Call it a great re-bundling, but the world is ready for some game-changingly urgent climate solutions. Climate technology investors are expecting record-breaking investments in these technologies over the next few years. A staggering $3 trillion to $9 trillion per year will be essential through 2050 to deploy climate-related technologies and implement projects aimed at reducing global temperatures. With this backdrop, investors are sharing their insights on what the landscape of climate tech will look like in 2026.
As impact investor Laurie Menoud, founding partner at At One Ventures, reminds us, it’s the companies that imagine what lies outside the old guard that will win. All across the country, data centers are scrambling to find an energy source. This concentrated focus arguably puts them at risk to change the game to an entirely different financial arena. Global spending on climate investment is expected to only reach $2 trillion in 2024, with projections remaining flat through 2025. This begs the question of how to quickly scale these types of investments to address needs at scale in the future.
The importance of local governments in this process is likely to grow starting in 2026. They will inevitably hold accountability over big actors, for example hyperscalers, to drive them to provide the solutions that meet their community’s needs. Such a shift would make it easier to build and deploy critical climate technologies faster. As these changes play out, the climate tech sector should expect exciting new innovation and adaptation.
The Evolving Role of Data Centers
Over the last few years, data centers have been at the core of debates around climate tech. By 2025, these facilities were already focused on just making sure they had a sustainable power source. As they transition into their own financial ecosystems, experts predict a significant increase in their influence on climate strategies.
Matt Rogers, founder at Incite and Mill, highlights the transformative potential of data centers:
“Data centers will serve as factories for the next phase of AI innovation powering America’s society and economy.”
This development will happen alongside record-setting deployments of grid-scale batteries. These are key to effectively stabilizing intermittent resources. New alternative battery chemistries, sodium-ion and zinc, for example, are coming to market. They claim they will have reduced costs and driven greater adoption.
The integration of these technologies with traditional data center operations could lead to groundbreaking advancements in energy efficiency and sustainability.
“Reindustrialization beyond data centers will be a major theme.”
To put it simply, climate technology is advancing at lightning speed. Creative and flexible financing solutions will be key to scaling these initiatives rapidly and effectively. Partner at Toyota Ventures, Lisa Coca, tells us that 2026’s most innovative financial strategies are already on the way. Collectively, these strategies will turbocharge the deployment of climate-smart technologies.
Innovative Financing Solutions on the Horizon
Daniel Goldman, managing partner at Clean Energy Ventures, claims that growth will be driven by chemistry. He’s convinced that innovative business models have a big part to play in this expansion, too.
Several more companies could be launching into public markets by 2026. Yet they’re backed by multibillion-dollar project pipelines that underscore the urgent need for a long-term growth financing solution.
“The spending for 2026 is already budgeted. The train has left the station,” says Tom Chi, founding partner at At One Ventures.
Relectrify intends to have its battery systems commercially producing as early as 2026. By then, they hope to reach a cumulative capacity of 100 MWh. This development signals a maturation of technology that could facilitate the transition to zero-carbon generation, already one of the most affordable energy sources available.
When looking ahead to 2026, experts are adamant that resilience technology will be front and center. Amy Duffuor, general partner at Azolla Ventures, addresses a key challenge. Soaring insurance prices linked to climate perils are placing major burdens on homeowners and businesses alike.
The Future of Climate Resilience and Community Engagement
Local governments will need to ramp up their local competitive advantage, even more so in concert with the private sectors. Through this partnership, we hope to build a better pipeline of solutions that are more responsive to community needs, which in turn can help accelerate implementation timelines.
“Resilience technology is going to really get going.”
Kyle Teamey, managing partner at RA Capital Planetary Health, notes a growing trend toward nuclear energy:
“Nuclear everything is in vogue right now.”
This renewed focus on diverse energy sources signals an evolving landscape where various technologies coexist to address climate challenges.
