What Cleantech Council does

Cleantech Council is a private, for-profit membership organization founded in 2022 that operates a curated matchmaking community connecting corporations committed to sustainability goals with startups innovating in clean, green, and climate technologies. The company runs monthly Silicon Valley meetings (Startup Introductions, single-topic Innovation Reviews, Roundtable Lunches, and Tradeshow Debriefs) supplemented by a Virtual Meeting Room for remote attendees, and surfaces roughly 100 startups per year to its corporate members. Its core commercial offering is a tiered Corporate Membership — quote-based annual dues with unlimited delegates per company, free access to all meetings, and a searchable Member Library archive — augmented by paid public Innovation Review events priced at $99-$200 per attendee and a free startup speaking slot for selected companies.

The business model is essentially a two-sided community: corporations (tech scouts, partnership executives, corporate venture capital) pay recurring membership dues for curated deal flow and peer networking, while startups pitch at no cost in exchange for access to enterprise buyers and investors. An Associate Membership tier exists for individuals and funds with limited features. The organization leverages 20+ years of operating experience from its affiliated Telecom Council and Autotech Council parents, and has built distribution partnerships with marquee venue hosts (Nissan, LG NOVA, Honda Innovations, SRI International, Mayfield Fund, DNX Ventures) and GTM partners including the Canadian government's CTA Climatetech Program and the VERGE conference.

Operational footprint is concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area, with named enterprise members including Zeon Ventures, Kanematsu Group, and Hyundai CRADLE across advanced materials, trading/manufacturing, and automotive verticals. Leadership comprises Council Chairman Derek Kerton and Advisor Christina Claure. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, no external funding rounds are disclosed, and the "Scouting the Future" trademark is registered. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; pricing model and small team imply a sub-$1M to low-single-digit-million revenue band, with the venture positioned as a bootstrapped community franchise rather than a venture-backed software business.

Name

Cleantech Council

Legal name

Cleantech Council

Website

https://cleantechcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cleantech Council is a private, Silicon Valley-based membership organization founded in 2022 that connects sustainability-focused corporates and CVCs with curated cleantech startups through monthly meetings, topic-specific Innovation Reviews, and a searchable Member Library, monetized primarily via annual corporate membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Innovation Networking

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Meeting & Conference Planning (Internal/External) (THAHACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM)

Keywords

• Cleantech startup matchmaking
• Corporate innovation community
• Sustainability tech scouting
• Startup corporate introductions
• Clean technology networking

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for corporations committed to partnering with and investing in startups. Includes unlimited delegates, free registration to Startup Introduction meetings, and access to member library.
2. Public Event Registration: Paid registration fees for Innovation Review events open to non-members ($200 for Big Battery Tech event, $99 for Advanced Mineral Technologies)
3. Startup Speaking (Free): Startups pitch for free at member meetings - this drives the content that attracts corporate members and creates the community value

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cleantech Council operates a membership-based community that connects corporations committed to clean, green, and sustainability goals with startups innovating in cleantech. Its core service is curated monthly meetings (in Silicon Valley and online) where 100+ vetted startups annually pitch to corporate tech scouts, partnership executives, and corporate venture capital investors across topics such as battery tech, hydrogen, EV charging, sustainable fuels, and recycling.

Product overview

Cleantech Council is a membership-based community organization—not a software product—that connects corporations committed to sustainability with startups innovating in clean, green, and climate technologies. The organization operates through a tiered membership model (Corporate and Associate Membership) and facilitates connections via recurring meeting formats including Startup Introductions (multi-topic rapid-fire pitches), Innovation Reviews (single-topic deep dives with expert panels), Roundtable Lunches (interactive discussions), and Tradeshow Debriefs (post-event knowledge sharing). Supporting infrastructure includes a Member Library (searchable archive of presenter information and presentations) and a Virtual Meeting Room (remote participation platform). The core value proposition is curating introductions between corporate tech scouts, partnership executives, and investors with relevant startups, enabling partnership and investment opportunities across the cleantech ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Membership Annual membership for companies committed to partnering with startups to meet clean, green, and sustainability goals; includes unlimited delegates, free registration to monthly Startup Introduction meetings (in-person and online), member library access, and public meeting requests.
• Associate Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ new startups reviewed per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and member.

• Telecom CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing 20 years of experience in connecting startups with industry. Telecom Council has been introducing communication startups to the telecom industry.
• Autotech CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization with 10+ years of experience introducing mobility startups to the automotive industry. Joint meetings held regularly.
• CTA Climatetech Program (Canadian Technology Accelerator)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint program with Government of Canada's Trade Commissioner Service connecting Canadian climatetech startups with Cleantech Council members. Includes investor meetups at VERGE conference.
• Consulate General of Canada in San FranciscomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports climatetech company introductions to Silicon Valley corporate tech scouts and investors. Part of the CTA Climatetech Program.
• VERGE ConferenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual climate technology conference where Cleantech Council hosts investor meetups and startup introductions before/alongside the main event.
• Zeon VenturesmemberOthersCorporate member of Cleantech Council focused on discovering sustainability startups for partnership.
• Kanematsu GroupmemberOthersCorporate member committed to sustainability goals through startup partnerships.
• Hyundai CRADLEmemberOthersCorporate member benefiting from community and sustainability startup discovery.
• Nissan Advanced Technology Center SVminorOthersVenue host for Battery Tech and EV Charging Innovation Review events in Santa Clara, CA.
• LG NOVAminorOthersVenue host for Hydrogen Innovation Review event in Santa Clara, CA.
• QnovominorOthersVenue host for Battery Technology Innovation Review meetings in Milpitas, CA.
• Honda InnovationsminorOthersVenue host for member meetings and recycling tech roundtables in Mountain View, CA.
• Hyundai CRADLEminorOthersVenue host for member meetings in Mountain View, CA.
• DNX VenturesminorOthersVenue host for Built Environment roundtable lunch in San Mateo, CA.
• Mayfield FundminorOthersVenue host for water technologies, sustainable fuels, and carbon markets roundtables in Menlo Park, CA.
• SRI InternationalminorOthersVenue host for CES 2025 debrief and Green Data Centers Innovation Review in Menlo Park, CA.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road):

Direct peers

• Autotech Council: Direct sibling community connecting automotive and mobility corporates with startups through monthly meetings and innovation reviews. Operates the same templated GTM as Cleantech Council and is explicitly a parent/spin-off organization, making it the most comparable peer.
• Telecom Council: Original parent community connecting telecom carriers and vendors with communications startups via curated meetings and Innovation Reviews. Shares leadership and operating model with Cleantech Council and is the founding template for the entire council family.
• Greentown Labs: Largest cleantech startup incubator in North America, running a physical innovation hub, accelerator programs, and corporate partner network. Comparable as a curated community connecting cleantech startups with corporate members and investors.
• Elemental Excelerator: Climate-tech accelerator and corporate innovation platform funding and connecting startups with utility, transportation, and infrastructure corporates. Comparable mission of bridging early-stage climate companies to enterprise partners.
• New Energy Nexus: Global cleantech startup support organization running accelerators, founder programs, and corporate-startup connection events across multiple geographies. Comparable as a community-driven bridge between cleantech startups and corporate partners.

Broad incumbents

• VERGE / GreenBiz Group: Large-scale climate business media and conference network (including the VERGE conference) that convenes corporates, startups, and policymakers on sustainability. Comparable as a convening platform for the sustainability-innovation community, with broader scope.
• Trellis (formerly GreenBiz) Corporate Network: Corporate sustainability media and membership network that includes events, content, and research on climate strategy. Comparable as a membership-driven community for sustainability-focused corporates, though much larger and more media-led.

Regional players

• Climate-KIC: EU-backed climate innovation community and accelerator operating across Europe, with corporate partner programs and innovation pipelines. Comparable in mission to connect climate startups with corporates, but primarily serves the European geography.

Emerging players

• Station F: Largest startup campus globally, running corporate-startup programs (including cleantech and sustainability tracks) that connect large enterprises with early-stage companies. Comparable as a curated physical community enabling corporate-startup matchmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/82540693

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cleantech Council