Cleantech Meetup | Battery Innovation

Join us for our upcoming meetup on February 26th, hosted by Kora Power, led by Greg Connelly. We’ll hear from LiCAP and Ezra Beeman from Empower Energy, showcasing how these battery innovators are putting the Central Valley on the map for advanced storage solutions. Don’t miss the chance to learn about the technologies and strategies shaping this evolving sector.

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Rising Stars Dazzle!

It was a great event on October 22 Sorry if you missed it. But here is the next best thing–a video highlights reel and every one of the presentations that were made. A special thanks goes out from us to SMUD, Moneta, Witan Law, the City of Sacramento, and CalOSBA for being our major supporters–and for all the leadership they have shown in supporting clean tech startups.

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Dive into the dynamic landscape of clean tech, exploring ideas and success stories.

Will These 2026 Climate Predictions Come True?

We’re making our annual energy and climate predictions. Disagree? Tell us why. 1. Another Major Private Investment in Nuclear Private capital keeps flowing into fusion and novel nuclear technologies. In 2025, Helion raised $425M (over $1B total since 2013) to build...

Why Battery Backup Is Becoming Essential in PG&E Territory?

For homes and businesses across Northern California, being in Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) territory increasingly means dealing with high electricity costs, frequent outages, and wildfire-related safety shutoffs. Battery backup systems are emerging as...

Are “Pancake” Motors the Next Big Leap in EV Performance?

Our earlier excitement about a radical electric motor innovation—axial flux motors—is aging remarkably well. Recent news from Mercedes-Benz, which acquired UK-based motor pioneer YASA, suggests these motors are officially leveling up: lighter weight, higher...

Our Fearless 2025 Clean Energy Predictions: How Did We Do?

Each year, we publish bold predictions on clean energy, climate policy, and technology markets. For 2025, we decided to be especially fearless. The result? A humbling year. Out of 10 clean energy predictions for 2025, we: Got 3 correct Earned half credit on 2 Missed 5...

Sacramento’s Startup Community Comes Together for a Festive Holiday Celebration

This week, more than 70 innovators, founders, and ecosystem champions gathered at The Urban Hive for the annual Sacramento Startup Ecosystem Holiday Party. The energy in the room made one thing clear: our region’s entrepreneurial community continues to grow stronger,...

From Hypothesis to High-Growth Startup: Building Resolv Rebates

From Hypothesis to High-Growth Startup: Building Resolv Rebates In our latest CleanStart Perspective, I had the chance to sit down with Sam Ruderman, co-founder of Resolv Rebates, to dig into his entrepreneurial journey of how he validated his idea, built early...

Core Envision Wins Accelerate California Prize for Sustainability

Out of four teams competing at our Rising Star Showcase, the Carlsen Center announced that Folsom-based Core Envision was selected as the winner in the Sustainability category of the Accelerate California competition sponsored by CalOSBA. The win includes a $50,000...

How Climate Innovators Can Secure the Capital to Scale: Insights from River City Bank & Climate Tech Finance

In this month’s CleanStart Perspectives webinar, Executive Director Thomas Hall hosted an in-depth conversation with three leaders shaping how climate innovators access capital in California: Rosa Hilmarsdottir Cucicea of River City Bank, and George McDaniel and...

Congratulations to the Deep Dive Accelerator Graduates

At the Rising Stars Showcase, we proudly presented Certificates of Completion to the companies graduating from our Deep Dive Accelerator program. These companies have already shown strong customer traction and revenue, and they joined our intensive coaching program to...

Sixth Annual GrowTECH Fest: Two days of bold ideas, big energy and next-gen momentum

GrowTECH Fest 2025: Two days of bold ideas, big energy and next-gen momentum What a whirlwind two days of inspiration in Chico! On November 6 & 7 Chico Start brought the North State startup ecosystem out in full force for GrowTECH Fest 2025 – and the energy was...

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