MIT Technology Review Names Its 2026 Climate Tech Companies to Watch
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The 2026 List Arrives
MIT Technology Review released its annual list of 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch on October 6, 2026. This is the fourth annual edition of the list, which the publication began compiling in 2023.
This year's 10 honorees are:
- Energy Dome
- WaveSave
- Envision Energy
- Brimstone
- Fervo Energy
- WeLion New Energy
- BasiGo
- Form Energy
- X-energy
- Moment Energy
How the Companies Were Chosen
The selection process started with nominations from MIT Technology Review's own reporters and editors. Experts, academics, researchers, investors and analysts also suggested candidates.
The editors then vetted those candidates through literature, reports and patents. They judged each company on its track record, including research findings, capital raised and deployments.
The editors also considered the list as a whole. They aimed for a slate that covers a range of industries, global locations and development stages, and that balances returning companies with new names.
Returning Honorees
Three companies on the 2026 list have appeared before:
- Brimstone (Oakland, US, founded 2019) makes its third appearance and represents heavy industry.
- BasiGo (Nairobi, Kenya, founded 2021) also makes its third appearance, with a focus on electric vehicles.
- WaveSave (Eindhoven, Netherlands, founded 2017) returns for a second year. It makes flood barriers, including a portable rubber dam.
Energy Storage and Batteries
Four of the ten honorees work on storing energy, using several different approaches:
- Energy Dome (Milan, Italy, founded 2020) develops carbon dioxide batteries for grid energy storage.
- Form Energy (Somerville, US, founded 2017) works in energy storage.
- WeLion New Energy (Beijing, China, founded 2016) makes semi-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles.
- Moment Energy (Vancouver, Canada, founded 2019) focuses on repurposing batteries.
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Clean Power Generation
Three honorees generate clean electricity, each with a different technology:
- Envision Energy (Shanghai, China, founded 2007) builds wind turbines.
- Fervo Energy (Houston, US, founded 2017) develops geothermal energy.
- X-energy (Rockville, US, founded 2009) works on nuclear fission.
A Global, Cross-Industry Slate
The 2026 honorees are based in Europe, China, North America and Africa, from Milan and Eindhoven to Beijing, Shanghai, Vancouver, several US cities and Nairobi.
Their work spans a wide range of fields: grid storage, EV batteries, battery reuse, flood protection, heavy industry, electric transport, wind, geothermal and nuclear.
The companies' founding dates run from 2007 to 2021. That spread reflects the editors' stated goal of covering companies at varied stages of development.