San Francisco, CA, USA, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Sustainable Innovation Council today announced the first 15 startups selected for the Imagine Next Global Planetary Innovation Challenge, advancing toward a final cohort of 50 companies to be presented at the Imagine Next Climate Tech Capital Summit, taking place April 21–23, 2026, across UC Berkeley, San Francisco, and Palo Alto.
Selected from a global pool of more than 1,500 startups, research teams, and innovation projects, the first wave represents emerging technologies addressing critical challenges across energy, water, food systems, materials, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The selected companies reflect a shift toward solutions designed for real-world deployment, scalability, and measurable impact across planetary systems.
The 15 selected startups include Bioverse; Carbovolt Labs; EcoNomad Solutions; Biome Technologies (Soilometer); EVOLOH; Airbuild; Agrotec; BioCarbon Pará; TMP; Rapid Analytix Division (RAD); TINTTE; Well Water Finders; Anumá Aerospace; Kinetix; and Hermes Vision. These companies are developing innovations ranging from carbon capture and hydrogen production to biodiversity mapping, soil regeneration, water systems, and next-generation energy storage.
Applications for the Imagine Next Global Planetary Innovation Challenge remain open through April 5, 2026, with the final TOP-50 Planetary Innovation Startups to be announced on April 10, 2026. Selected teams will present their solutions during the Summit to an audience of investors, corporate partners, and global innovation leaders.
The Imagine Next Climate Tech Capital Summit, part of San Francisco Climate Week, is expected to bring together more than 500 founders, innovators, and industry leaders, alongside over 50 venture and impact investors and approximately 100 startups across climate and planetary technology sectors. Participants include representatives from venture capital, corporate venture capital, private equity, family offices, and global corporations seeking technologies for pilot projects, partnerships, and large-scale deployment. Featured speakers include leaders from Congruent Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Artesian, and other institutions actively investing in climate and sustainability solutions.
As global climate and infrastructure transitions accelerate, investors are increasingly prioritizing technologies with clear economic models, scalability under real market conditions, and readiness for deployment. At the same time, corporations are focusing on energy security, resilient supply chains, water management, food systems, and advanced materials, creating immediate demand for solutions capable of moving from innovation to implementation. This convergence is reshaping how capital is allocated and how innovation is evaluated.
“We are entering a phase where innovation must operate in real systems,” said Julia Daviy, Founder and Chair of the Sustainable Innovation Council. “The next generation of climate technologies will be defined by their ability to scale in alignment with the living systems of Earth—bridging technological advancement, ecological integrity, and real-world implementation.”
Startups developing solutions across climate and planetary systems are invited to apply before the final deadline on April 5, 2026. More selected startups will be announced in the coming weeks.
More information is available at https://ImagineNext.global
About The Sustainable Innovation Council
The Sustainable Innovation Council is a San Francisco–based global platform advancing a new investment logic for climate and planetary innovation. The Council works with investors, corporations, and policymakers to identify and scale technologies aligned with the living systems of Earth, helping redirect capital toward high-impact, system-level solutions through its Resilience Arbitrage framework and investment matrix designed to prioritize regeneration across core planetary systems.