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How the nomination and review process worked
- Gather candidates. The team solicited nominations from its reporters and editors, sought suggestions from experts, and contacted academics, researchers, investors and analysts.
- Investigate each nominee. It says it consulted literature, reports and patents to examine both the company’s technology and its business.
- Build a balanced final list. The team considered each company on its own merits and how it would contribute to a varied list across sectors, geographies and development stages.
This is the editorial method described by Casey Crownhart in an October 6, 2026 article reproduced by Digido Blog. The available copy does not establish a separately verified canonical MIT Technology Review page, so the description here is limited to that account.
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What counted as a promising climate company
The team sought companies developing technology that could contribute to climate mitigation by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, or to climate resilience by reducing risks to communities facing impacts such as extreme heat and drought.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11It also looked for a track record. The article says evidence of progress could include research findings, capital raised or deployments. Those are different kinds of evidence: funding can indicate investor interest, while research and deployment may show other forms of progress. None, by itself, establishes how much emissions a company will avoid or how well a technology will perform at scale.
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Why the list was balanced, not simply ranked
The selection was not described as a ranking of the ten companies with the largest measured climate benefit. The team also considered how the choices fit together as a portfolio. Its stated considerations included:
- Representation across industries and technologies
- Companies based in different parts of the world
- A range of development stages
- A mix of companies featured in earlier editions and new names
- Technologies connected to important trends and events of the year
That approach can produce a more varied watch list, but it means inclusion should be read as editorial selection rather than as a direct comparison of impact, commercial readiness or investment risk.
Energy storage and electricity demand featured prominently
The article points to rising electricity demand, partly associated with AI data centers, as a major climate-technology story. It also highlights storage as a way to help balance variable renewable generation as grids add more renewables.
Examples named in the article illustrate the range of approaches, rather than providing independently audited performance findings:
- Energy Dome: compressed-carbon-dioxide energy storage for the grid.
- Moment Energy: repurposing electric-vehicle batteries for grid-scale storage.
- Form Energy: iron-based batteries aimed at multi-day storage.
The article also mentions WeLion New Energy in connection with semi-solid-state batteries and Envision Energy in connection with wind power and energy storage. The list’s broader range reportedly extended from mobile flood barriers to next-generation nuclear reactors.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret the companies to watch list
A company’s appearance on the list signals that MIT Technology Review’s climate team found it worth watching under its editorial criteria. It should not be treated as proof that the company has achieved a particular emissions reduction, that its technology is commercially successful, or that it is a sound investment. Readers assessing a company for themselves can separate the questions the list brings together:
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Climate relevance: What emissions or climate risks is the technology intended to address?
- Evidence of progress: Is the case based on research, funding, deployments, or a combination?
- Technology and business: What evidence supports the technical claims, and can the business model work?
- Context: How mature is the company, and what role does it play among other technologies and regions?
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