On 27 Nov we hosted the 2024 Australian Climate Tech Connect & Awards. The goal was to bring together some of the most passionate people in climate tech for a big day of connection, innovation and celebration. See more pics and a list of companies who attended in the 2024 Australian Climate Tech Connect & Awards Gallery.
Highlights of the Day
The event began with Investor Connect, an exclusive session for climate tech investors to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the sector. We heard from Tim Buckley (CEF), Kristin Vaughan (Virescent Ventures) and Nathan Fabian (PRI) before breaking into groups to discuss the key challenges and opportunities ahead for 2025.
This was followed by the Founder & Investor Connect session. After an intro from Malcolm Thornton (CEFC), we moved to curated and dynamic introductions. Picture the Hall full of founders at tables pitching to matched investors, who returned the pitch and then moved on every five minutes to the next founder. Yes, it was exciting and a little chaotic but there was nothing but conversation and connection as investors moved around the room!
This facilitated hundreds (dare we say, thousands!) of meaningful conversations between climate tech founders and investors, sparking potential partnerships and collaborations. We can’t wait to see what comes as a result of this session!
False Alarm
In true 2024 style, the event came with an unexpected twist—a fire alarm! As we spilled out of the venue and into a nearby park, what could have been a disruption turned into another opportunity for camaraderie and networking. While the fire brigade worked promptly to ensure it was nothing more than a false alarm, conversations continued outdoors, proving that the climate tech community continues to thrive and connect in unexpected circumstances.
And The Winner Is…
As the day transitioned into evening, the wider ecosystem came together for the 2024 Australian Climate Tech Connect &Awards. We heard insights from multi-award winning journalist, author and broadcaster, Tracey Spicer, around the theme of "Protopia" which gave us all something to reflect on.
Then we celebrated the achievements of this year’s nominees and winners across eight categories of Awards. From groundbreaking startups to tireless mentors, the Awards spotlighted those making a real impact in climate tech. Congratulations to all the winners:
- Impact Award: MGA Thermal
- Global Growth Award: SORR
- Eureka Award: Novalith
- Newcomer Award: ivygo
- Woman in Climate Tech Award: Dr. Karen Joyce
- Community Champion Award: Yuri Suzuki
- Mentor of the Year Award: Claire Bull
- Investor of the Year Award: Ben Lindsay
Innovation on Display
The demo area was another standout feature of the day, with nine innovative climate tech companies showcasing their solutions. Attendees explored cutting-edge technologies and connected directly with the passionate founders driving them forward.
Exhibiting Companies included:
A Team Effort
A massive thanks to our partners, whose support made this event possible —
- Annie Parker
- Australian Ethical Investment
- Boundless Earth
- Clean Energy Finance Corporation
- City of Sydney
- Embassy of Switzerland in Australia
- FPA Patent Attorneys
- Investment NSW
- Titanium Ventures
- Ursula Crowley
- W23 Global
- Wollemi Capital
Thank you also to our dedicated volunteers who worked enthusiastically throughout the day. To everyone who attended, showcased, or supported the event—thank you for being part of our vibrant community.
At our first end of year event in Sydney in 2021, we set a challenge to create a future where innovation and collaboration lead the charge in tackling climate challenges. After four of these end of year events, we’re proud to see this is well underway.
See more pics and a list of companies who attended in the 2024 Australian Climate Tech Connect & Awards Gallery
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