Emerging Climate Tech RFI: Summary Report

From barriers to breakthroughs, this report summarizes insights from over 50 climate tech startups, highlighting the challenges they face and their recommendations to help shape the City’s next steps to foster innovation.

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Last updated: April 9, 2025

Published by: Emerging Technology

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oet@boston.gov

Background

In order to meet Boston’s 2030 and 2050 carbon neutrality and climate resilience goals, the City must continue leveraging innovative solutions to combat climate change while fostering equitable growth and resilience in our communities. As the hub for groundbreaking climate tech, Boston is committed to supporting emerging businesses that are trying to tackle the most pressing climate issues.

In December 2024, the Office of Emerging Technology released the Emerging Climate Tech Request for Information (RFI) to understand the current challenges facing climate tech startups and opportunities for the City to support the climate tech ecosystem while advancing the City's climate goals.

The RFI sought input from emerging businesses that are trying to tackle the City’s core climate challenges, including but not limited to: building decarbonization, climate resilience, energy transformation, and clean transportation.

The RFI was structured in two sections:

Section I asked respondents to provide information about their companies, including the climate challenges they address, technology maturity, and support needed for advancement.
Section II focused on the company's current challenges, the most valuable types of City support, and the structure of an ideal municipal pilot program.

Next Steps

While our respondents identified unique needs, there was remarkable consistency in both the challenges they face and the solutions they propose. This is not an exhaustive list of actions the City will take to support innovation, the following steps outline the City's response to the RFI over the next six months.

1. Create Municipal Pilot Opportunities for real world testing and validation

Provide Avenues to Participate in City-Led Pilot Programs

Establish climate tech pilot opportunities that offer startups a structured pathway to showcase their technology and conduct real-world testing. The program would match startups with interested City Departments, provide funding support, and facilitate technology validation.

Participate in External Pilot-Matching Programs

Identify and engage in external pilot-matching programs to position the City as a hub for testing and deploying innovative climate solutions.

2. Ease Procurement and Permitting Challenges to integrate innovative solutions

Develop Educational Materials and Resources

Create synchronous and asynchronous opportunities and resources for startups to better understand public procurement and technology deployment permitting requirements.

Identify and Address Key Regulatory Hurdles

Engage all applicable stakeholders involved in procurement processes to identify mechanisms to increase adoption. Create pathways to streamline permitting processes and reduce timeline challenges for specific technologies.

3. Increase Awareness, Networking, and strategic partnerships

Facilitate Start-Up - Departmental Relationships

The Office of Emerging Technology serves as a point-person to bring new innovative ideas to the attention of City Departments and facilitate the connection of startups to relevant Departments and departmental resources.

Organize Public Events and Demonstrations

Host events and demonstrations, like Climate Tech on the Plaza, to highlight emerging technologies and their real-world applications and increase a startup's visibility and engagement with investors, potential customers, the broader community, and other stakeholders.

Create Opportunities for Startups to Engage with Local Leadership

Establish a cross-sector working group to support networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration between startups, municipal leaders, and industry experts while also leveraging regional purchasing power to support startup growth and scaling.