Third Derivative

Third Derivative is proud to support NxLite, which just raised $9.2M in Series A funding to scale its breakthrough window coating technology. NxLite is expanding manufacturing at its Michigan facility to meet growing customer demand. “NxLite’s low-E coatings, applicable to glass and polymeric substrates, reduce energy consumption while cutting weight compared to conventional alternatives... They can be used on commercial and residential windows, cutting heating and cooling costs for consumers and owners, among other applications.” (via USGlass Magazine­­®) Why it matters: Windows are one of the biggest culprits of energy waste in buildings. NxLite’s solution opens the door to high-performance retrofits and next-gen applications across buildings, refrigeration, and transport. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gH8Rk5Ta #EnergyEfficiency #ClimateTech #DeepTech #BuildingDecarbonization #SustainableInnovation #ThirdDerivative

The world is phasing down super-polluting HFCs under the Kigali Amendment—that means we need better, smarter ways to stay cool that go beyond refrigerants. 🌍❄️ Alternative Cooling Technologies (ACTs) are leading the charge, offering innovative, energy-efficient solutions that leapfrog over vapor-compression systems to deliver sustainable cooling while advancing climate, energy, and public health goals. CC Lab is partnering with RMI, Third Derivative, and the Climate & Clean Air Coalition to bring together innovators, analysts, and technical experts in a two-part webinar series to showcase breakthrough technologies and explore the market and policy levers needed to bring them from lab to market. Join us! The first webinar in the series will take place on October 15 at 9 am ET and will spotlight breakthrough active cooling solutions, including solid-state technologies. Participants will hear from leading ACT innovators and gain insights into how these technologies can successfully scale from lab to market. The session will wrap up with an interactive audience Q&A. Exergyn, Pascal, MAGNOTHERM, Anzen, mimic systems Register here: https://lnkd.in/dVvw9r5J

😯 We're surprised... but also not surprised Six of our portfolio companies are featured as Trellis Group's 25 Climate Tech Startups to Watch: 1. Accelerate Wind 2. Ammobia 3. Celadyne Technologies 4. DexMat 5. Sun Metalon Inc. 6. Volexion 👏👏👏👏👏 Join Third Derivative and RMI at the Trellis Impact 25 Startup Showcase to cheer on the entrepreneurs — one will be crowned the Trellis Startup of the Year. https://lnkd.in/eYrggmqv #ClimateTech #PitchCompetition #StartupoftheYear #ClimateInnovation

Earlier this month at The Drop, Delta40 Venture Studio and Third Derivative convened investors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem leaders to explore moving investors from interest to actual investment in African climate innovation. 🙏 Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation for such a candid discussion. Key highlights from the event include: - Perception vs. reality: Africa is often labeled “too risky,” but much of the risk premium is overstated. Information asymmetries mean African ventures face higher capital costs than peers in similarly rated markets. Better market intelligence can unlock capital. - Concerns remain: Investors have questions about the challenges of scaling across 54 markets, managing foreign exchange risk when deploying in USD/EUR, the availability of R&D capacity for deep tech, and the depth of exit markets. - Trusted due diligence: International investors often lack trusted data to evaluate African deals — from country and policy risk to capital structures, legal frameworks, and credible co-investing partners. A third-party diligence layer could de-risk opportunities and accelerate deployment. Our discussion coalesced around one clear need: a shared research and diligence service to give global investors the confidence to back African climate innovation. At Delta40 and Third Derivative, we’re committed to building the pipelines, partnerships, and due diligence infrastructure needed to back Africa’s climate solutions at scale. If you agree that Africa is the next frontier for climate tech — as an investor, corporate, or ecosystem partner — we’d love to connect. Aren’t convinced yet? Read our recently published report, The Opportunity for Emergent Climate Tech: https://lnkd.in/ghcBQJTA #ClimateTech #Africa #Entrepreneurship #Investment #Innovation

Everyone seems to be talking about data centers right now, and for good reason. While data centers currently account for about 2% of global electricity use, AI growth is fueling a potential 3x growth in data center demand by 2030, which may push data centers to over 4% of global electricity consumption (and up to 10% in regions like the US). 📍 Over half of global data centers are in the US. 🌎 The US and China will see 80% of global data center electricity demand growth by 2030. 📈 In the US, just 15 states made up the majority (80%) of data center load in 2023 — a new data viewer by National Renewable Energy Laboratory highlights these hot spots quite clearly! The good news? Data centers offer a pivotal opportunity to drive renewable energy deployment and storage, spur continued innovation in efficient cooling, and quickly scale low-carbon and carbon-storing building materials. My colleagues and I at Third Derivative are developing a data center investment thesis we're excited to share with our partners soon. We will explore the growth trends in data centers, and the role of new innovations in reducing emissions. NREL data viewer: https://shorturl.at/RkFTP Chetan Krishna David Hynek Amy Yanow Fairbanks Alexander Hogeveen Rutter Ella Warshauer

Last week to apply: Climate Launch – AI for Climate Accelerator! The next generation of climate solutions is powered by AI that: -Predicts climate risks before they happen -Optimizes water and energy use across entire cities -Helps farmers adapt in real-time to changing weather patterns -Reduces industrial emissions without slowing growth …and more. If you’re building AI-powered climate solutions, this is your final chance to join a program that helps founders: -Refine your business strategy and go-to-market plans -Pitch to investors who understand AI and climate -Access $133K in resources, AI sandboxes, and datasets -Connect with corporate partners actively seeking climate solutions 3 months. Equity-free. Fully virtual.   Applications close in 7 days. Don’t miss the chance to scale your climate impact.   Apply now: https://bit.ly/4mFo1Kx Global Resilience Partnership | Third Derivative | OMI Foundation | Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy | SanchiConnect | MathWorks | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | British High Commission in India | 3one4 Capital | T-Hub | AIC T-Hub Foundation | Ankur Capital | ACT | Blume Ventures | GSMA Foundation | Peak Sustainability Ventures | Pratap Raju | Nalin Agarwal | Jui Joshi | Sumit Tated | Yashvi Mehta   #ClimateAI #AIforClimate #ClimateStartups #ClimateInnovation #ClimateAccelerator #ClimateTech

📢 Big news in climate tech and materials innovation 📢 RMI has launched the Sustainable Concrete Buyers Alliance (SCoBA), uniting major buyers like Amazon, Meta, and Prologis to accelerate the shift to low-carbon concrete. Cement and concrete are responsible for ~8% of global CO₂ emissions. SCoBA uses collective purchasing power and a “book & claim” system to send clear market signals — unlocking scalable demand for cleaner building materials. At Third Derivative, we’re excited to see demand-side innovation in action. SCoBA’s launch creates the kind of market signal that directly supports the climate tech startups we work to scale. From low-carbon cement replacements that remove CO₂ from the atmosphere (Alithic), to carbon-negative SCMs made from industrial waste (Carbon Negative Solutions Inc and Cocoon), to CO₂-free Portland cement (Brimstone), and bioaggregates that cut emissions by 40% (DTE Materials) — these are just some of our portfolio solutions ready to meet this rising demand. When major buyers step up, they create the conditions startups need for faster tech validation, stronger investor confidence, and clearer pathways to scale. This is how we accelerate the future of low-carbon concrete. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dbeXASrP #ClimateTech #Concrete #Cement #Building #ClimateInnovation #LowCarbon

Third Derivative, RMI, and our portfolio of climate tech startups will be in New York in full force next week for #CWNY. Reach out ASAP if you want to connect in person and invite us to your event: Rushad Nanavatty, Roy Torbert, Pilar Carvajo Lucena, Carie Davis, Jamie Hankins, Ali Rotatori, Juan Estalella Girón, David Hynek, Sal Brzozowski, Ella Warshauer 🇸🇪 We're in Sweden this week at The Drop. Pictures from Rushad Nanavatty and Lindsay Rasmussen's events to come. Thanks, Hannah Hall! 📸

To scale the climate tech solutions our future depends on, we need more than just bold innovation — we need to collaborate and innovate across sectors ✨ That’s why we’re excited to support Trellis Impact 2025 hosted by Trellis Group. Every year, this conference brings together corporate leaders, NGOs, service providers, startups, and investors under one roof to share what’s working, challenge assumptions, and build momentum for cleantech innovation. We’ll be there, alongside RMI, to share insights from across our startup portfolio. If you’re working on deploying climate solutions, this is the room to be in! Learn more and register — Use TI25RMI for 20% off: https://buff.ly/3DtdwNi #TrellisImpact #ClimateTech #Startup #ClimateInnovation