot steam to kill them, rather than toxic herbicides.

Segura

What it does: Segura offers a proprietary method for testing water quality that provides almost instantaneous results without the need for testing experts.

Why it’s notable: Segura has invented a test strip that is reminiscent of those used for monitoring diabetes and is just as easy to use.

ShellVive

What it does: ShellVive created a method to filter water by reusing oyster shells.

Why it’s notable: ShellVive solutions take abundant agricultural waste, discarded oyster shells, and transform them into an affordable and environmentally friendly water filtration material.

Whispering Energy

What it does: Whisper Energy is developing an AI-native sensor to improve the energy efficiency of commercial buildings.

Why it’s notable: The company targets small and medium-sized buildings with its easy-to-install sensors and system as an affordable alternative to large-scale energy automation solutions.

Errors

What it does: Xatoms has created a photocatalyst – a chemical activated by light – capable of removing bacteria, viruses, chemicals and heavy metals from polluted water.

Why it’s notable: The company uses AI and quantum chemistry to find new chemicals for water treatment.