About
In 2026, C2M received 74 applications from early-stage, climate-focused startups across the country. With the support of a 24-person selection committee (comprising faculty, prospective students, C2M alumni, industry experts, and ecosystem partners), we identified the nine top-scoring startups as our 2026 finalists.
Based on student preferences, five of these companies were selected to join the 2026 C2M cohort, and interdisciplinary teams of UC Berkeley graduate students have been formed to support them over 16 weeks (from late August through mid-December).
Aepnus Technology
Aepnus converts industrial sodium sulfate waste into valuable caustic soda and sodium bisulfate or ammonium sulfate using an advanced electrochemical process with 60% less energy. Aepnus is bringing chemical circularity to industries like mining, battery manufacturing, textiles, and pulp & paper, transforming waste streams into the industrial chemicals they need.
GenAlpha Nuclear Technologies
GenAlpha Nuclear Technologies is developing a direct energy conversion fuel that completely eliminates the conventional island of nuclear power plants. This approach could cut both plant size and cost in half while delivering abundant, carbon-free energy for electricity, industrial heat, and future high energy-demand applications.
Orien Energy
Orien Energy’s innovative, thermally driven adsorption heat pump upgrades low-temperature humid waste heat into high-temperature industrial steam with 3–4× higher COP (efficiency) and up to 80% lower CapEx than existing heat pump solutions, unlocking cost-effective waste heat recovery across a variety of industries including pulp and paper, food and beverage, chemicals, and data centers.
PeraWatt Energy
PeraWatt’s first-of-a-kind, critical-mineral‑free magnetic materials deliver 10× higher efficiency in next-generation power systems, enabling dramatically cooler, smaller, and more efficient components in AI data centers, EVs, and renewables. In doing so, we aim to significantly reduce AI’s energy footprint and accelerate the transition to sustainable, electrified technologies.
RETRN Bioworks
RETRN is tackling the global health issue of microplastic proliferation with our advanced biodegradable materials that replace toxic, petroleum-derived coatings in food packaging. Our platform technology converts agro-industrial waste into hundreds of new, sustainable packaging materials with scalable costs, drop-in capability, and a wide application versatility.
