Breakthrough Energy backs 21 startups targeting energy’s future

Breakthrough Energy, the climate-focused investment organization associated with Bill Gates, is backing 21 early-stage startups through the 6th cohort of its Breakthrough Energy Fellows program.

The program comes as electricity demand is expected to rise sharply. Eric Toone of Breakthrough Energy Ventures told TechCrunch that data centers represent a 10% increase against broadly flat electricity demand over the last 30 years, but electrifying entire economic sectors could produce a 3x increase in demand.

The incoming fellows include Borealis Fusion, which is pursuing fusion power using proton-boron fuel, and StarWarden, which is developing heat-management technology for future fusion reactors. Bedrock Semiconductor, K1 Semiconductor, and Vari Flux are working on semiconductor and data-center efficiency. K1 is developing a method for processing gallium nitride and silicon carbide that Benjamin Gaddy said could reduce power-electronics costs by 50% or more.

Other fellows are focused on crop-disease sensing, ocean-floor mineral harvesting, and using ammonia to transport hydrogen. AmyHyTech and Ammovolt Energy are among the companies working in that area. Breakthrough Energy is also supporting startups aimed at helping people adapt to a warmer climate, Toone said.