A series of monster funding rounds have boosted fintech and climate tech in particular, and revealingly, many founders are betting on success by taking on high-interest debt, rather than sharing equity with investors.

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The biggest sector winner in the analysis was climate tech, which received €21.3bn investment with energy storage, advanced materials and EVs commanding the most attention.

However, almost half of this climate tech funding came from Northvolt and H2 Green Steel deals, worth €5bn and €4.75bn, respectively. Clearly, Sweden is doing something right.

Between private and EU funds, there’s plenty of confidence shown in European climate tech innovators, here’s eight that are likely to be hiring soon.

1. Northvolt

Though the Swedish battery provider started the year on a high by securing the largest ever green loan in Europe – a staggering €5 billion in investment, things haven’t been plain sailing since.

Northvolt closed its California unit, moving the development of its next-generation lithium-metal battery technology to its R&D centre in Västerås. Additionally, BMW cancelled a $2 billion contract, and the company is reportedly currently evaluating the feasibility of some of its plants. One to watch closely.

2. H2 Green Steel

A young company – founded in 2020 – H2 Green Steel is aiming to lower CO2 emissions 95% in production, compared to steel generated by blast furnaces. Its 740MW green hydrogen steel mill is underway, and this will be powered by onshore wind and hydropower.

3. Zenobē Energy

UK-based battery provider Zenobē Energy secured the second-largest equity funding deal in the first half of 2024 – behind Wayve’s massive $1.05bn round in May – by raising £410m.

Unlike traditional venture capital funding, the company has opted for private equity and infrastructure funders, demonstrating the growing popularity of this financing model within the climate tech sector. This is likely because though many of Europe’s cutting-edge climate projects are undoubtedly innovative, they have yet to be proven at scale.

4. Electra

French EV-charging startup Electra, raised €304 million in a Series-B funding round, which was announced at the start of the year. The company is developing a network of fast-charging stations for electric cars, an industry that is anticipated to grow rapidly as more people make the switch from petrol and diesel.

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5. Everphone

Citigroup led the €270 million financing that Germany’s Everphone secured in H1. A circular economy startup, the Berlin-based company is a Device-As-A-Service platform that plans to significantly ramp up international operations and expansion. It also intends to introduce new enterprise-friendly features, like business intelligence and ESG reporting.

6. Syre

Another Swedish one-to-watch is Syre, a textile recycling startup that announced a $100 million Series-A round in May. This comes just two years after its launch as a joint venture with H&M. As an organisation, it has a core focus on recycling polyester, which has the most C02 heavy footprint of any textile.

7. Cloover

German software, finance and energy solutions company Cloover connects stakeholders in the green energy transition, from installers and manufacturers, to energy providers and investors. In May, it announced $114M in funding, which will help provide household installers with a suite of tools as the residential renewables sector continues to grow, driven by greater consumer awareness, and higher energy prices.

8. Kaluza

By partnering with one of Australia’s largest energy retailers, UK-based energy and smart grids company Kaluza secured €92 million in its latest funding round. The agreement gave AGL a 20% stake in the company, as the company looks to bring more affordable, low-carbon solutions to its customers down under.

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