🔮 Where 80 VCs will invest next

Climate Tech venture and growth investment totalled $30 billion in 2024, down 14% from 2023 as deal count holds, finds CTVC.

So far in 2025, funds totalling over $100 million have already been announced:

• Trucks Venture Capital launched its largest fund yet at $70 million to invest in early-stage startups shaping the future of transportation

• Energy Revolution Ventures closed an $18 million seed and Series A fund to invest in innovations across energy storage, carbon capture, and hydrogen.

• Juniper Ventures spun out of Climate Capital and raised $10.6 million for its first fund, which focuses on climate biotech solutions in underfunded sectors.

• 4elements raised €27.4 million to create and launch around 10 high-impact climate startups over 5 years, with solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation.

And as the urgency to deploy meaningful capital to mitigate the climate crisis intensifies, Climate Tech Founders with high impact potential will continue to attract strong investment.

That’s what we expect to see, at least here at Hack, having spoken to 80+ VCs across multiple Climate verticals.

So where will fresh capital come from in 2025? And which technologies will receive investment this year? Keep scrolling for a Founder-cheatsheet on who’s looking to invest where.

Go further: We will turn these predictions into investments when 200+ Principals and Partners from leading VC Funds join us at the HackSummit, on May 15-16th. Some of the VCs listed below will be making their way to the lakeside city of Lausanne, Switzerland - why not come and meet them there?

🔱 Jump Straight to the Insights:

• Food: Incl. Big Idea Ventures, FLORA Ventures, Earlybird, Unovis

• Energy: Incl. Planet A Ventures, Extantia Capital, Collaborative Fund

• Materials: Incl. Norrsken VC, Giant Ventures, Capricorn Partners

• Circularity: Incl. Volta Circle, Spin Ventures, Visionaries Tomorrow

• Agriculture: Incl. Catalyst Fund, Satgana, World Fund, Capagro

• Biodiversity: Incl. Serena, Vanagon Ventures, Brainforest, Mudcake

*Yes, there’s a couple more verticals we missed - Carbon and Mobility for starters. Stay tuned for technologies ripe for investment in these verticals over the coming weeks.

⚡️ 60 High Impact Technologies in Energy

Global energy investment exceeded USD 3 trillion in 2024, with a record-breaking $2 trillion dedicated to clean energy technologies and infrastructure. 

Yet, the costs of scaling renewable energy and emerging technologies remain significant, challenging both developers and investors. 

Convinced there is still plenty of room for innovation and fresh thinking, 20 investors reveal technologies they’re on the look out for in the transition to net zero.

With: Collaborative Fund, Planet A Ventures, DeepTech & Climate Fonds, PUSH VC, Leonid Capital Partners, Extantia Capital, Equator VC, Clean Energy Ventures + 12 more…

🦜 20 Solutions to Restore Biodiversity

Funding for NatureTech in 2025 is off to a strong start. As Colossal Biosciences, Inari, NatureMetrics, Fermata, Kilter and Cascadia Seaweed all make fundraising headlines.

Will these technologies continue to receive investment in the months ahead, or will new trends take centre stage?

We caught up with 8 NatureTech Leaders across venture building, VC, not for profits and consultants to get a better idea of what lies for the future of NatureTech and biodiversity solutions.

With: Nature Tech Collective, Innovate 4 Nature, Serena, Founders Factory, BiodiversityStartupscom, Brainforest, Mudcake, Vanagon Ventures

🧱 20 Top-of-Mind Trends in New Materials

The material production sector is responsible for 25% of global emissions, with key contributors like aluminium, concrete, steel, and plastics driving 78% of these emissions.

With material use predicted to double from 2015 to 2060, the challenge of decarbonising these industries is urgent.

Which material technologies have the potential to reshape this high-emissions sector?

We ask leading VCs where they see the greatest potential for impactful change.

With: Norrsken VC, InNegev, Giant Ventures, Savia Ventures, Zacua Ventures, Sunna Ventures, Capricorn Partners

🥗 50 Next Breakthroughs in Food

As the FoodTech sector grapples with the challenging realities of capital shortages, geopolitical uncertainty, and disrupted supply chains; the urgency to transform our food system remains a north star for hundreds of FoodTech Founders around the world.

Despite the challenges, startups are forging ahead to (re)build momentum in an unpredictable global landscape — sparking renewed investor interest.

To uncover where the next big innovations in food will emerge, 20 VCs tell us where they’ll be investing next.

With: Big Idea Ventures, Mandi Ventures, Unovis Asset Managemnt, Kost Capital, Clear Current Capital, Bluestein Ventures, PINC, FLORA Ventures + 11 more…

♻️ 18 Impactful Technologies in Circularity

Circularity is transforming traditional models by keeping materials in use, reducing dependency on finite resources, and driving innovation, delivering measurable business growth and environmental returns. 

As markets and consumers increasingly prioritise sustainability, adopting circular practices is no longer optional but essential for companies aiming to thrive in a resource-constrained future. 

That’s why these 6 investors are looking for scalable approaches to circularity, as they reveal which technologies are on their radar and are ripe for investment.

With: Volta Circle, Spin Ventures, Visionaries Tomorrow, Inclimo Climate Tech Fund, Plug and Play Tech Center, Regeneration VC

🌾 40 Emerging Solutions in Agriculture

The need to feed a growing global population while combating the escalating climate crisis has never been more urgent.  

AgTech, seen as a transformative force to reshape food production and supply chains, faces mounting challenges in a world of economic uncertainty.

As climate impacts intensify and food security issues multiply, 18 investors reveal which technologies emerging could hold the key to a sustainable food future.

With: World Fund, Catalyst Fund, Antom, Shift Invest, Rubio Impact Ventures, ICL Group, Satgana, Climate Innovation Capital, Capagro, Clima Now + 10 more…

🎯 Get On Every Investor’s Radar

In 2024, these 60 startups showcased their technology at the HackSummit’s Startup Fair.

To reveal what’s new and next in ClimateTech from biomimetic direct air capture technology to thermochemical ammonia cracking devices and purpose-built electric trucks for the Global South to plant cell culture for sustainable coffee.

If you’re ready to follow in their footsteps, here’s the good news. We’ve just opened applications for the next cohort of exciting talents.

Demo your technology, spark conversations with investors and potential partners and get the word out about your technology over the 2-day Summit on May 15-16th.

Apply today to take a Startup Stand (includes 2 Summit passes).

Disclaimer: Startup Stands are strictly limited per vertical to ensure diversity.

Whether you’re looking to find your next deal, discover fresh talents or get the inside track on what’s new and next, we’d love to see you at the 6th edition of the HackSummit this May.

Hint: You’ll find a discount code for the HackSummit in each of the articles above, lock in the early bird rate with an extra 20% when you read one of today’s pieces.

Up next, we’re excited to reveal what’s planned, who’ll be on stage and who’ll be heading to the Summit. If you’d like to join us as a Summit Partner then we’d love to make your ideas happen, hit reply and let’s make plans together.

We look forward to seeing you in Lausanne.

Laura at Hack

Tell us, what did you think of today’s email?

Love it 😍  Meh 🫤  Hate it ☹️