Can Israel’s 850 climate-tech startups save the planet?
Israel has long staked a claim to its place in the global tech economy as the Startup Nation. Could 2023 also be the year that Israel becomes the Climate Tech Nation? Start-Up Nation Central’s 2023 Climate Tech Landscape Map reveals an ecosystem of over 850 companies that are directly or indirectly promoting decarbonization.
Israeli startups have much of the expertise needed in diverse fields such as smart mobility, digital health, fintech and cybersecurity to move Israel into a leadership role in the climate-tech space. In addition, Israel’s world-leading capabilities in water and irrigation solutions and precision agriculture making it one of the few countries that can reverse desertification and develop sustainable agriculture in an arid climate.
Start-Up Nation Central has identified six areas to watch:
- Food and land use – how can we produce food sustainably? This includes sustainable proteins (plant-based, lab-grown and insect-based) along with sustainable farming (irrigation, next generation fertilizers, indoor farming and more).
- Energy transition – how do we shift to cleaner energy systems? This category includes solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, hydrogen and other forms of non-fossil fuel energy; more efficient energy usage (cooling and heating, data centers); and energy storage (electro-chemical batteries, alternative storage, long-duration storage).
- Carbon technology – how do we monitor and remove carbon emissions? The category looks at carbon capture and sequestration, carbon analytics, and even fintech (carbon accounting and reporting, carbon offsetting).
- Water solutions – what processes and materials do we need to make things? Including sustainable materials that power the “circular economy” (using low-carbon polymers and better waste management and recycling), eco-efficient manufacturing, and green construction technology (including what sounds like an oxymoron: green cement).
- Cleaner industry tech – much like water solutions, what processes and materials do we use to make things? The category includes more circular and sustainable materials; predictive maintenance, inspection and testing; reduced-energy construction, and better management of food loss and waste.
- Transportation and logistics – how can we move people and goods sustainably? Includes micro-mobility, ridesharing and more accessible public transportation; electric vehicles; and eco-efficiency logistics such as fleet management and fuel efficiency.
Map courtesy of Start-Up Nation Central
The map above may be static, but if you visit the Start-Up Nation Central website, you can click on any company to read more details. Companies include those founded in Israel and that have R&D teams in the country.
Start-Up Nation Central’s Start-Up Nation Finder was established in 2014 and now has information on over 8,000 active companies, investors, hubs and multinational corporations active in Israel.
Brian Blum