Israeli climate tech innovators awarded $1 mil. to combat climate crisis

Three Israeli climate technology companies were awarded a collective $1 million on Thursday to help improve people’s lives and the planet’s health.

The Breakthrough Research Prize is Israel’s most significant incentive prize. Its primary goal is galvanizing the nation to address the climate crisis. It seeks to foster pioneering research and development, supporting initiatives to discover innovative climate solutions capable of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

The prize is a joint initiative of JNF-Canada and KKL-JNF in partnership with StartUp Nation Central. The ceremony was held in Tel Aviv. Dozens of Israeli companies applied for the reward.

These winners “have the potential to significantly impact the reduction of carbon concentration in the atmosphere either by enhancing the shift to renewable energies – hence reducing greenhouse gas emissions – or by carbon fixation – either through natural process or artificial one,” said KKL-JNF Chief Scientist Dr. Doron Markel, who led the selection process by top academic experts in relevant fields.

The organizations said that the awarding of these prizes in the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war and the October 7 massacre points to the resilience of the Israeli R&D ecosystem.

The awardees and their work

The awardees include:

Prof. Shanny Barath and Prof. Yechezkel Kashin from the Technion – They are working with cyanobacteria to enhance and improve the durability properties of building structures that absorb greenhouse gases rather than releasing them. The technology uses 3D printing to unlock the complete potential of cyanobacteria bio-mixtures within carbon-efficient building components.

Green ammonia research

Prof. Brian Rosen of Tel Aviv University – He is researching green ammonia, a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally safe alternative energy source. Green ammonia has the potential to emerge as a significant clean fuel for electricity generation, boasting a wide range of applications.

Battery development

Prof. Menny Shalom from Ben-Gurion University – He is developing rechargeable zinc-air batteries to replace lithium batteries.

According to Startup Nation Central, there are more than 850 climate tech startups in Israel.

“The Breakthrough Climate Solutions Prize will help galvanize and solidify Israel’s global leadership,” said Galith Levy, Chief Climate Solutions Prize Officer at the Jewish National Fund of Canada, “while working to alleviate the significant impacts of climate change, which directly disrupts lives and the national security interests of countries.”