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The 30 top startups in carbon capture, hydrogen power, and nuclear energy, according to Goldman Sachs

General Fusion
Fusion energy startup General Fusion just raised another $65 million. The money will go towards constructing a demonstration power plant to test out their technology. Here, an early-stage prototype of the company's unique piston technology, which is designed to compress hydrogen plasma spur fusion. General Fusion

  • VC investment in clean-energy technologies swelled to more than $10 billion last year, according to a new research report from Goldman Sachs. 
  • Since 2016, the sector has grown 37% per year, the bank says, and deal sizes have increased. 
  • The firm says it expects to see "more and larger deals" across a variety of technologies including carbon removal, hydrogen power, and what it calls "next-generation" nuclear energy. 
  • Business Insider compiled a list of the top companies in each of those three sectors, using data from the Goldman Sachs report. They're ranked by the size of the most recent deal. 
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.
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Venture capitalists poured more $10 billion into the clean-energy industry last year, according to a recent report from Goldman Sachs. Meanwhile, global VC investment fell by 16%. 

The report reinforces the idea that the clean-tech industry — pronounced dead around 2008 — has nearly recovered.  

Since 2016, investment in the sector has grown by an average of 37% per year, the bank says. And it expects further investment in the years to come, as VCs search for "answers to climate change." However, the spread of the novel coronavirus may throw that growth into question.

Read more: The leading clean-energy research firm just slashed its outlook in response to the coronavirus pandemic, revealing that solar energy installations could decline for the first time in decades

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Goldman also found that deal numbers have remained relatively flat, suggesting that startups are closing larger funding rounds. The number of early-stage deals is falling, too — another sign that the clean-energy industry is maturing. 

In the coming years, Goldman expects to see "more and larger deals" across a variety of technologies including carbon removal, hydrogen power, and what it calls "next-generation" nuclear energy.

The firm published a list of the top 10 private companies in each of those three segments, based on the size of the companies' most recent deals. The companies are listed by industry below, in order of smallest to largest deals. 

Unless otherwise noted, the data come from Goldman Sachs. 

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'Next generation' nuclear technologies

Nuclear power makes up about 8% of the energy Americans consume, according to the US Energy Information Administration, and all of it comes from fission reactors.

Fission generates energy by splitting atoms apart, whereas fusion — the target of most recent VC investment — creates energy by fusing atoms together, which experts say is less dangerous

Read more: This fusion startup just raised $87 million — and it's using the cash to superheat plasma six times hotter than the sun

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According to Goldman Sachs, nuclear energy has attracted more investor interest over the last three years. VC funding was up more than 30%, year-over-year, since 2017, reaching about $250 million in 2019.  

Note: Business Insider removed three companies from the Goldman Sachs list because they made products for other industries. We replaced them with other startups using data from PitchBook. 

10. Helion Energy* — $11 million 

  • Last round: $11 million; July 6, 2o15
  • Total raised: $12 million, according to PitchBook
  • Investors: Peter Thiel, Y Combinator, and the Department of Energy, per PitchBook
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9. Deep Isolation — $15 million

  • Last round: $15 million; January 7, 2020
  • Total raised: $29 million, according to PitchBook
  • Investors: Berkeley SkyDeck, an accelerator 

8. Ultra Safe Nuclear — $17 million

  • Last finance round: $17 million; February 7, 2020
  • Total raised: $17 million, according to PitchBook
  • Investors: America's Seed Fund
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7. Terrestrial Energy — $17.2 million

  • Last finance round: $17.2 million; March 22, 2019
  • Total raised: $38 million, according to PitchBook
  • Investors: Danny Way, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

6. First Light Fusion — $33 million

  • Last finance round: $33 million; February 6, 2020, per the Wall Stree Journal
  • Total raised: $73 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Invesco, IP Group, Oxford Sciences Innovation
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5. General Fusion — $65 million

  • Last finance round: $65 million; December 16, 2019
  • Total raised: $309 million, per PitchBook 
  • Notable investors: Jeff Bezos and Microsoft, per PitchBook

4. Tokamak Energy* — $87 million

  • Last finance round: $87 million; January 20, 2020
  • Total raised: $162 million
  • Notable investors: The billionaire Hans-Peter Wild, who owns the juice brand Capri Sun
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3. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) — $115 million

  • Last finance round: $115 million; June 27, 2019
  • Total raised: $180 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: The Bill Gates-led fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures; Italian energy giant Eni; Khosla Ventures

2. LeadCold Reactors  — $200 million

  • Last finance round: $200 million; January 27, 2017
  • Total raised: $218 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Essel Group, KIC InnoEnergy, KTH Innovation
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1. TAE Technologies* — $375 million

  • Last finance round: $375 million; May 20, 2016
  • Total raised: $772 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Google's parent company, Alphabet; Italian energy giant Enel; and Goldman Sachs, per PitchBook

*Not included in Goldman Sach's list.

Carbon Engineering
A rendering of Carbon Engineering's technology. At this scale, the company says it could capture 1 million tons of CO2 per year. Carbon Engineering Ltd.

Carbon removal

Climate models are clear: To limit warming to 2 degrees celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), relative to pre-industrial levels, we'll need carbon capture and storage — tools that essentially suck carbon dioxide out of the air and store it somewhere. 

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A raft of startups are working on these strategies, and many of them are backed by oil and gas companies like Shell. And for good reason: Injecting carbon dioxide into wells is a common way to extract more oil. Plus, many energy giants have made commitments to reduce their carbon emissions. 

Read more: The head of Shell's incubator program reveals where the energy giant is looking for breakthrough startups

Carbon capture tech is still in the "early stages" of VC funding, Goldman Sachs writes, "with deal count and capital invested still small." In 2019, there were 14 deals, according to the bank, amounting to a total of about $200 million. 

These are the top private companies, according to Goldman Sachs, based on their latest deal size. 

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10. Pachama — $4 million

  • Last finance round: $4 million; January 3, 2020
  • Total raised to date: $8 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Ataria Ventures, Atomico, Global Founders Capital, Y Combinator

9. C-capture — $5 million

  • Last finance round: $5 million; December 21, 2018
  • Total raised to date: $5 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: BP's venture arm, BP Ventures, and the US Department of Energy
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8. Calera — $11 million

  • Last finance round: $10.6 million; December 13, 2011
  • Total raised to date: $229 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Vonid Khosla, Khosla Ventures, Peabody Energy

7. Carbon Clean Solutions — $16 million

  • Last finance round: $16 million; February 17, 2020
  • Total raised to date: $22 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Chevron's venture arm, Chevron Technology Ventures
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6. Carbon Engineering— $19

  • Last finance round: $19 million; June 26, 2019
  • Total raised: $112 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Chevron's venture arm, Chevron Technology Ventures; Occidental Petroleum; and Bill Gates, per PitchBook

5. Newlight Technologies — $21 million 

  • Last finance round: $21 million; March 28, 2019
  • Total raised: $80 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Metrix Capital Group (among other undisclosed backers)
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4. Svante — $26 million

  • Last finance round: $26 million; June 25, 2019
  • Total raised: $45 million, per PitchBook 
  • Notable investors: Chevron's venture arm, Chevron Technology Ventures; the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, a fund led by oil giants; Mitsui; and Chrysalix Venture Capital, per PitchBook

3. Solidia Technologies — $31 million

  • Last finance round: $31 million; July 31, 2018
  • Total raised: $118 million, per PitchBook 
  • Notable investors: Air Liquide Venture Capital; BP's venture arm, BP Ventures; French energy giant Total; and Kleiner Perkins, per PitchBook 
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2. Climeworks — $31 million

  • Last finance round: $31 million; August 28, 2018
  • Total raised: $35 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: EIT Climate-KIC, Zurich Cantonal Bank

1. LanzaTech — $72 million

  • Last finance round: $72 million; August 6, 2019
  • Total raised: $503 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Mitsui, Seimens Project Ventures, and Khosla Ventures, per PitchBook
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Read more: 4 disappointing facts about carbon capture tech that explain why it's not about to save us from climate change

Hydrogen gas
Using electrolysis, renewable energy power plants can turn water into "green hydrogen" — one of the fastest growing clean-energy industries. Arnold/picture alliance via Getty Images

Hydrogen power

Hydrogen power is one of the fastest-growing segments of the clean-energy industry, according to Goldman Sachs. The industry saw year-over-year growth of 106% in 2018 and 30% in 2019, reaching about $300 million in investment last year. Most of that growth was driven by investment in one startup: Nikola Motor Company. 

So, why hydrogen? The gas is a common industrial feedstock, used to make everything from ammonia to steel. It's also used in fuel cells, which can power cars and trains.

Hydrogen is considered "clean" because its only byproducts are water and heat. But more than 90% of the hydrogen we use today is extracted from fossil fuels, so analysts and experts see big carbon-reduction opportunities in creating what's called "green hydrogen."  

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Read more: These 3 little-known industries worth a combined $245 billion are quietly shaping the future global energy economy

These are the top private hydrogen power companies, according to Goldman Sachs, based on their latest deal size. 

10. YC Synergy — $3 million

  • Last finance round: $3 million; November 30, 2017
  • Total raised: $3 million, per PitchBook 
  • Notable investors: 23Seed
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9. ZeroAvia— $3.3 million

  • Last finance round: $3.3 million; September 18, 2019
  • Total raised: $4 million, per PitchBook 
  • Notable investors: Government of the UK, SystemiQ

8. H2Pro — $4 million

  • Last finance round: $4 million; October 29, 2019
  • Total raised: $9 million, per PitchBook 
  • Notable investors: Contrarian Ventures; Hyundai's venture arm, Hyundai CRADLE
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7. HydroT Technology — $4 million

  • Last finance round: $4 million; December 10, 2019
  • Total raised: Undisclosed
  • Notable investors: Nowogen, Shenzhen Center Power Tech Company, Zheshang Venture Capital

6. Joi Scientific— $4 million

  • Last finance round: $4 million; July 10, 2018
  • Total raised: $9 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: 3737 North Capital and BlueSky Capital Partners
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5. GenCell (Alternative Energy Equipment) — $10 million

  • Last finance round: $10 million; January 23, 2020
  • Total raised: $10 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Paz Oil Company, BIRD Foundation, and Landa Ventures, per PitchBook

4. Ergosup — $13 million

  • Last finance round: $13 million, February 18, 2019
  • Total raised: $19 million; per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Air Liquide Venture Capital, AP Ventures, Demeter
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3. Lhyfe — $13 million

  • Last finance round: $13 million; January 1, 2019
  • Total raised: $13 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Noria, Ocean Participations, Ouest Croissance Gestion

2. Ardica Technologies — $15 million

  • Last finance round: $15 million; May 31, 2018
  • Total raised: $22 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: Chrysalix Venture Capital, United States Department of Defense
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1. Nikola Motor Company* — $250 million

  • Last finance round: $250 million; September 3, 2019
  • Total raised: $635 million, per PitchBook
  • Notable investors: CNH Industrial, U.S. Department of Energy, ValueAct Capital Management, Wabco

*Nikola Motor Company is in the process of merging with VectoIQ Acquisition Corporation. After the merger is complete later this year, the new entity — Nikola Corporation — will be a publically traded company under the ticker NKLA. 

Energy Goldman Sachs
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