We’re teaming up with Breakthrough Energy, the initiative created by Bill Gates to advance innovative climate technology. It just recently released its new class of fellows. Like its predecessor, this new group will take off from the recently opened ASEAN hub in Singapore. With the support of a consortium with Temasek and Enterprise Singapore, it began regulated operations in August 2024. The administration’s decision is a step towards ensuring the program is successful at meeting the pressing challenges of global uncertainty and climate change.
The Breakthrough Energy Fellows program has chosen a total of 45 fellows from 22 different startups. The selection process was competitive. The team sifted through approximately 1,500 applications and referrals to identify the most promising candidates. This cohort is the most international we’ve ever seen. Today, fifty percent of those teams are headquartered outside the United States. Eleven of these teams are located inside the United States, with six teams in Asia. The other startups come from Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.
Ashley Grosh, Vice President at Breakthrough Energy, underscored the importance of this global representation. She stated, “It’s the most global [cohort] that we’ve had to date. Fifty percent of the teams are based outside of the U.S.” This new international focus is a testament to Breakthrough Energy’s approach that local challenges must be solved with local solutions.
With so many different teams, the new hub in Singapore will be key to encouraging collaboration and innovation between all of these groups. Grosh emphasized the importance of understanding regional needs, saying, “What are local needs, right? What are the local challenges?” Through hands-on experience with local markets and stakeholders, fellows will be able to focus their innovations to more effectively meet the needs of particular communities.
In recent months, Breakthrough Energy made some leadership changes. Its policy team was disbanded in March, and funding for a publication that covered the climate tech sector was not continued. Still, Grosh is hopeful that the long-term future of the program looks bright. She noted that nearly all teams from previous cohorts have successfully raised follow-on funding, a testament to the effectiveness of the fellowship’s support.
“That’s a huge measure of success for us,” Grosh remarked, underscoring the program’s impact on startup viability. The latter of which, by the way, is one success story among a growing crop – Holocene, a team already exited from the program after having been acquired by Occidental.
Their ability to be nimble and flexible is a big part of why these startups are thriving. As Grosh elaborated, the initial premise in most companies launching the program is one idea. Many of them eventually change course to take on a more sustainable business model. She stated, “We were seeing a lot of companies come in thinking that they’re going to do one thing, and then they pivot. They’re more venture bankable once we’ve helped them through that pivot and validated it.”
As Breakthrough Energy continues to support innovative solutions to climate challenges, the new cohort represents a vital step toward creating a sustainable future. The Singapore hub is poised to facilitate collaboration and innovation, ensuring that the selected fellows can make meaningful contributions to their respective fields.
