Cofounder climatech startup - Material​/Bio​/Chemical​/Mechanical Scientist

Overview

Become a co-founder of a climatech startup through Carbon
13’s Venture Builder Programme. We support founders at all stages of start-up development, from idea and co-founder teaming to pre-seed investment and scale.

We are launching programmes in 2025–2026 with opportunities to join our next cohort. Applications and waiting list information are provided by Carbon
13 as part of the process.

On Carbon
13 you are building a startup as part of a cohort of founders. The programme is designed to amplify your existing work, focusing on rapid, practical progress rather than theory.

- Phase 1:
Teaming & Ideation

In 8 weeks you will find a cofounder. Typically, teams form and move on to phase 2.

- Phase 2:
Validation

In 12 weeks your team will work on team strengthening, carbon intelligence, rapid iterations of concepts, business model formation, prototype testing, intellectual property, customer development, stakeholder development, behaviour change, governance, and venture incorporation.

- Phase 3:
Acceleration (4 months)

Post-validation, selected teams receive pre-seed investment and focus on market, product, business model, and strategy to prepare for seed-stage investment and scaling.

Support is tailored for science-based startups with the ambition to reduce CO2e emissions by 10 million tonnes per year. The programme accelerates go-to-market strategy, IP protection, fundraising, and team building, with access to a large network of experts, peers, and partners.

We run a series of webinars and provide portfolio exposure and potential funding pathways to help founders bring climate solutions to market.

We are looking for scientists, engineers, and general inventors to become co-founders of startups that fight climate change. It’s not required to have a startup idea initially; we can help you generate or join a cofounder/team with strong insights into an emitting industry to implement validated customer pain points.

Applicants are open to those with IP or climate tech ideas, as well as those seeking entry into venture funding routes suitable for high-decarbonisation impact projects.

Ventures launched through the programme include carbon-negative concrete, methane capture, bioplastics, composite recycling, alternative protein, quantum computing for materials discovery, precision fermentation, and green ammonia. The VC funding route is designed to provide the best entry point for launching complex climate projects.

Carbon
13’s portfolio has involved significant investment and growth across ventures, with a focus on reducing emissions at scale.

• Phase descriptions and outcomes as described above
• Phases 1–3 with milestones and investment opportunities

Notes:
Carbon
13 is sector-agnostic across emitting industries and tailors support for science-based, deeptech, or hardware ventures. You can view the portfolio at the Carbon
13 site.