NextSTEP, the enterprise capital fund of NextEnergy Group, has introduced investments totalling €590k in 5 UK-based CleanTech startups, every creating progressive and sustainable options round recycling.
With headquarters in London and Milan, NextSTEP focuses on backing startups devoted to decreasing ecological footprints by means of progressive options in useful resource effectivity, emission discount, and waste minimisation. The fund, launched in 2022, goals to be a frontrunner in CleanTech investments, focusing on ventures on the pre-seed and seed levels.
Claudio Colombo, Managing Director of NextSTEP, commented: “We’re immensely pleased with the milestones achieved in 2024. Our dedication to figuring out and supporting rising initiatives that contribute to a greater planet not solely fosters their development but additionally reinforces our dedication to a sustainable and progressive future. As we glance forward, our imaginative and prescient stays clear: to broaden our efforts in discovering and investing in UK-based startups and initiatives that drive significant and lasting change. That is only the start—we’re decided to deepen our investments and construct even stronger, impactful connections between Italy and the UK.”
The 5 startups to obtain funding are detailed beneath, together with the date during which NextSTEP invested.
Pulpatronics (August 2024): This startup is disrupting RFID know-how with their metal-free and chipless tags, designed to guard pure assets. Utilizing an progressive laser-induced course of, they imprint conductive circuitry immediately onto paper, eliminating the necessity for metallic elements and simplifying manufacturing. This strategy not solely reduces prices but additionally cuts CO2 emissions considerably, saving 2,400 kg of CO2 for each million tags produced.
Algapelago (November 2024): This startup is creating sustainable seaweed-based merchandise aimed toward revolutionising regenerative agriculture and past. By cultivating in depth offshore kelp forests, they produce pure fertilisers and animal feed dietary supplements that remove the necessity for freshwater, land, pesticides or fertilisers. Their strategy not solely sequesters carbon and enhances marine biodiversity but additionally helps coastal communities by means of job creation and financial revitalisation. As the most important licensed kelp cultivator within the UK, Algapelago is dedicated to scaling its operations to create a world community of “algapelagos” and contribute to a greener future.
ClearWatt (July 2024): This startup has developed a machine learning-powered app that precisely measures and certifies EV vary and battery well being. ClearWatt’s distinctive GPS-based strategy eliminates third-party knowledge limitations and permits OEM and telematics-agnostic deployment, guaranteeing most protection and speedy scaling. ClearWatt EV Well being Studies present detailed superior efficiency metrics, fostering belief between patrons and sellers all through all the gross sales course of.
Nina Vitality (January 2024): A British-Ecuadorian startup that transforms agricultural waste into strong biofuels and biochar, providing sustainable options to fossil fuels. Their progressive know-how yields various secondary merchandise like biochar, torrefied biofuels, and liquid merchandise, enriching soil, decreasing CO2 emissions, and offering sustainable power options for numerous sectors.
The First Aspect (June 2023): A British startup for clear power options with its Sensible Tank know-how which permits the secure and scalable technology of inexperienced hydrogen. From properties to industries, TFE permits customers to contribute to net-zero emissions by utilizing water and renewable electrical energy.
NextSTEP was launched by NextEnergy Group to create significant influence within the CleanTech area. Whereas its major focus is on UK and Italian startups, the fund additionally invests throughout Europe and within the US. Its technique consists of figuring out promising ventures rising from accelerators, universities, and analysis centres. As well as, NextSTEP collaborates with established firms to develop bespoke open innovation programmes, focusing on sustainability challenges with tailor-made options.
As a part of its broader mandate, NextSTEP plans to broaden its funding attain in 2025, constructing on its observe file and enhancing collaboration between Italian and British markets.
