These five startups look at how to make better use of what already exists: idle truck chargers, retired car batteries, waste gas and scattered solar data are becoming valuable resources in their own right. By finding hidden value in what the world already has, they could help make the shift to clean energy faster and cheaper.
1. MCatalysis | Low-carbon fuels | UK | Seed
What they do: MCatalysis uses microwave-driven catalysts to turn waste gas, plastics and biomass into fuels that work with existing infrastructure.
Why they’re worth watching: It raised $5M in September, led by HL Energy Ventures and Oxford Science Enterprises, and recently won a $2.25M UK Research and Innovation award. The seed funding will build an industrial pilot in Lyon. Conventional fuel production relies on extreme temperatures and complex multistage plants, while MCatalysis aims to match today’s fuel prices without subsidies. If it succeeds, businesses could switch to lower-carbon fuels without paying a premium.
Founders: Michael D. Irwin (CEO) and Michael Jie (CTO/CSO) | mcatalysis.com
2. Depotcharge | Electric freight | Germany | Pre-seed
What they do: Depotcharge lets logistics companies open their unused depot charging points to other electric truck fleets.
Why they’re worth watching: It raised €2.7M in September and launched BGL Charge with BGL, the German road freight association. More than 200 companies with around 600 electric trucks are already registered. Its investor HTGF says over 60% of depot charging capacity sits unused, so Depotcharge is opening up existing chargers rather than building new ones. That could ease the charging bottleneck holding back electric road freight.
Founders: Joscha Specks (CEO) and Julius Wilhelm (CPTO) | depotcharge.com
3. Metris Energy | Energy software | UK | Seed
What they do: Metris brings scattered data on renewable energy assets into one platform, so owners can run large portfolios with AI.
Why they’re worth watching: It raised $5M in September and says it manages more than 10,000 solar plants, totalling 500 MW. It now plans to expand into Germany. Many tools handle only part of the job, while Metris presents itself as one complete system for running renewable portfolios. Its investor PT1 Ventures says it’s already cutting operating costs and opening access to flexible energy contracts, which could make clean power assets easier to run at scale.
Founders: Natasha Jones (CEO) and William Whatley | metrisenergy.com
4. Rebaba | Energy storage | Sweden | Seed
What they do: Rebaba turns retired electric vehicle batteries into energy storage for homes, businesses and industrial sites.
Why they’re worth watching: Its oversubscribed $4.6M seed round in September will help expand its Stockholm facility towards 40 MWh of capacity a year. Rebaba says EV batteries retire with 70–80% of their useful life left, so it reuses them instead of making new ones. Its investor Sistafund says the systems can be built locally and compete on price, which could give Europe a lower-resource route to the storage a renewable grid needs.
Founders: Paula Runsten (CEO) and Felix Kruse (CTO) | rebaba.se
5. EcoPath | Low-carbon construction | India | Seed
What they do: EcoPath builds roads and paving using zero-cement and other low-carbon construction technology.
Why they’re worth watching: It’s profitable, and its order book of more than $4M is around 13 times its latest annual revenue. It has just raised about $240,000 in seed funding from Social Alpha and Gemcorp. Cement accounts for about 8% of global CO₂ emissions, and EcoPath has already built what it calls India’s first cement-free cast-in-situ concrete road. Its approach could cut carbon from roads and paving as India’s infrastructure grows.
Founders: Sourabh Kumar and Abhishek Chhazed
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Cover image: AI-generated
