And that’s a wrap! Climate Week NYC 2025 was once again packed with energy and ideas, and for us, much of the action centered around The Biome, SOSV’s event space in Midtown Manhattan. SOSV and our partners (including Honda Xcelerator Ventures, Greentown Labs, Canary Media, Kompas, and more) hosted 11 events that attracted over 1,000+ founders, technologists, funders, corporates and policy wonks.

This year was different. The conversations weren’t about lofty pledges or 2050 goals. They were about the headwinds climate tech is facing today: energy load growth, rising energy costs, food systems under pressure, and funding to scale manufacturing. Less hand-waving, and more tactics on how founders, funders, and policymakers can actually decarbonize and deploy. 

Meanwhile, just a few subway stops away at the UN General Assembly, President Trump was calling climate change a hoax. The disconnect between federal rhetoric and entrepreneurial momentum has never felt starker. But inside The Biome, the mood was pragmatic optimism. The same forces straining the system – higher capital costs, rising energy demand, global instability – are creating focus on the most compelling solutions.

Highlights From The Biome

⚡ Tim Latimer, CEO & Founder of Fervo Energy Fireside: The Geothermal Moment

Fervo Energy’s CEO sat down with SOSV GP Duncan Turner to explain why geothermal is America’s most overlooked edge in the global energy race. While China can relentlessly drive down the cost of solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries, Fervo’s enhanced geothermal methods borrow from decades of U.S. expertise in oil and gas drilling – an “enduring cost advantage” that’s “very difficult to replicate” in China. Watch the full recording here and read a recap in Morning Brew.

💡 Facing the Headwinds: What Still Excites Climate Tech Investors

Honda Xcelerator Ventures hosted a panel with Helios Climate Ventures, Piva Capital, Volo Earth Ventures, and HAX/SOSV. The main takeaway: we’re in a period of “feast or famine.” To attract capital in today’s climate, startups must deliver breakthrough tech that’s radically cheaper than the incumbent, easy to implement in real-world systems, and operate in a super capital-efficient way. In short, the bar is higher than ever.

🔋 HAX Showcase: Building the New Energy Era

20 of our HAX founders hit the stage with bold visions for the physical technologies that will power the next economy: critical minerals, sodium-iron batteries, robotic wiring automation, electrochemistry for copper, and more. Check out our HAX companies here. 

What Else We Heard

• China as an Energy Dominance. China loomed in the background of nearly every conversation. From solar to batteries to critical minerals, speakers stressed its unmatched ability to scale industrial capacity and drive down costs. To avoid a strategic dependency on China, the US must double down on domestic manufacturing, diversify sourcing, and invest in next-generation technologies.
  
• The Department of War as Climate Ally. Don’t use the word “climate,” but the Pentagon’s growing need for electrification and resilience are priorities that align nicely with aspects of climate tech. DOD contracts for resilient energy systems are accelerating, and startups are finding that defense dollars can provide critical non-dilutive funding and powerful first-customer validation. As one investor put it: “If you can help the DOD solve its energy and supply chain vulnerabilities, you’re not just building a company…you’re securing the nation.”
  
• New York as a Rising Hub. The way New York responds to today’s headwinds sets the tone for the nation. Others are watching closely. While there aren’t many tax credits or incentives on the table, one of the biggest bottlenecks for energy projects remains permitting. Yet despite those hurdles, New York is still on track for a major renewable buildout over the next 15 years. As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer put it: “New York remains a climate leader.” Still, he warned that federal rollbacks could threaten progress, underscoring how much state-level leadership matters right now.

The Bottom Line

If last year was about cautious optimism, this year was about the blunt force of reality and the builders who can thrive handle it. If SOSV’s events at The Biome suggested anything, it’s that the climate tech ecosystem isn’t slowing down; it’s getting better grounded in the economics that matter.

If you’re interested in continuing the climate tech conversation, SOSV is hosting its fifth annual Climate Tech Summit (free, virtual, Nov. 5-7). Check out the confirmed lineup of speakers and register now to save your spot.