London, England – 14 September 2021  

The 2021 50 to Watch report is the third annual list of the early-stage companies taking action on the climate crisis. The entrepreneurs on the list are creating new technologies and business models that can support clean hydrogen, increase food availability, eliminate rare earth metals from solar cells, create textiles from food waste and more.

“More than ever, we need ambitious innovators to challenge the status quo, lead us to a more sustainable economy and solve some of the most pressing challenges the world faces,” said Jules Besnainou, Director, Cleantech Group.

To arrive at the companies on the list, Cleantech Group put together a diverse panel of more than 25 early-stage investment and innovation experts from five continents. The Expert Panel nominated the companies they were most impressed with, focusing on innovative solutions to the climate crisis. Next, those nominations were combined with Cleantech Group nominations and added to research on early-stage public awards. The resulting 500 nominations were put through qualitative and impact filters. All nominations were weighted according to their relevance, keeping a sectoral and geographical balance. A shortlist of 150 companies was agreed. The Expert Panel then reviewed and scored this shortlist to arrive at the final 50.

• The complete list of 50 companies was revealed on 14 September 2021.
• For detailed information on the 50 to Watch visit Cleantech Group’s market intelligence platform i3

About Cleantech Group

Cleantech® Group provides research, consulting and events to catalyze opportunities for sustainable growth powered by innovation. At every stage from initial strategy to final deals, we bring corporate change makers, investors, governments and stakeholders from across the ecosystem the access and customized support they need to thrive in a more digitized, de-carbonized and resource-efficient future.