What Cleantech Group does

Cleantech Group is a private, Oakland-headquartered market intelligence and innovation advisory firm founded in 2002 that coined and trademarked the term "cleantech." The company operates the i3connect platform, a proprietary intelligence and networking system tracking over 40,000 startups and scale-ups and 21,000 investors globally, and supplements it with annual recognition programs (Global Cleantech 100, Cleantech 50 to Watch, APAC Cleantech 25, LATAM Cleantech 25), three annual Cleantech Forum conferences (North America, Europe, Asia), regional Spark events, and bespoke Innovation Advisory engagements.

The firm's core technology stack centers on i3connect, which delivers AI-enabled tools and dashboards for deal flow tracking, market segmentation, signal identification, value chain analysis, ecosystem benchmarking, and impact scoring. Underlying proprietary assets include the Impact Scoring Methodology, a credibility-and-scalability framework used to evaluate companies for recognition programs, and Value Chain Analysis tooling that decodes cleantech value chains from minerals to molecules to megawatts. The technology is differentiated by depth of domain specialization rather than novel AI architecture.

Cleantech Group monetizes through three primary streams: (1) annual membership subscriptions, with a free "Innovator's Plan" for startups and paid premium tiers tailored to corporations, investors, government, and foundations on a quote-based annual cadence; (2) event sponsorship and paid attendance at Cleantech Forum and Spark events; and (3) bespoke Innovation Advisory engagements including commercial due diligence and market landscape analyses. Go-to-market is direct-sales-led and event-driven, with advocacy coalitions (Cleantech for Europe, France, UK, Iberia, Italy) functioning as thought-leadership and policy-engagement channels funded in part by partners such as Breakthrough Energy and the European Climate Foundation.

Name

Cleantech Group

Legal name

Cleantech Group

Website

https://cleantech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cleantech Group is a membership-based market intelligence and innovation advisory firm serving enterprises, investors, and governments in the global cleantech ecosystem through its i3connect platform, recognition programs, annual forums, and regional advocacy coalitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Cleantech Group's primary revenue model is a membership subscription service. Membership provides access to market intelligence, the i3connect platform, analyst access, and networking opportunities. Tiers include a free Innovator's Plan for startups as an entry-level option, and paid premium memberships for corporations, investors, and other professional users. Membership is shaped around individual client needs and offers bespoke briefings and commercial due diligence support.
2. Events and Forums: Cleantech Group generates revenue through paid attendance and sponsorships at its three annual Cleantech Forum events (North America, Europe, Asia) and regional Spark events. Sponsors pay for visibility and access to the curated network of investors, corporates, and innovators. Events include matchmaking, innovation showcases, and high-value networking sessions.
3. Innovation Advisory Services: Custom strategic advisory engagements providing personalized guidance, direct analyst access, tailored briefings, commercial due diligence, and full market landscape analysis. These are bespoke engagements differentiated from the standard membership offering and command premium pricing based on scope.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cleantech Group is a membership-based market intelligence and innovation advisory firm that sells annual subscriptions, bespoke advisory engagements, and curated event access to clients across the global cleantech ecosystem. Its core product is the i3connect platform combined with analyst-led research, impact scoring, value chain analysis, ecosystem benchmarking, and the annual Cleantech Forum events that connect innovators, investors, and corporates for deal-making.

Product overview

Cleantech Group operates as a membership-based market intelligence and innovation advisory firm offering a portfolio of interconnected services. The core offerings include Market Intelligence (AI-enabled tools, dashboards, impact scoring, value chain analysis, ecosystem benchmarking, and global network access), Innovation Advisory (strategic guidance for cleantech innovation scaling and ecosystem building), Advocacy (coalition-building across regions including Cleantech for Europe, France, UK, Iberia, and Italy), and Events (annual Cleantech Forum conferences in North America, Europe, and Asia, plus regional Cleantech Spark events). The Programs division manages recognition lists including Global Cleantech 100, Cleantech 50 to Watch, APAC Cleantech 25, and LATAM Cleantech 25. All services are accessed through the Members Hub platform, which aggregates intelligence on over 40,000 start-ups and scale-ups and 21,000 investors globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cleantech for Europe: Advocacy initiative representing trailblazers developing, deploying, and investing in clean technologies across the EU.
• Cleantech for France
• Cleantech for UK
• Cleantech for Iberia
• Cleantech for Italy
• Global Cleantech 100
• Cleantech 50 to Watch
• APAC Cleantech 25
• LATAM Cleantech 25

Products and services

• Market Intelligence Subscription-based market intelligence product providing actionable insights and data-driven research through the i3connect platform, including AI-enabled tools, dashboards, impact scoring, value chain analysis, ecosystem benchmarking, and global network access for cleantech trend identification. Sold to enterprise members across corporations, investors, governments, and financial/professional services firms.
• Innovation Advisory Bespoke strategic advisory service providing personalized guidance, direct analyst access, tailored briefings, commercial due diligence, and full market landscape analysis. Helps clients identify actionable strategies to leverage or scale cleantech innovation, engage external innovation, build ecosystems, and accelerate pilots to scale. Sold to enterprise clients on a custom engagement basis.
• Advocacy Coalition-building service connecting cleantech and policy leaders to chart paths to industrial leadership, delivered through regional programs including Cleantech for Europe (launched 2021), Cleantech for France, Cleantech for UK, Cleantech for Iberia, and Cleantech for Italy. Used by governments, corporates, and investors to shape industrial strategy and accelerate cleantech deployment.
• Cleantech Forum Events

Quantifiable outcome

• Trillionth cumulative dollar invested into global cleantech innovation recorded in 2023, up from millions in 2003 when Cleantech Group first published its Investment Monitor
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• European Climate FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021European Climate Foundation supports Cleantech for Europe and the broader European cleantech movement including regional initiatives (France, Iberia, Italy, UK). The partnership aims to bridge the gap between cleantech and policy leaders in the EU, advocating for the deployment and industrialization of clean technologies.
• Callaghan Innovation / NZ Cleantech MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand's government innovation agency, and Auckland Unlimited commissioned Cleantech Group to create the Climate Tech for the World Report in 2021. This led to the establishment of the NZ Cleantech Mission as a cross-agency partnership led by Callaghan Innovation. Cleantech Group continues to support the Mission by bringing cohorts of innovators to present at Cleantech Forums in Asia and North America.
• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleantech Group has been engaged by UNIDO to deliver the ecosystem-strengthening component of the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP), which operates in 19 countries. Three knowledge products have been published in partnership benchmarking global best practices in cleantech policy strategy, cluster development, and stakeholder engagement. Cleantech Group is currently working with 8 LMICs to develop cleantech policy recommendations, with a public Cleantech Innovation Index to be launched.
• Swire PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwire Pacific's long-standing partnership with Cleantech Group has supported their sustainable innovation agenda across their diverse group of companies. Cleantech Group helps identify the best startups to partner with, provides robust business and impact cases, and has been instrumental in implementing over 15 sustainable innovation projects. Swire operates an annual HK$100M sustainability fund, and Cleantech Group supports the full innovation engagement process from need identification to pilot evaluation.
• Harsco EnvironmentalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarsco Environmental, a leading provider of environmental solutions focused on the steel industry, has been a Cleantech Group client for several years. Cleantech Group has assisted in identifying promising cleantech opportunities, providing market analyses and briefings, evaluating potential partners for strategic alignment, and addressing specific market challenges, including an exploration of carbon offset innovation opportunities.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America (MHIA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHIA leverages Cleantech Group services to gain insights into key sectors (gas, power, nuclear, SAF, marine, wind) and to identify startups and scale-ups for potential investment and partnerships. MHIA sponsors Cleantech Forums to gain exposure to the startup community and establish itself as a key corporate player in technology partnerships. Cleantech Group regards Cleantech Forums as the 'Davos' of the climate tech world.
• Breakthrough Energy (Event Sponsor)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBreakthrough Energy is a sponsor of Cleantech Forum events, leveraging the forums to survey the landscape for white space where it can drive technology discovery and build companies from the ground up.
• MaRSsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMaRS, Canada's anchor innovation hub supporting over 1,400 Canadian science and tech companies, is a partner of Cleantech Forum Asia. MaRS provides resources to Canadian companies at every stage of growth, and partners with Cleantech Group to increase international connectivity for Canadian innovators.
• PETRONAS Ventures (TTV)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTTV, PETRONAS' corporate venture capital arm operating from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, is a sponsor of Cleantech Forum Asia. TTV invests in disruptive technologies and dynamic entrepreneurs focusing on early to growth-stage companies that advance a low-carbon future, and uses the Forum to connect with potential portfolio companies.
• Tokio MarinesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTokio Marine Group is a partner/sponsor of Cleantech Forum events, aiming to be a global insurance group delivering sustainable growth by providing safety and security to customers around the world.
• Breakthrough Energy FellowssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCleantech Group supports Breakthrough Energy Fellows to help accelerate their discovery of, and engagement with, diverse regional cleantech innovation ecosystems worldwide. Breakthrough Energy Fellows also bring innovators to attend Cleantech Forums (e.g., MacroCycle Technologies attended via this program).
• Wilson SonsinisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilson Sonsini, a leading technology law firm, has been a Cleantech Group member and Forum participant since 2004, using the platform to feature trends, determine where investment dollars are flowing, and identify industries gaining traction. The firm prioritizes companies with strong business development potential and has been a long-standing sponsor of Cleantech Forum North America and local ecosystem events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Crunchbase: Platform providing business information about private and public companies, including funding, acquisitions, and investors. Partial overlap with i3connect's startup and investor tracking functionality for the cleantech ecosystem.
• Dealroom.co: Global startup and investor database with a focus on emerging technology ecosystems. Comparable to Cleantech Group's market intelligence for tracking ecosystem activity, though broader across all sectors.
• Climate Capital Network: Networking and intelligence community for climate-focused investors. Partial overlap with Cleantech Group's investor-facing events and intelligence, particularly in connecting LPs and GPs in climate venture and growth.
• Sightline Climate: Climate tech market intelligence and analytics platform tracking companies, deals, and trends. Directly comparable to Cleantech Group's i3connect for cleantech-specific company and investor data.

Direct peers

• GreenBiz Group: Media, events, and research business focused on sustainable business and clean technology, serving corporates and investors. Closely comparable on the events, research, and intelligence layer for cleantech, though with a stronger corporate-sustainability editorial slant.
• CB Insights: Market intelligence platform tracking private companies, investors, and emerging technology trends with proprietary scoring and dashboards. Closely comparable to Cleantech Group's i3connect model of tracking startups and investors for enterprise and VC clients.

Broad incumbents

• Wood Mackenzie: Global energy and natural resources research and consultancy serving investors, governments, and corporates. Competes with Cleantech Group on cleantech market intelligence and advisory, particularly in power, renewables, and energy transition segments.
• BloombergNEF: Bloomberg's energy and climate research arm providing market intelligence, analyst insights, and datasets on clean energy, transportation, and sustainability. Competes directly with Cleantech Group for enterprise and financial institution memberships but operates at much larger scale and breadth.
• PitchBook: Private capital market data platform serving investors, corporates, and advisors with deal, fund, and company intelligence. Comparable to Cleantech Group on the investor/startup data layer for VC and growth investors in cleantech.
• S&P Global Commodity Insights: Provides energy, chemicals, and climate market data, analytics, and research to enterprise and financial clients. Overlaps with Cleantech Group on cleantech sector intelligence and corporate innovation support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cleantechgroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CTGchannel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleantech-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cleantech Group