Climate Tech: Funding & Gaps
Investors are still backing climate solutions: Indian startup Newtrace raised $6.3 million to accelerate green‑hydrogen electrolysis development reported. At the same time experts argue large‑scale carbon capture is essential for decarbonization, governments are introducing climate education in schools (Maharashtra for grades 8–9), and analysts warn climate finance continues to treat women as a “risk” rather than resilience assets — a governance and equity gap that could slow deployment reported, reported, reported.
Newtrace’s Pre‑Series A round was led by HDFC Bank and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital and post‑money valued the Bengaluru startup at about $30 million, the company said. Economic Times Founded in 2021 by Prasanta Sarkar and Rochan Sinha, Newtrace says its proprietary “Voltagen” electrodes are drop‑in parts for alkaline electrolysers and the firm has run pilots with BPCL and ONGC while holding talks with Reliance and L&T as it prepares for commercial deliveries within 12 months. Economic Times The Union budget’s allocation of Rs 20,000 crore for CCUS and the December 2025 national CCUS roadmap underpin renewed moves in India, where NTPC and IIT Bombay have drilled the country’s first test well for geological CO2 storage, according to the interview with IIT Bombay’s Vikram Vishal. IndiaSpend Maharashtra signed an MoU with Cambridge University Press & Assessment to roll out the digital “Cambridge Climate Quest” through SCERT for Classes 8–9, a programme officials say will be delivered in Marathi and English and is expected to reach as many as 200,000 government‑school students. Times of India EdexLive Commentators and recent reports highlight a persistent gender gap in climate finance: analysts warn funding frameworks still frame women chiefly as “vulnerable” rather than resilience builders, even as data from Women’s World Banking and the 2025 Global Findex show four in five unbanked women live in countries highly exposed to climate risk and over 800 million women lack access to financial tools for emergency relief. BusinessGreen Women’s World Banking / Global Findex summary
