Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield competition attracts thousands of applicants. We narrow these applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of those, 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 all blew us away in their respective categories and are competing in their own competition.
Here’s the full list of cleantech and energy Startup Battlefield 200 picks, along with a note on why they landed in the competition.
AraBat
What it does: AraBat has developed a recycling technology that recovers critical metals such as nickel, cobalt and others from used lithium-ion batteries.
Why it’s notable: The company’s process is based on organic products, using plant waste such as citrus peels and no toxic chemicals.
Aruna revolution
What does he do?: Aruna Revolution has developed a compostable menstrual pad made from natural fibers from agricultural by-products.
Why it’s notable: Aruna has redesigned the menstrual pad into a product that works well, but still decomposes quickly and avoids plastics and harmful chemicals.
CarbonBridge
What it does: CarbonBridge manufactures bioreactors for microbial gas fermentation that converts waste gases such as methane and CO2 into valuable molecules.
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Why it’s notable: CarbonBridge says its technology is more efficient than other methods for synthesizing molecules.
Carbon negative solutions
What it does: Carbon Negative uses an AI-powered platform to turn industrial waste and minerals into cement.
Why it’s notable: The company says its cement can be used with standard equipment, making it affordable, yet its process turns this important building material into carbon negative.
COI action
What it does: COI Energy operates a marketplace where businesses can buy and sell excess energy capacity and get better, predictive information about their energy needs.
Why it’s notable: By allowing corporate campuses to share their reserved energy allocations with each other, the company instantly optimizes grid utilization.
Coral
What does he do?: Coral offers an AI-powered carbon account management platform.
Why it’s notable: It automates energy footprint data collection and 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 EV charging networks, even on legacy hardware.
EnyGy Limited
What does he do?: EnyGy has invented a series of higher efficiency supercapacitors, an energy storage device that sits somewhere between a conventional capacitor and a battery.
Why it’s notable: The company makes its supercapacitors by fusing activated carbon electrodes with a state-of-the-art electrolyte, and claims this boosts energy density to up to twice the capacity of alternatives while remaining cost-effective.
Ganiga Innovation
What it does: Ganiga offers an artificial intelligence and robotics-powered trash can called Hoooly that recognizes and sorts recyclables.
Because it’s remarkable: Ganiga sells Hoooly to business campuses and industrial locations like airports to increase recycling rates, offering analytics to help with ESG reporting.
Gemini Energy
What it does: Gemini has developed a fuel cell technology that can generate energy on site by converting gas into electricity without burning it, he says.
Why it’s notable: The company markets its clean-tech power generator to data centers and says its systems can be deployed in months versus the years it takes to upgrade a conventional power grid.
Helix Earth
What it does: Helix Earth has created products for Earth from liquid gas chemistries designed for spacecraft, including highly efficient HVAC and carbon capture systems.
Why it’s notable: The company says its processes are much more energy efficient, while being more affordable and can be retrofitted onto commercial roofs.
HKG Energy
What it does: HKG Energy has created a next-generation silicon material for lithium-ion batteries.
Why it’s notable: HKG says its technology increases battery performance by 80%, but costs up to 40% less than those using conventional materials.
HomeBoost
What it does: HomeBoost offers a do-it-yourself energy rating system that helps homeowners identify leaky windows and find rebate opportunities and other ways to lower their energy bills.
Because it’s remarkable: Homeowners are sent custom hardware that, paired with a smartphone app, scans the home, and then home energy experts review and compile the report.
HyWatts
What it does: HyWatts supplies modular systems that generate energy on site for industrial uses.
Why it’s notable: It calls its system Power-Plant-in-a-Box, which integrates hydrogen storage and reversible fuel cells for what it says is zero-emissions off-grid electricity at a much lower cost than battery storage.
Kaio Labs
What does he do?: Kaio Labs develops CO2 conversion technologies to convert waste carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals such as carbon monoxide, formic acid and ethylene;
Why it’s notable: Kaio uses an AI-powered workflow to automate discovery, with the goal of extracting these chemicals in a cost-competitive manner.
MacroCycle Technologies
What it does: MacroCycle has invented a patented technology for recycling polyester fabrics.
Why it’s notable: The company promises to make recycled plastic as cheap as virgin material through technology that separates desirable synthetic fibers from waste textiles.
Namu Robotics Corporation
What it does: Namu Robotics provides tree planting robots geared towards reforestation projects.
Why it’s notable: The world doesn’t have the resources to replant trees fast enough between labor and the ground, so Namu’s technology promises to automate the process.
Naware
What it does: Naware offers an AI-powered robotic weed killer that connects to lawnmowing equipment to kill weeds as the lawn is mowed.
Why it’s notable: Not only does it automatically detect weeds, but it also uses hot steam to kill them, instead of toxic herbicides.
Segura
What it does: Segura offers an exclusive method for testing water quality that provides almost immediate results without the need to hire specialist testers.
Why it’s notable: Segura has invented a test strip that resembles those used to monitor diabetes and is just as easy to use.
ShellVive
What it does: ShellVive created a method to filter water by repositioning oyster shells.
Why it’s notable: ShellVive solutions take an abundant agricultural waste, discarded oyster shells and turn them into an affordable, environmentally friendly water filtration material.
Whisper Energy
What it does: Whisper Energy is developing a native AI sensor to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings.
Why it’s notable: The company targets small to medium-sized buildings with its easy-to-install sensors and system as an affordable alternative to large-scale energy automation solutions.
Xatoms
What it does: Xatoms has created a photocatalyst – a chemical substance activated by light – that can remove bacteria, viruses, chemicals and heavy metals from contaminated water.
Why it’s notable: The company uses artificial intelligence and quantum chemistry to find new water treatment chemicals.
