The most daunting part of any new year is figuring out how to navigate uncharted territory. The last year in cleantech certainly demonstrated this in spades. With 2026 well underway, we may be able to gain some early footing by looking back at some of the cleantech funds launched in the last year. The technologies they focus on could very well inform us how the rest of the year shakes down: whether investors will continue to back safer bets, or if the chips will fall in a different direction.
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Motion in the Ocean – Asia and Maritime Decarbonization
Investors in the Asia Pacific region made waves in 2025 with the launch of venture funds looking to invest in ocean and clean maritime technologies:
- Motion Ventures Fund II: Launched in Q1 by Motion Ventures
- Aims to support at least 25 companies looking to both decarbonize and digitize the global maritime supply chain.
- The fund is targeting a $100M raise.
- Over the next two years, Motion Ventures will deploy tickets from $250K to $10M to software innovation as well as asset-intensive hardware solutions, capitalizing on the support of its groundbreaking 17-member consortium.
- Sustainable and Resilient Maritime Fund: Launched by ADB at the end of Q2
- Blended finance vehicle to aid member countries in securing future-ready port infrastructure and resilient supply chains.
- Seeks to support related policy and related infrastructure upgrades to realize regional port decarbonization goals.
- Fund partners Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Danish Maritime Authority, the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD), Moffatt & Nichol, and the Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping will collaborate with ADB to promote regional cooperation, technology deployment, and green corridor development.
- Asia Ocean Fund: Jointly launched by Octave Capital and Katapult Ocean in Q3
- Impact investment fund dedicated to the ocean economy and blue economy innovation across Asia.
- Sector focuses include maritime decarbonization, renewable energy, green shipping infrastructure, biodiversity, circular resource solutions, sustainable aquaculture, and marine biotech.
- Targets early-to-growth-stage ventures to bridge innovation and capital, aiming for over 20 investments in scalable ocean-focused solutions across five years.
On the Horizon:
We can expect to see continued momentum in both funding and technological development as these funds bear fruit in 2026 and beyond. Importantly, ASEAN member nations seem to be taking coordinated approaches by aligning their action plans with International Maritime Organization targets, implementing port decarbonization roadmaps, and providing subsidies to abate high-cost alternative fuels. Technology exchange and regulatory support provided by international partnerships within the region (i.e., the Australian government with various member nations) create a favorable environment for funding innovation.
Pedal to the Metal – Accelerating Clean Urban Mobility in Europe
European funds focusing on clean urban mobility tackle technologies across the supply chain, leaning on industrial expertise to accelerate early-stage technological development:
- Polestar Capital e-Mobility & Infrastructure Fund (PCEIF)
- Through the fund, Polestar will provide long-term loans to charge-point operators, depot charging, and EV fleet operators.
- $525M (€500M) structured debt and impact funding vehicle for zero-emission logistics and mobility infrastructure projects in Europe.
- Focused on bridging finance gaps where traditional banks and venture capital struggle, supporting scale-up and deployment of low-emission mobility assets.
- Calderion Fund
- $174M (€150M) deeptech fund that tackles innovative fuelling solutions, including low-carbon hydrogen, CO₂ capture, and synthetic e-fuels.
- Looks to support technologies that decarbonise hard-to-electrify sectors such as heavy industry, maritime transport, and aviation.
- The fund aims to back at least 25 global innovators through an approach that combines deep tech and industrial expertise with capital support framed by long-term investment horizons.
- EIT Urban Mobility Fund: European Institution of Innovation and Technology
- Announced a $50M (€44M) funding commitment to urban mobility technologies in November 2025.
- Over the next three years, EIT Urban Mobility will use impact metrics to support early-stage (pre-seed to Series A stage) start-ups.
- Technology focuses include scalable electrification, mobility data, public transport, and alternative fuelling technologies.
Eyes On the Road:
With the establishment of the EU Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal framework in and its automotive/transport sectoral pathway in Q1 of 2025, we will likely see fresh capital rolled out to develop clean mobility and EV charging infrastructure. Further development in the private sector is encouraged by the Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation, which mandates EV adoption for corporate fleets and vehicles. International research partnerships across the region were established to align R&D efforts as well as establish pathways to export charging standards and urban planning software outside of Europe.
Moving Forward
If the focus of these indicates anything about how investments will take shape in the next year, it’s that investors, decision makers, and ecosystem players in APAC and Europe will be exercising even more caution before deploying capital. Fund trends in both regions signal an approach that favors technologies that both meet climate needs and provide long-term assurance. In APAC, the ASEAN region in particular, the goal of establishing green corridors and clean shipping pathways not only addresses member nations’ climate-related vulnerabilities but also strengthens APAC’s long-term competitive positioning within the global shipping landscape. Europe’s continued push for clean mobility both works towards meeting lofty goals established in the Clean Industrial Deal framework, which aims to drastically reduce automotive emissions and detangle the regions’ dependencies on foreign energy components by invigorating local battery supply chain development.