Breakthrough Energy Fellowship Expands Amid Global Climate and Economic Challenges
Breakthrough Energy, the climate technology initiative founded by Bill Gates, is recalibrating its fellowship program to better navigate the complexities of a volatile global landscape marked by trade tensions, shifting policy priorities, and economic slowdown.
Despite scaling back some policy-oriented efforts earlier this year, including dissolving its policy team and discontinuing funding for a climate tech publication, Breakthrough Energy remains committed to investing in startups and fostering innovation through its flagship Breakthrough Energy Fellows program.
Global Reach Reflects Climate’s Worldwide Demand for Solutions
The 2025 fellowship cohort, announced exclusively to TechCrunch, features 45 fellows representing 22 startups, with half operating outside the United States. This marks the most internationally diverse group to date, with teams distributed across Asia, Canada, Germany, the U.K., South Africa, and the U.S.
Ashley Grosh, Vice President at Breakthrough Energy, emphasized the strategic importance of this global footprint: “It’s the most global [cohort] that we’ve had to date. Fifty percent of the teams are based outside of the U.S.”
The expansion is supported by a newly established fellowship hub in Singapore, launched in August 2024 in partnership with Temasek and Enterprise Singapore. This hub facilitates deeper engagement with regional challenges and opportunities.
Tailored Innovation to Regional Priorities
Grosh highlighted how local contexts shape the startups’ focus areas. For example, hydrogen technologies are prominent among Asian fellows, reflecting the region’s growing interest in hydrogen economies. Circularity and advanced recycling solutions also feature strongly, addressing the environmental impact of Asia’s manufacturing prominence.
The cohort’s broader technological pursuits include critical minerals, agriculture innovations, and grid modernization, underscoring the program’s comprehensive approach to climate tech.
Integrating Economic Viability into Technology Development
Informed by feedback from earlier cohorts, the fellowship has enhanced its curriculum to emphasize techno-economic analysis. This approach encourages entrepreneurs to rigorously evaluate the market potential and economic feasibility of their technologies early in development.
Startups collaborate with experienced “business fellows” to identify viable product-market fit or pivot strategies, increasing their attractiveness to venture capital. Grosh noted, “They’re more venture bankable once we’ve helped them through that pivot and validated it.”
Strong Track Record of Success
Nearly all companies from the previous four cohorts have secured additional funding, with one notable exit from the startup Holocene. This success rate serves as a key performance indicator for the program’s impact on climate tech entrepreneurship.
As global uncertainty persists, Breakthrough Energy’s adaptive fellowship model aims to nurture resilient, scalable solutions that address the multifaceted challenges of climate change worldwide.
FinOracleAI — Market View
Breakthrough Energy’s strategic pivot toward a more globally diverse fellowship and the integration of techno-economic analysis enhances the program’s potential to foster commercially viable climate technologies. This approach mitigates risks associated with early-stage innovation by promoting market-fit validation and adaptability.
Investors and industry watchers should monitor the performance of this new cohort, particularly the impact of the Singapore hub in accelerating Asia-focused innovations. However, broader economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions remain potential headwinds.
Impact: positive
