Agenda

Registration and Help Desk

Pick up your badge or stop by with a question.

Continental Breakfast

Join us for breakfast and coffee to kick-off the day and continue networking with others before the program begins.

Breakfast with Canada: Meet Some of the Canadian Company Delegation

To get us into the spirit of a Cleantech Forum – we’re here to connect, right? – we will quickly introduce you to a few interesting companies over the last part of breakfast. Meet companies participating in Canada’s delegation. You will have time over the next two days to meet with them and learn more about their company and solution.

Co-hosted by: The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service

Canada consistently punches above its weight and delivers a powerful cross-section of innovators each year, come meet:

Arca Climate Technologies       Aslan Renewables

Ayrton Energy                             Carbon Upcycling

CarbonRun                                  CERT Systems

Daanaa Resolution                     Edgecom Energy

Enersion                                       Evercloak

FeX Energy                                   Fuse Power Management

Green Graphite Technologies   Planetary

Sixone Labs                                    Sollum Technologies

Summit Nanotech                         Swift Charge

TerraFixing                                     Variablegrid

Cleantech in a Crosswind: Navigating Macro Trends, Market Disruptions, and the Road Ahead

This session will be divided up into different segments to give you a well-rounded perspective of things.

Cleantech in a Crosswind: Navigating Macro Trends, Market Disruptions, and the Road Ahead

Cleantech is facing a unique crosswind of macro trends and market disruptions, challenging us to navigate a path forward. The Cleantech Group team will dive into the state of the industry, review the major changes, and face the headwinds head-on. Join us as we review the challenges of 2025 and map out the road ahead for cleantech investment and innovation in 2026 and beyond.

Unexpected Allies: Nuclear’s Renaissance and its Need for Innovations

In 2020, Cleantech Group had suggested – controversially to some – that advanced nuclear would (have to) be part of the solution and so provided a good example of an unexpected ally. Fast forward 6 years and there are many tailwinds behind nuclear technologies. In this fireside chat, we get the chance to cut through the noise, assess the state of the industry, and hear what ongoing innovations are required, in the 2020’s and beyond.

Getting Set for 2026: With Climate in the Political Crosshairs

One month on from COP30, more than a year into Trump 2.0, we enter 2026 in a world experiencing the effects of climate change like never before and seeking affordable pathways to meet rising energy demand and sustain economic growth. Our morning guests will help us objectively assess where we are – from the macro political and policy environment to the micro of startups and what is still possible and happening under this U.S. presidency and Congress.

Networking Break

The New Nuclear Renaissance: Where Capital Meets Climate Impact

The global transition towards net-zero will require more than just intermittent renewables, it will require reliable, uninterrupted 24/7 power. Nuclear power is one of the few sources of power with an energy profile that can meet the surging demands of AI and data centers at scale along with the other contributors to load growth.  Learn from leaders in the space on what sets nuclear apart from other technologies in cleantech and how the sector is evolving, de-risking and scaling to support long-term sustainable power for the future. Critical discussion topics will include, how market dynamics and financing systems are enabling investable opportunities in this space, recent changes in the regulatory landscape, breakthroughs in innovation and science, accelerating project timelines, and the various other factors propelling nuclear forward and driving a new nuclear renaissance.

Co-Hosted by: Anthropocene Institute

Meeting Surging Data Center Energy Demand: Winning Through the Value Chain

Power consumption of data centers is now a mainstream topic, hitting headlines almost every day. Energy providers and utilities are racing to meet surging power consumption by data centers, but there’s also a generational opportunity for energy efficiency technologies (cooling, power conversion, orchestration) in data centers. Scaling new technologies in this opportunity space requires comprehensive partnerships across the technology development and finance landscape.

Join this session to hear takes from innovators, energy providers, and investors who are already forming partnerships across the value chain.

Co-hosted by: Idemitsu

Insuring the Path to Scale

Early climate deployments are running into a mismatch: the insurance market wasn’t built for companies without long operating histories or proven performance data. There’s capital available, but many early impact technologies stall if the risks they carry can’t be easily priced. A handful of forward thinkers are starting to change that. Let’s discuss how insurance can unlock first-of-a-kind (FOAK) deployments; including revenue protection models and insurance mechanisms with catalytic anchor capital. Join us to explore tools changing the game for early impact projects.

The Race for Rare Earths: Perspectives on Reshoring a REE Value Chain in the U.S.

2025 was the year of rare earth elements, with billions of dollars poured into companies like MP Materials, Noveon and Vulcan materials to help onshore rare earth supply and manufacturing. But why now and is it enough to break the current rare earth reality?

Innovation Showcase: Battery Innovations

Check out five complementary approaches to next-generation lithium-ion manufacturing: Innovators will introduce you to their companies and solution improving batteries. Explore how these innovations address the core industry challenges of cost, speed, and durability to electrify heavy-duty and consumer applications.

Energy Transition and the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”: Turning Policy Change into Opportunity

Join PwC for an interactive discussion on how your organization can navigate the sweeping updates introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Our specialists will unpack key changes to energy tax credits, new restrictions on foreign entities, and emerging compliance expectations — translating policy shifts into practical actions. Discover strategies to accelerate clean energy projects, strengthen your ownership and financing structures, and build supply chain resilience to stay ahead in the evolving energy landscape.

Co-Hosted by: PwC

Outpacing the Flames: Innovations in Wildfire Tech

Wildfires are becoming faster and more destructive, demanding a new generation of technologies to detect, prevent, and manage risk. This session explores cutting-edge innovations in sensing, forecasting, and autonomous response that aim to outpace growing fire threats.

Lunch

As part of our sustainability efforts, we serve a plant-based menu at all forum meals to help reduce our environmental footprint while highlighting local produce and in-season products.

Lunch Discussion: Deep Sea Mining: Is This Now an Inevitability? Can Modern Technology Approaches Change Minds?

Open to all, but space is limited.  Arrive early to grab a spot.

Analogous to the 2010’s argument (controversial to some) that net zero was unachievable via renewables alone (and nuclear’s carbon-free baseload power would be needed to meet the surging power demand), a similar debate now rages about where the need and demand for critical materials (for all parts of the energy transition and national security considerations) takes us next. To responsible deep-sea mining (versus dredging)? In this interactive lunch session, a leading CEO in the space will help us unpick the landscape, understand where we are, and what is likely next, and why.

Innovation Incubator: Peer-Driven Table Topics

Open to All! Join a peer-driven Table Topic discussion where the real leaders of cleantech (you and your colleagues) tackle key topic affecting cleantech today. This isn’t just about exploring relevant subjects; it’s about connecting with your peers and challenging your own assumptions.

Sign up on the mobile app now to secure your spot! Space is limited.

1. Winning the Talent Battle: Building the A-Team Investors Back

Join the CEO & Founder of Vacaré Group in an informative discussion on the climatetech/cleantech talent landscape. We will discuss topics such as how to attract top talent, developing a compelling employment brand, how to create positive candidate experiences, and interview best practices.

Kelli Morrow, Vacaré Group

2. Underwriting the Atom: The Finance & Insurance Nexus in Nuclear

Let’s discuss how to bridge the gap between capital and risk, exploring how innovative financing and insurance solutions can unlock the commercial potential of advanced fission, fusion, and their global supply chains.

Jeffrey Bohn, Anthropocene Institute

3. Beyond the Pilot: Scaling FOAK via Industrial Clusters

Let’s share ideas around how asset-intensive innovators and industrial partners can bridge the gap between pilots and first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects. Leveraging private capital and cluster-based de-risking strategies that move beyond a reliance on government grants is one route to explore, but what other paths are there?

Clement Cid, Mitico

4. Beyond the Bottom Line: Rethinking the Economics-First Approach

Let’s share ideas on how we can shift from a purely market-driven approach to one that prioritizes climate urgency, exploring how long-term planning and historic crisis-response models can help us move beyond the limitations of current investment cycles.

Kara Rodby, Volta Energy Technologies

Why Canada is the Strategic Destination for International Cleantech Expansion

As U.S. innovators and investors look beyond domestic borders for stable, scalable growth, the strategic case for Canada as the premier destination for international cleantech expansion has never been more compelling.

Join us as we highlight the regional opportunities, national support programs, and proven pathways that reduce risk and accelerate market entry. With deep U.S.–Canada market integration and aligned standards, Canada offers a low-friction environment for commercialization.

Canada’s real advantage lies in its coordinated, end-to-end ecosystem support:

Financial Stability:

•  Clear pathways to substantial federal and provincial funding programs, investment tax credits, and non-dilutive capital that de-risk projects from R&D through demonstration.

R&D and Commercialization:

•  Access world-class research and innovation networks in key cleantech sectors, backed by strong partnerships between industry and universities.

Competitive Advantage:

•  Insights into market opportunities and provincial demand signals—highlighting regional growth sectors, innovation resources, and industry connections.

Co-hosted by: Foresight Canada

Innovation Showcase: Hard-to-Abate Solutions in Action

Explore breakthroughs ranging from high-efficiency industrial heat pumps and rare-earth-free motors to biotech-driven soil restoration and carbon sequestration. Two investor reviewers will be on hand to ask questions.

Next-Gen Storage: Where Does Lithium-Ion End and LDES Begin?

Lithium-ion batteries have been a ground-breaking technology, but are not a one size fits all solution, especially in sectors that require Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES)—systems capable of storing power for 8 hours, 24 hours, or even multiple days or weeks. Speakers will discuss the evolving role of Li-ion technology, the declining costs and what that means in a rapidly decarbonizing energy landscape. We will dive into the innovative, non-Li-ion technologies emerging to fill the gap for true long-duration needs. The discussion will cover the key markets for these technologies and the advantages and challenges of scaling and manufacturing innovative battery systems.

Innovation Showcase: Sustainable Industrial Materials

Meet four pioneers creating a new industrial materials supply chain. Meet the companies and learn more about their innovations that reduce embodied carbon, eliminate reliance on toxic petroleum feedstocks, and establish resilient, circular supply chains for key components across manufacturing, infrastructure, and e-mobility. An investor reviewer will be on hand to ask questions.

AI in Cleantech: Is Bigger Better?

AI has hit the cleantech theme in full force in the past 2 years. While uptake in deep tech and traditional industries is still catching up, it remains to be seen what the most successful approach will be. Many companies are developing industry and problem-specific AI models, but platform approaches making fundamental research more efficient are increasingly gaining popularity.

Weatherproofing the Grid

As extreme weather events grow in frequency and severity, utilities and grid operators are under mounting pressure to strengthen the resilience of energy infrastructure. This session explores emerging technologies and strategies that help maintain operations, prevent equipment damage, and accelerate recovery during storms, wildfires, and more. We will examine how advanced sensing, monitoring, and geospatial tools are improving the ability to identify, track, and predict grid vulnerabilities.

Craft Brews with Chubb Climate Tech (Innovator Only Event)

Calling All Innovators! Take a break from the sessions and meetings and participate in this exclusive beer tasting event. Savor a curated selection of craft beers over conversation with fellow CEO’s and peers. Come and talk to the Chubb team on the latest trends within the Clean Tech industry and how Chubb Climate+ is supporting companies in this sector.

You can pre-register for this event in the registration system. This event is exclusive to start-ups and scale-ups.

Co-hosted by: Chubb

Networking Break

Power Management for Large Energy Users

Data centers and other industrial energy users require reliable energy sources but also need the tools to manage power and optimize existing assets. The power quality going into these systems needs to be precisely managed and controlled. We’ll discuss how smart and solid state transformers, and innovations in power electronics can reduce the number of components, improve efficiency and provide better controls for large energy users.

Climate Capital Designed for Deployment

Today’s climate deployment reality depends on capital stacks built from multiple tools, not equity alone. This fireside conversation will unpack how royalty based finance and debt instruments are being combined to finance early commercial and infrastructure-intensive climate technologies across North America. Join us to hear what’s working now, where gaps remain, and how innovative finance can reshape future waves of projects.

Extreme Heat—The First Front in Adaptation

Weather events pose an increasingly threatening challenge to critical infrastructure and human health, but while high-impact storms make the headlines, extreme heat is the first hazard to hit most of the world. 2025 is projected to be in the top three hottest years on record and the time is now for adoption of new technologies to reduce heat impact in cities, inside buildings & homes, and to avoid the growing threat of droughts.

Mining Isn’t Enough: Scaling Lithium Refining in The West

The Americas are investing heavily in lithium extraction projects to have secure supplies of battery-grade lithium for EVs. But most of these projects produce only intermediate products that must be sent to foreign processors before it’s ready for batteries, particularly China. Join us to discuss opportunities in midstream lithium refining infrastructure that must scale in tandem to deliver a robust battery supply chain in The West.

Reception on Paradise Terrace

Unwind and connect! Join us for an open-air reception with delicious food, drinks, and a great vibe. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends and make new connections against the beautiful backdrop of Mission Bay.

Co-hosted by: Breakthrough Energy

Registration and Help Desk

Pick up your badge or stop by with a question.

Continental Breakfast

Join us for breakfast and coffee to kick-off the day and continue networking with others before the program begins.

Fusion Innovation Breakfast (By Invitation Only)

There are a few open spots still available, please mail Forums@cleantech.com to request an invitation.

Nuclear fusion is no longer just a laboratory pursuit; it has emerged as a high-stakes commercial frontier, with the transition from pilot projects to grid-ready solutions now a central focus for industrial leaders and investors alike. Request an invitation to join the Fusion Innovation Breakfast for a high-level briefing on the industry’s trajectory, designed specifically for senior leaders and investors. Be privy to a state-of-the-industry update from Nick Davies of Fusion X, followed by introductions from prominent fusion innovators and a moderated roundtable.

Co-hosted by: Teneo

Deep Tech in 2026: Where will U.S. Competitiveness Emerge?

Recent years have brought into sharp relief the challenges of standing up a competitive industrial base – the U.S., and much of the Western world, has seen challenges to launching manufacturing of batteries, industrial materials, and in large-scale deployment of new fuels.
There are rumblings in parts of the cleantech ecosystem that some industrial areas have been lost already and new routes to competitiveness must be forged. Join this discussion with those backing the next generation of deep tech innovators to get a look around the corner at the future areas of U.S. deep tech competitiveness that may begin emerging in 2026.

Unlocking Transmission Capacity and Enabling Flexible Load Strategies

Join us to go deeper into the innovative solutions that can optimize and manage energy loads, unlock existing renewable energy resources and support transmission to distribute energy to the areas it’s needed most. Speakers will discuss pathways to identify capacity already connected to the grid by leveraging data, artificial intelligence, and enhanced sensors in addition to improving power transfer through hardware tools like cables and conductors. Strategies like integrating virtual power plants and enabling flexible load strategies to reduce the burden on utilities providing electricity will also be discussed.

From “It Works” to “Let’s Build It”: Canada’s Early Project Path

Getting from prototype to commercial demonstration is a uphill climb for capital intensive climate projects. This session will explore scaling pathways in Canada, unpacking challenges in the jump from prototype to pilot, alongside the local tools and capital pathways to support these journeys.

Innovation Showcase: Meet Some of the Global Cleantech 100

Meet a select few of the Global Cleantech 100 who are delivering the essential technologies for a decarbonized future. Discover breakthrough solutions in carbon capture, industrial electrification, and rare-earth-free motors that have moved beyond the laboratory into high-impact commercial deployment. Two of the Expert Panelists from the Global Cleantech 100 nomination process will be on hand to ask questions.

AI is Forcing Materials Discovery Adoption

Materials Discovery platforms are no longer a voluntary adoption. AI has significantly cut costs and time for R&D, allowing the sector to rapidly evolve into a competitive necessity. Corporations are facing a critical inflection point: either embrace AI-accelerated discovery or risk becoming obsolete. Join us to understand how AI is pushing beyond bottlenecks to deliver functional, sustainable materials.

Networking Break

Liquid Assets: Turning Wastewater into Opportunity

Innovators are reimagining wastewater treatment with technologies that make systems more efficient, sustainable, and circular. From advanced membranes to bio-based nutrient recovery, next-generation solutions are cutting energy use and transforming waste into valuable resources. These approaches are opening new possibilities for industrial water reuse and decentralized treatment. This session will explore how material science, biology, and data are converging to drive a smarter, more resilient water future.

FOAK Pitch Competition

Shaking things up a bit from our typical Innovation Showcase, join us for a FOAK Pitch Competition spotlighting innovators at the critical bridge between prototype and commercial deployment, where the First-of-a-Kind project serves as the essential stepping stone to scale. Innovations will be scored and ranked by expert judges specifically on their FOAK execution strategy and project-level viability, moving beyond general technology pitches to evaluate real-world commercial readiness. It is a high-stakes opportunity to receive direct feedback on the specific project that will define your path to global industrial success.

Co-hosted by: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Failures in Financing: Trying to Predict an Unknowable Future

Let’s explore the various factors that play a role in determining the success of hardware solutions in cleantech. In this discussion, we’ll cover how despite the extensive technical due diligence and techno-economic modelling done prior to an investment, there are repeated factors that investors are getting wrong when it comes to predicting how a successful a company will be. This will be a highly interactive discussion on what needs to happen to realistically meet climate goals and where traditional financing structures intended to scale innovation are falling short.

Building a Better Digital Backbone

The topic of energy use in AI is now firmly in the mainstream conversation. However, while the powers supply side of the equation is being determined, there is significant opportunity to manage energy use in data centers and at the compute level. AI ready data centers are already producing learnings on how to best manage high power demand and keep grids stable, and new semiconductors and chip innovations are drawing power down at the most micro levels.

Lunch

As part of our sustainability efforts, we serve a plant-based menu at all forum meals to help reduce our environmental footprint while highlighting local produce and in-season products.

Lunch Discussion: Is FOAK the Future? What Economic Assumptions Should Cleantech Innovators Make?

Grab your lunch and join this discussion around First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) projects  and whether they are the essential bridge to commercial scale or a uniquely challenging hurdle for today’s innovators. We will dive into the realistic economic assumptions and financing strategies required to move breakthrough technologies from pilot stages to successful industrial deployment.

Innovation Showcase: Waste and Recycling Solutions

Meet four innovators closing the loop across critical sectors: from repurposing retired EV batteries to recovering pristine battery components to traceable reusable food packaging systema and AI automation to drastically accelerate the planning and design of complex water and wastewater infrastructure. Attendees will explore how these solutions drive circularity, eco-friendly packaging, enhance grid resilience, and cut the cost and time of sustainable infrastructure development.

Betting on Hydrogen: Lessons and Opportunities for the U.S.

Join us to learn from companies at the forefront of hydrogen project development on what’s working, what isn’t, and we will discuss the biggest opportunities that lie across the value chain.

Fertilizer is Not a One-Size-Fits-All

Forging Ahead: Industrial Transformations in Low Carbon Iron and Steel

The iron and steel industry has a carbon problem, accounting for 7% of global GHG emissions. Join us to discuss the technologies, capital, and cross-sector collaboration required to clean up one of the world’s most foundational industries.

AI and Digital Innovation in Mining

The session will focus on how AI and digital tools are disrupting mineral exploration and improving resource efficiency (water, energy). We would discuss AI-powered subsurface modeling, geospatial data, and real-time water and energy monitoring systems. There are several innovators in the space, but large mining corporates are also innovating internally. Aim is to discuss what tech is suitable for who and where we see this industry going forward (e.g. how much space is there for more AI innovators in mining exploration/ what about quantum sensors).

Resource Security is National Security

For much of its existence, the cleantech theme has centered around reduction of resource usage, or a shift to use of alternative resources. While resource use reduction remains essential, there is little question that fracturing trade environments and increased national security concerns are stimulating a motivation to adopt technologies that facilitate more abundant supply of energy & raw materials. We see early evidence from spaces like geothermal and critical materials to indicate that the nexus of resource security and national security is firmly coming in to position.

Closing Reception

Join us for some last networking and a toast to a productive and successful Forum.