Staying ahead of the technology curve means advancing our fight against global warming. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups tackling short-lived climate pollutants.
Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Startups Tackling Short-Lived Climate Pollutants out of 109
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2.093.000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 109 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 104 solutions tackling short-lived climate pollutants, get in touch.
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Nuventura reduces Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) in Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS)
SF6 is widely used as an electrical insulator due to its non-flammable and non-toxic properties. However, SF6 is a highly potent and persistent greenhouse gas (GHG) that produces toxic by-products. Despite its health hazard to industrial workers and contribution to climate change, many companies consider it a necessary evil to maintain electrical circuits. That is why startups develop novel gas insulated switchgear that do not use SF6, helping reduce short-lived climate pollutants.
Nuventura is a German startup that develops gas insulated switchgear technologies to reduce the energy industry’s use of SF6 by replacing the GHG with dry air. The startup’s Nu1 technology is an International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)-approved medium voltage, single busbar digital GIS for primary distribution. Nu1 retains traditional GIS capabilities such as a compact physical footprint and reliability whilst removing the operational and environmental problems posed by SF6. Moreover, it enables digitization, which is possible due to the use of dry air as the insulating medium.
Ionomr Innovations replaces Perfluorinated Compounds
Ion-exchange membranes find applications in electrodialysis, as well as seawater desalination and food & beverage production. However, such membranes have a negative impact on the environment due to their use of perfluorinated polymers. CleanTech startups are creating ion-exchange membranes and polymers that eliminate the use of fluorine-containing SLCPs while improving the properties of membrane technologies.
Canadian startup Ionomr Innovations produces ultra-thin membranes with applications in a range of applications including fuel cells, hydrogen production, advanced energy storage, and on-site chemical recovery. Pemion, the startup’s proton-exchange membrane, provides considerably higher performance, durability, and lower gas crossover. The startup’s ion-exchange membranes utilize fully hydrocarbon polymers. Moreover, unlike perfluorinated membranes, Ionomr’s materials are recyclable and have minimal environmental impact.
Cobalt Water Global eliminates Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Emissions
Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a short-lived climate pollutant with an atmospheric lifetime of hours to weeks. While O3 does not have any direct emissions sources, it is a secondary gas formed by the interaction of sunlight with hydrocarbons, including methane and nitrogen oxides. These GHGs are typically emitted by vehicles, fossil fuel power plants, and other man-made sources. Startups and scaleups are building solutions that reduce or eliminate harmful nitrogen oxides across various applications.
US-based scaleup Cobalt Water Global enables water utility companies to become carbon neutral by using its N2ORisk Decision Support System (N2ORisk DSS). The scaleup’s solution uses artificial intelligence to combine expert knowledge on N2O and quantify emissions, optimize treatment processes, and eliminate N2O. The N2ORisk DSS also improves process performance and monitoring, as well as enables accurate GHG reporting. In addition to reducing emissions, the solution reduces costs associated with treatment processes for water utilities.
Pastoral Robotics treats Nitrate Leaching
As the global temperature rises, so does the risk of extreme rainfall and erosion events. Nitrogen naturally leaches into the soil when plants decay or due to the use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture. As soil capacity to retain water diminishes with higher rainfall, nitrate enters the water table and causes groundwater pollution. Moreover, a significant amount of nitrous oxide emissions occur due to nitrogen-based fertilizer use in the soil. AgriTech startups and companies are developing solutions to prevent excessive amounts of nitrogen from entering the soil, hence, reducing the impact of leaching on the environment.
Pastoral Robotics is a New Zealand-based scaleup that offers Spikey, a solution to prolong nitrate retention in the soil surface and allow grass to use it for longer periods. Spikey utilizes electrode disks that allow fast and accurate fresh urine patch detection. Upon detection of nitrate, the solution automatically dispenses the scaleup’s nitrification inhibitor, NitroStop. The application of NitroStop to urine patches allows dairy farmers to capture the available nitrogen to grow more pasture. The solution treats nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions at the source, improving the sustainability of animal agriculture.
EnergySolaris eliminates the use of Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Refrigerants
HFCs are entirely man-made and potent GHGs. Despite their small contribution to global emissions, HFCs actually have a much greater impact on climate change when compared to a unit mass of carbon dioxide (CO2). The biggest users of HFCs are air conditioning and refrigeration companies. With the growing number of equipment that use HFCs, especially in developing countries, the risk of HFC leakage as fugitive emissions poses a significant risk to the environment.
EnergySolaris, a scaleup from Moldova, develops novel air conditioning solutions. Its AirSolaris COOL technology uses considerably less electricity than conventional vapor compression cooling technologies. This is made possible through the use of advanced technologies that remove moisture from air to create liquid water and cool the air. By using non-electric storage of solar energy from hot air, AirSolaris COOL offers a sustainable replacement for rooftop ventilation systems, eliminating the use of harmful HFC refrigerants.
Discover more Startups tackling Climate Change
Startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on recycling, renewables, developing sustainable materials and production processes. While all of these technologies play a major role in fighting climate change, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more green technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download one of our free Industry Innovation Reports to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
