Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy bets these 21 startups will shape energy’s future — SkimNews
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- Breakthrough Energy announced its sixth cohort of 21 startups through the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program, focusing on technologies to meet a projected 3x increase in global electricity demand
- Eric Toone stated that data centers are a 'canary in the coal mine' for future power needs, emphasizing that electrifying entire economies will drive massive long-term energy demand
- Borealis Fusion is pursuing proton-boron fusion—a technically challenging but potentially low-cost energy source—with support from Breakthrough Energy Ventures
- K1 Semiconductor is developing a more efficient method to process gallium nitride and silicon carbide, which could reduce power electronics costs by 50% or more, according to Benjamin Gaddy
- StarWarden, Bedrock Semiconductor, and Vari Flux are among the startups receiving backing to improve heat management in fusion reactors and boost semiconductor efficiency
- AmyHyTech and Ammovolt Energy are working on using ammonia as a carrier for hydrogen transport, addressing the lack of infrastructure for moving hydrogen at scale
- Breakthrough Energy is funding adaptation-focused startups despite decarbonization goals, with Eric Toone noting that climate progress has been slower than hoped, making adaptation 'absolutely' necessary
Why it matters: The world faces a tripling of electricity demand as economies electrify, yet current infrastructure lags. Breakthrough Energy’s bet on 21 high-risk startups—from fusion to hydrogen logistics—addresses both clean energy supply and climate adaptation gaps, with potential cost reductions of over 50% in power electronics if early-stage tech succeeds.
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