Friday, December 5, 2025
8 AM – 6 PM
Spieker Forum, 6th floor of Chou Hall
Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
Joined by 250+ climate-focused attendees at the C2M Summit, UC Berkeley graduate students presented their market research, competitive analyses, and final recommendations for eight innovative climate tech startups they’ve partnered with this semester.
Thank you to those who joined us! A recording of the event will be linked here in the coming weeks.
One-third of the presentation time involves audience Q&A.
Agenda:
8:00 – 9:00 AM: Check-in/Breakfast/Networking
9:00 – 9:15 AM: Welcome Remarks: Ana Torres, Associate Director, C2M
9:15 – 9:25 AM: Opening Speaker: Jennifer Chatman, Bank of America Dean, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
9:25 – 9:30 AM: Announcements
9:30 – 10:00 AM: Standard Potential
10:00 – 10:30 AM: Inlyte Energy
10:30 – 10:50 AM: Networking Break—sponsored by Perkins Coie
10:50 – 11:20 AM: Coflux Purification
11:20 – 11:50 AM: Prospect Growth
11:50 AM – 12:20 PM: Speaker: Cisco DeVries, CEO of two clean energy startups (one acquired by Google)
12:20 – 1:10 PM: Lunch & Networking—sponsored by Bakar Labs
1:10 – 1:40 PM: Rapid Radicals
1:40 – 2:10 PM: EELI Technology
2:10 – 2:30 PM: Networking Break—sponsored by JLL
2:30 – 3:00 PM: Speaker: Dan Adler, Executive Director, U.S. Green Bank 50 and Sr. Advisor, Net Zero California
3:00 – 3:30 PM: Carbon Plus
3:30 – 4:00 PM: Sunchem
4:00 – 4:15 PM: Break
4:15 – 4:30 PM: MetLife Presentation and Conferring of Awards
4:30 – 4:40 PM: Closing Remarks
4:40 – 6:00 PM: Award Photos + Closing Reception/Networking
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“This is my favorite event of the year!”
– Regular Summit Attendee
—
“The summit is exceptional with student teams delivering presentations of the quality I’ve seen in the best founder pitches.”
– CEO of startup in prior C2M cohort
Opening Speaker:
Bank of America Dean
Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
Co-Director, Berkeley Center for Workplace Culture and Innovation
Management of Organizations
Featured Speakers:
Executive Fellow and Advisory Board Member,
Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley
CEO of two successful clean energy start-ups
(including sale of one to Google)
—
Executive Director, U.S. Green Bank 50
Senior Advisor, Net Zero California
First Deputy Director for Climate Finance at California’s IBank
MetLife Climate Solution Awards:
For the fourth consecutive year, MetLife has supported The Strauch Cleantech to Market Program by awarding the “MetLife Climate Solution Awards” to the top three teams at the annual C2M Summit. Awards of $40,000, $20,000, and $10,000 will go to the start-ups supported by the first, second, and third-place student teams (as determined by a panel of independent judges).
MetLife is proud to continue its support of C2M and recognizes the vital role that tech entrepreneurs play in delivering climate-related solutions.
Read more about Sustainability at MetLife.
Cookie Sponsor:
EVERY is a Daly City-based food technology company that uses precision fermentation to make animal-free protein ingredients for food and beverage manufacturers. Their flagship product, OvoPro™, is a single-ingredient solution—bio-equivalent ovalbumin—designed for use as an egg or egg white replacer in a range of food applications including sweet baked goods, protein bars, confectionery, pasta, and more.
Thank You To Our Summit Sponsors:
MetLife, Inc. is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.
Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm known for delivering strategic, high-value legal solutions and exceptional client service. With 1,200+ attorneys across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, the firm advises global innovators, industry leaders, and organizations on corporate, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory matters. Perkins Coie is offering free meetings to help climate tech founders with legal needs, use this link to schedule.
Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials is UC Berkeley’s incubator for startups developing next-generation solutions in energy, materials, and manufacturing. Currently operating a pilot program ahead of its 2028 facility opening, Bakar Labs supports a growing community of founders translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. The program connects startups with UC Berkeley’s research excellence, experienced mentors, and partners across academia, industry, and government.
JLL is a global professional services firm specializing in real estate and investment management, with a focus on tenant representation. The firm helps occupiers identify, negotiate, and secure the right spaces to support their business goals—whether optimizing a single office, expanding across markets, or managing a complex global portfolio. JLL’s full-service platform, strategic technology, and global connectivity allow its tenant clients to make informed decisions at every stage—from location strategy and lease negotiations to workplace planning, portfolio optimization, and project delivery.
As a donor-supported program, we also thank our program sponsors for helping fund our work throughout the year.
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