Celebrating Three Years of Climate Salad: Nurturing the Australian Climate Tech Revolution

We recently marked our third birthday at Climate Salad! These kinds of milestones are always a great time to celebrate achievements and reflect on goals. This year, we’re marking it in three lots of three, because it’s our birthday and we can count in threes if we want to!

Three Things About Climate Salad’s Beginnings

1. It was started by Karen and Mick Liubinskas.
2. It was intended only ever to be a monthly newsletter.
3. Three of the first companies we covered were GreatWrap, Goterra and Regrow (a strong start, including some amazing female co-founders!)

Three years ago, Climate Salad started with a simple idea: share the stories of the Australians building climate solutions. It was meant to be just a monthly newsletter and started with the thinking it would take at least five years to get going. It started with 12 companies and 50 contacts and two 2030 goals: Grow the industry to 1,000 companies and help 100 of them with international expansion. 

The growth of our community has been nothing short of remarkable. Starting with a handful of companies and members (shout out to the founding members!), we now boast a network of over 600 Australian climate tech companies!

These organisations are diverse in their focus, ranging from renewable energy solutions and sustainable agriculture to advanced materials and carbon capture technologies. What unites us is a commitment to creating a sustainable future.

‍Three Bold Goals of Climate Salad

1. Vision: That Australia plays a massive role in building climate solutions
2. 2030 Mission: To help 1,000 climate tech companies and to support 100 companies to go global.
3. Guiding Principles:

• Build for Impact - we're here to make a positive difference on climate.
• Work for Founders - they are the core group with the biggest challenge in the industry. Supporting them helps everything else. 
• Design for Diversity - the world is (slowly) working on better diversity, equity and inclusion, and climate solutions that have a real impact cannot be created without a full range of perspectives. We must deliberately ensure that diversity is invested in and pushed forward at every opportunity. 

Over the past three years, we’ve launched several programs designed to support our members at various stages of their journey.

Our Global Growth Program is a cornerstone initiative aimed at helping Australian 47 climate tech companies expand their reach and impact. By providing access to international markets, facilitating connections with global partners, and offering tailored mentorship, we enable our members to scale their solutions and maximise their impact. The program has been instrumental in positioning Australian climate tech as a key player on the global stage.

Recognising the importance of global markets, we have organised a number of international trade missions, including to the US, EU and UK. In three years these missions have provided more than 50 founders with opportunities to showcase their innovations, learn from international counterparts, and forge partnerships that transcend borders. The exchange of ideas and best practices during these missions has been invaluable in driving innovation and enhancing the global competitiveness of our members.

Data is critical, and our Climate Tech Industry Report serves as a vital resource for our community. The report offers in-depth insights into industry trends, challenges, and opportunities, helping our members make informed decisions. By highlighting success stories and best practices, the report also serves as a source of inspiration, encouraging others to pursue innovative solutions to climate challenges. We have now put all of our data into our Australian Climate Tech Insights (ACTI) platform which you can access here: https://members.climatesalad.com/data 

Three Amazing Metrics

1. We have over 620 climate tech companies in our community. 
2. We have helped 92 companies with international expansion: 47 companies through our Global Growth Program and taken 45 companies on international trade missions.
3. The industry has gone from near zero awareness to 1000+ members including founders, mentors,investors, government, corporate and ecosystem supporters.

Our members have developed groundbreaking technologies and solutions that address a wide range of climate issues. From innovative renewable energy systems and advanced recycling technologies to sustainable agriculture practices and carbon capture solutions, our community is at the forefront of climate innovation. These solutions are not only reducing carbon footprints but also creating jobs and driving economic growth. We couldn’t be prouder!

Securing funding is a critical challenge for many startups, and we have made it a priority to support our members in this regard. Through our network of investors and strategic partnerships, we have facilitated millions of dollars in funding for our members and helped more than 65 companies with international expansion programs. 

I’m incredibly proud of what Climate Salad has achieved in just three years and, really importantly, I want to thank everyone who has made this amazing journey possible. My wife Karen for helping me start it and backing a for-purpose startup for startups in a startup industry. All the team and those that have moved on who have done the very hard work to make it a reality. All the partners who have funded, supported and helped us grow. And, very importantly, the people building the solutions who are giving us belief in our future.

Here’s to many more years of growth, innovation, and impact.

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