AWS & IRCAI award USD $4 million to 23 climate tech startups
Amazon Web Services and the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence have named 23 startups as the latest participants in the Compute for Climate Fellowship for 2025, aiming to support a range of climate technology projects using artificial intelligence and advanced cloud computing.
The Compute for Climate Fellowship funds the research and development of proof-of-concept solutions that address environmental challenges through cloud computing and AI. This year, the programme will fully fund concepts for 23 startups, a notable growth from eight participants in the previous year. The fellowship also allocates USD $4 million in AWS credits, intended to provide the participating startups with the necessary computational resources to scale their projects.
Davor Orlic, Chief Operating Officer of IRCAI, described the strategic imperative of this programme as vital for enabling climate action. He said,
"At IRCAI, we remain steadfast in our belief that the climate crisis demands bold, interdisciplinary solutions. With this year's cohort, we're deepening public-private partnerships that unite industry, government, and research to harness AI for climate action. Anchored in cutting-edge compute, rigorous R&D, and world-class talent, we're excited to support startups driving real, scalable solutions with the power to make a transformative impact for our planet."
The latest cohort reflects a broad range of approaches to climate action. Startups selected from across the globe will address issues such as clean energy, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture, and decarbonisation of transport and industry. The fellowship also places an emphasis on technology solutions to support indigenous communities, with particular attention to preserving their land, livelihoods, and cultural heritage in the face of climate change.
Among the selected companies is Rainstick from Australia, which is integrating genomic, environmental and traditional ecological data to enhance seed performance for regenerative agriculture and native ecosystem restoration. Other participants include 80 Acres Farm from the US, which uses proprietary technology to develop pesticide-free vertical farming solutions, and Amini from Kenya, which provides AI-native infrastructure to convert fragmented satellite and ground data into actionable intelligence for the Global South.
Further startups span a variety of sectors: Aionics and Cusp AI are focused on AI-powered materials discovery, while Aura Aero is advancing low-carbon aviation. Climate X and Climavision, from the UK and US respectively, are developing solutions in high-resolution climate risk simulation and weather forecasting.
Other notable startups include CounterCurrent in Australia, which optimises ocean shipping routes via hyperlocal forecasts and sensor data; Barnwell Bio in the US, which applies metagenomic sequencing for pathogen detection in livestock; and Eavor Technologies from Canada, developing geothermal energy at scale.
Upon the announcement, Jon Jones, Vice President and Global Head of Startups at AWS, commented on the convergence of technology and climate action,
"The intersection of climate innovation and generative AI is no longer theoretical–it's happening now, and it's reshaping what's possible. This fellowship is about fueling this momentum by backing solutions with the potential to drive systemic change, whether it's advancing breakthroughs in clean energy and carbon capture, monitoring ecosystems and infrastructure at scale, or reimagining agriculture and manufacturing for a zero-waste future. At AWS, we're committed to giving these startups the tools, compute power, and support they need to scale their impact and accelerate progress where it matters most."
Startups admitted to the fellowship will receive mentorship, resources, and access to IRCAI's scientific expertise. The programme intends that startups' developments will align closely with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
Feedback from previous participants reflects the practical benefits realised from the Compute for Climate Fellowship. Kenny Lee, co-founder and CEO of Aigen, said, "The Compute for Climate Fellowship connected us with AWS's world-class engineering team and infrastructure, accelerating our AI model development from weeks to days. The programme was a turning point to ready our solar-powered robotic platform to quickly scale, enabling us to deploy in real farm fields, reduce chemical use, and support healthier food systems."
Gilberto Loureiro, CEO and Co-founder of Smartex, added, "Being part of the Fellowship has been really impactful for Smartex and the textile factories we work with worldwide. The programme allowed us to better scale our technologies in textile hubs globally, generating positive environmental impact by reducing waste and emissions from this giant and highly pollutant industry."
The full list of selected startups includes companies from the US, UK, Kenya, Australia, Canada and France, covering endeavours in materials science, energy generation, urban heat monitoring, autonomous marine analysis, and circular economy solutions, amongst others. By funding these proof-of-concept projects, AWS and IRCAI aim to advance practical climate solutions at a time when funding and policy support for cleantech startups have come under pressure.
