India has emerged as one of the priority investment markets for climate technology companies across the globe. According to the latest report released in London, India ranks ninth in the list of top 10 countries for climate technology investment over the past five years and Indian climate tech firms received $1 billion in venture capital (VC) funding from 2016 to 2021.
‘Five Years On Global climate tech investment trends since the Paris Agreement, a report released by London & Partners and Dealroom.Co analysed the trends in the sector since the last United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Paris and ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow next week.
The report found that venture capital investment into climate tech companies globally has skyrocketed since the Paris Agreement, with the US and China leading the global top 10 with $48 billion and $18.6 billion investment between 2016 and 2021 respectively. The UK comes in at No. 4 with $4.3 billion after Sweden at $5.8 billion.
“Countries around the world need to work together so that we can collectively change business practices and commit to net-zero emissions,' Hemin Bharucha, Country Director India, London & Partners – London's business growth agency said.
“The global tech industry plays a pivotal role in accelerating this global transformation and this is demonstrated in the rapid growth of VC investment into global climate tech companies. It is fantastic to see the UK and India among the top 10 countries for climate tech investment globally, with London leading the way in Europe for the number of climate tech companies and dedicated VC funds,” he said.
The global top 10 is completed by France at No. 5 ($3.7bn), Germany at No. 6 ($2.7bn), Canada at No. 7 ($1.4bn), the Netherlands at No. 8 ($1.3bn), and Singapore tenth ($700m), after India.
Overall, global climate tech VC investment soared from $6.6 billion in 2016 to $32.3 billion in 2021, an increase in funding by almost five times.
According to the report, which analyses technology companies working to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions or address the impacts of climate change, 2021 investment levels have already exceeded the whole of 2020 for global climate tech investment, demonstrating the importance of the global tech industry in the fight against climate change.
The report finds Europe as one of the fastest-growing regions globally for climate tech, with European VC investment into climate tech firms seven times higher this year than in 2016 (up from $1.1 bn to $8bn).
In Europe, London is described as one of the world's most advanced ecosystems for climate tech, with its start-ups raising USD 3.3 billion since 2016, accounting for 16 percent of Europe's total. London is also home to 416 climate tech companies, the biggest cluster in Europe.
“The UK is well on its way to becoming a climate tech powerhouse thanks to its combination of world-leading research, thriving ecosystem, and creative entrepreneurs that are using technology to solve the most pressing issue in our lifetime,” Remus Brett, Partner at VC firm LocalGlobe said.
At present growth in climate, tech is being driven by significant investment into transportation and energy solutions, accounting for a combined total of 78% of global climate tech investment in 2021. A similar trend is reflected in London, with 60% of VC investment into climate tech going into energy companies, while enterprise software, circular economy, and food start-ups are also attracting an increasing share of investment.
