Here’s how our climate team picked 10 promising companies to watch
The 2026 edition of MIT Technology Review’s Climate Tech Companies to Watch arrives amid accelerating climate pressures, with 2026 on track to be one of the hottest years ever recorded. As geopolitical instability and regulatory rollbacks in the U.S. stall progress, the list highlights innovators bridging the gap between technological promise and real-world impact, offering a critical counterpoint to waning political will.
How does the selection process for the Climate Tech Companies to Watch list reflect broader trends in climate innovation?
The list prioritizes companies with proven track records—whether through research, funding, or deployments—while ensuring geographic and sectoral diversity. This year’s selections underscore a shift away from U.S.-based firms, reflecting the country’s diminished regulatory and financial support for climate tech, and a growing emphasis on energy storage and grid resilience amid rising electricity demand from AI and other sectors.
Which sectors and technologies are emerging as critical in the fight against climate change according to this year’s list?
Energy storage dominates the selections, with companies like Energy Dome (long-duration grid storage using compressed CO₂), Moment Energy (repurposing EV batteries for grid-scale storage), and Form Energy (iron-based multi-day batteries) addressing the intermittency of renewable energy. Additionally, next-generation nuclear reactors and mobile flood barriers represent the breadth of solutions needed to adapt to a warming planet.
What role do international dynamics play in shaping this year’s list?
The list is heavily weighted toward non-U.S. companies, with China emerging as a hub for climate tech innovation. Two Chinese firms—WeLion (semi-solid-state EV batteries) and Envision Energy (wind power and energy storage)—highlight the country’s dominance in scaling clean energy technologies, while the U.S.’s retreat from federal climate leadership leaves a void these companies are filling.
Ce que ça pourrait changer
The dominance of non-U.S. companies in this year’s list signals a potential reconfiguration of the global climate tech landscape, where innovation hubs shift to regions with stronger policy support and investment. If these technologies scale successfully, they could accelerate the transition to renewable energy and grid resilience, but their success hinges on overcoming deployment challenges and geopolitical fragmentation.
