How AWS is Championing the Development of Climate Technology

Climate change poses a huge threat to the planet in a multitude of ways — and combating it proves to be an increasing challenge.

In a bid to curb its effects and tackle it head-on, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) — an organisation under the patronage of UNESCO — is ramping up its efforts through the Compute for Climate Fellowship.

What is the Compute for Climate Fellowship?

The Compute for Climate Fellowship is a global R&D funding initiative designed to empower climate tech startups in their mission to combat climate change through advanced cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Launched in 2023 by IRCAI and AWS, the fellowship provides selected startups with resources to develop groundbreaking proof-of-concept (PoC) solutions. 

Each Fellow receives funding from AWS alongside technical and scientific mentorship from experts at AWS and IRCAI.

Stepping up support for the fellowship a notch in 2025, this year's iteration is an expanded version of the original programme, “exploring new areas of climate tech and dedicating additional financial resources to help all founders develop cutting-edge climate solutions”.

“With the effects of the climate crisis intensifying, it is imperative that we support the development of a broad set of approaches to bring new climate solutions to life—that’s why we are expanding the scope of the Compute for Climate Fellowship to accept a larger number of startups, ” said Lisbeth Kaufman, Head of Climate Tech Startups Business Development at AWS.

“From fusion energy, to smarter grids, to generative AI models to discover climate resilient plants, and deep-sea drones to map the ocean, we’ve seen how advanced cloud computing and AI can unlock new possibilities for a more sustainable future.

"We are doubling down in 2025, and providing more visionary founders the resources and mentorship they need to turn bold ideas into lasting impact”.

How is the fellowship different for 2025?

This year’s Compute for Climate Fellowship is built up from its preceding iterations and now:

• Fully funds proof-of-concepts for 20 global startups, up from four startups in 2023 and eight last year
• Introduces a dedicated focus on indigenous communities, prioritising solutions that protect their lands, livelihoods and cultural heritage from climate impacts
• Allocates US$4m in AWS credits to equip startups with the cloud computing power needed to scale cutting-edge climate technologies.

This commitment showcases not only the increasing success of climate tech innovation, but the urgent need for funding and computational resources to scale impactful solutions.

“It wasn’t simple, but we managed to supercharge the startups with both resources and knowledge, and now we are taking it even further,” says Davor Orlic, Chief Operating Officer of IRCAI. 

“By expanding the Compute for Climate Fellowship, we are not only increasing the number of selected startups but also broadening the scope of climate solutions they can tackle and the applicability of AI in the climate space. 

“Innovation happens when bold ideas meet the right support, and we are committed to providing that foundation to drive real environmental impact.”

Compute for Climate Fellowship’s lasting impact

The Compute for Climate Fellowship has supported innovative climate tech startups like RealtaFusion and Cosma. 

RealtaFusion, incubated at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, achieved a world record-breaking plasma generation in 2024, marking a significant milestone in fusion energy research. 

The fellowship accelerated its development of a unique plasma stability simulation using cloud computing.

At French startup Cosma, the company employs underwater micro-drones and AI for scalable, cost-effective environmental surveys in ocean management. 

The fellowship provided its teams with resources to develop a Rare Benthic Species detection algorithm, advancing marine biology research.

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