Scaling Climate Tech

What does it take to accelerate commercialisation and scale of Australian Climate tech companies?

From Hoodie to Hardhats: The Hard Thing about Scaling Climate Tech 

Australia needs 'hard-tech' innovation to achieve decarbonisation goals, to stabilise our environment and reduce the negative, potentially irreversible damage of climate change. 

Innovative 'hard' technologies go beyond purely digital and include physical product and/or physical process innovation, such as hardware like sensors, energy infrastructure, mobility, or materials science. Often requiring intensive R&D and advanced manufacturing to produce at industrial scale. However in a recent study of HolonIQs database, only 36% of Australian Climate Tech companies beyond start-up stage in Australia were not software or mining companies. Reflecting both the nascency and the longer path to scale of this innovation segment.

For many innovative hard-tech companies, the road is longer, risk is higher and there are more valleys of death between the laboratory bench and industrial scale or internationalisation. Progressing innovation beyond the lab and start-up stage to commercialisation, internationalisation and scale in Climate tech is also important to stimulating more sustainable economic growth and returns from Australia's R&D and innovation investments. 

Further, there are some differentiators in Australia that have influenced the growth path of Australian Climate tech start-ups comparatively to their European or US counterparts that we have fallen short to address.

So how do successful Australian Climate (Hard) Tech companies scale?

Everyone's path to scale is different. However, what can we learn from Australia's first generation of Climate (Hard) Tech Scale Ups that can improve success, lower risk, compress time and  ensure Australian innovation contributes to global and national emission reduction goals? 

Join us on Wednesday May 15 from 3pm as we showcase findings from Australian founders and recent research on Scaling Climate Tech: How Climate Tech Companies in Australia commercialise, internationalise and scale.

This 2-hour Scaling Climate Tech showcase will include:

1. A first look at research findings from the Scaling Climate Tech Australian Industry Report:

• Preview the initial findings from groundbreaking research led by UTS Transdisciplinary School and Greenhouse, Australia's first Climate Tech Hub. 

• Based on insights provided from analysis of the HolonIQ database and 26 founders and CEOs of successful Australian climate tech start-ups and scale-ups. 

2. Founder Fireside Chat: 

• An honest, intimate conversation with Climate Hard Tech Founders and Leaders on lessons learnt, tips and pitfalls from their journey to industrial scale and internationalisation.

3. Community Coffee and Interactive Discussion

Join us for a coffee or tea and network with other founders, investors and academics from the climate tech and innovation sector. Share your views as we discuss topics relevent to what it takes to accelerate commercialisation and scale of Australian Climate hard tech innovation and companies.

Space is limited so please register early if you would like to attend. We look forward to seeing you there! 

This event is part of Sydney Climate Action week; a series of community-led events from all aspects of the climate action ecosystem running from the 13-17 May 2024. This event is proudly supported by City of Sydney, Greenhouse and Boundless.