South West ClimateTech Summit 2026 signals a region ready to scale

The 2026 ClimateTech Founders Summit brought more than fifty founders, investors and partners together at Froginwell Estate in Devon, to take stock of the South West’s climatetech landscape. 

Hosted by Tech South West and sponsored by Deloitte, the gathering followed on from the inaugural summit, held at 42acres near Bath.

Now the Summit Report has been published. And it paints a picture of a region with genuine momentum. According to Beauhurst data included in the report, the South West has been the fastest growing cleantech cluster in the UK for two consecutive quarters. That growth reflects long built strengths across agri innovation, clean energy, nature based solutions, materials science and marine technology, all converging at a moment when the global energy transition is accelerating.

Despite this strength, the report highlights a clear gap. As one consensus statement from the ecosystem mapping session put it: “The South West has the assets, the companies, and the ambition to be a genuine UK Climate Tech Supercluster, but it needs the coordination, shared narrative, and institutional visibility to realise that potential.”

Andrew Wright, South West & Wales practice senior partner at Deloitte, said: “The summit highlighted both the scale of the opportunity and the strength of the ClimateTech ecosystem across the South West. With world-class research, pioneering businesses and committed investors represented in the room, the region is well placed to play a leading role in the UK’s clean energy transition. It was a privilege for Deloitte to be part of the discussions and to see first-hand the ambition, ingenuity and collaborative spirit that are helping to shape the future of the sector.” 

What founders are experiencing

Ahead of the Summit, nine founders submitted detailed responses that shaped the day’s agenda. Their feedback was consistent across three areas: funding, innovation and corporate engagement.

Many described a funding landscape that does not align with climatetech development timelines. Investment criteria built around ARR and short term revenue growth do not fit hardware, deep tech or nature based solutions. Founders also highlighted the practical difficulty of finding the right investors efficiently, especially when time and networks are limited.

On innovation, the report notes a striking consensus: technology is rarely the problem. The challenge is proving it in immature markets or slow moving industries. This places greater importance on structured pilots, corporate partnerships and sector specific expertise. Several founders also pointed to internal capability gaps in development, AI integration and marketing.

Neil Morris, Founder of South West sustainability tech start-up Kelpi, said: “Put entrepreneurs in a room with investors and enablers and you can feel the innovation crackle. This is where we really create change, where we create the ability to address climate change through new technology. By bring people together from across the start-up eco-system, Tech South West has brought the power of this region in climate tech into stark relief. 

“Now we need to follow through to cement this region’s position on the global stage – develop spaces where we can collaborate, share approaches and find those catalytic moments that will catapult us forwards.” 

Corporate engagement remains a familiar catch 22. Corporates want proven scale before engaging, while startups need corporate partners to achieve that scale. Founders described three recurring blockers: identifying the right decision maker, navigating procurement requirements such as ISO and SOC2, and managing the pace mismatch between startup runways and corporate timelines.

Fundraising in 2026

The investor panel, chaired by Ben Cooper, echoed many of these themes. Innovate UK’s grant landscape was described by founders as volatile and unpredictable, with AI related funding shifts creating uncertainty for hardware and deep tech companies. The report notes a clear call for a dedicated, hardware friendly public funding stream.

Debt finance emerged as a significantly underused option. FSE Group deploys both debt and equity, with nine of its eleven current investments in climate tech, yet founders still default to equity even when debt may be faster, cheaper and less dilutive. Cooper reflected this dynamic, noting that the companies progressing fastest through due diligence are those investors already know.

Corporate venturing was highlighted as an underexplored route. Corporates want founders to “make noise” and proactively approach innovation teams, but customer conversations need to be developed before pilot discussions, and the narrative must be right.

Ben Cooper, Funding and Support lead at Tech South West said, “Founders across the South West are building remarkable climatetech solutions, but too many are still navigating the funding landscape in isolation. What came through strongly at the Summit is that the companies who progress fastest are the ones investors already know. We need better intelligence, clearer pathways and stronger relationships so founders can focus on building, not chasing the wrong conversations. This region has the momentum. Now we need the coordination to match it.”

Mapping a strong but fragmented ecosystem

One of the day’s most distinctive sessions was the ecosystem mapping exercise. Founders pinned their companies and assets across regional, national and global maps, revealing depth across the South West but also fragmentation.

Bath and Bristol stood out as a leading innovation engine with Science Creates, Isambard AI, Future Space and strong angel networks. Devon showed depth around Exeter and Plymouth, anchored by the Met Office, Exeter Science Park, Plymouth Freeport, SetSquared and EPIC. Cornwall demonstrated a distinctive identity around environmental education and coastal energy clusters. Somerset and Wiltshire showed strength in rural networks, agri innovation and defence adjacent assets.

National pins clustered around major UK cities, while global connections included the US EPA, OECD, World Bank, UN Environment and partners across East Africa. The report describes a community that is outward looking and internationally engaged.

Five priorities for the year ahead

The Summit Report distils the day’s discussions into five priorities for the South West ClimateTech community.

• Fix the funding stack. Founders need structured intelligence on who is investing in what, and practical support on equity, debt and sequencing.
• Stabilise public innovation finance. Innovate UK volatility is causing real planning challenges, and the case for a hardware friendly funding stream is growing.
• Build the corporate bridge. The catch 22 will not resolve itself. The proposed “fail fast pilot” model deserves development.
• Create a unified regional narrative. The South West has genuine strengths but does not yet tell a coherent story nationally or internationally.
• Build the peer community. The peer sessions and Walk and Talk were consistently rated as the most valuable elements of the day.

What happens next

The report makes clear that the Summit was not an endpoint. It was a progress check and a planning session for what the community builds together over the next twelve months. Several founders have already indicated a willingness to support this work.

Tech South West will convene a new SW ClimateTech Founder Group, explore funding for a structured founder support offer, seek partners to build a comprehensive ecosystem map and coordinate with government, universities, corporates and investment networks to raise the region’s profile.

Dan Pritchard, founder of Tech South West said: “The Summit was not an endpoint. It was a progress check and a planning session for what the South West’s climatetech community builds together over the next twelve months.”

The momentum is real. The assets are proven. The ambition is shared. The next step is coordination that turns a fast growing cluster into a fully realised climatetech community.

Read the full report

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