--- title: The D3 Insights Blog description: Insights from the front lines of climate innovation --- [Skip to content](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog#main-content) [![logo-dark](https://www.third-derivative.org/hubfs/Atomic_Third_Derivative/logos/logo-dark.png)](https://www.third-derivative.org) - [Our Portfolio](https://www.third-derivative.org/portfolio) - [For Entrepreneurs](https://www.third-derivative.org/startups) - [Eligibility & Selection](https://www.third-derivative.org/startups) - [How to Apply](https://www.third-derivative.org/startup-application) - Programs & Opportunities - Innovation Cohorts & Partnerships - [Industrial Innovation Cohorts](https://www.third-derivative.org/industrial-innovation-cohorts) - [Future Industries Partnership](https://www.third-derivative.org/future-industries-partnership) - Impact Archive - [Clean Mobile Power Initiative Cohort](https://www.third-derivative.org/clean-mobile-power-initiative-cohort) - [First Gigaton Captured](https://www.third-derivative.org/first-gigaton-captured) - [Cooling Innovations](https://www.third-derivative.org/global-cooling-innovations) - [Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling](https://www.third-derivative.org/passive-daytime-radiative-cooling) - [Insights & Events](https://www.third-derivative.org/insights) - [About Us](https://www.third-derivative.org/about) - [Our Team](https://www.third-derivative.org/team) - [Careers](https://www.third-derivative.org/careers) - Our Partners - [Corporates](https://www.third-derivative.org/corporates) - [Investors](https://www.third-derivative.org/investors) - [Mentors](https://www.third-derivative.org/mentors) English # The D3 Insights Blog #### Insights from the front lines of climate innovation ## [Third Derivative Unveils 26-Startup Climate Cohort Focused on Hard Tech and Deployment](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/third-derivative-unveils-26-startup-climate-cohort-focused-on-hard-tech-and-deployment) Boulder, CO — May 20, 2026 — Third Derivative, RMI’s global climate tech accelerator, today unveiled a new cohort of 26 startups focused on scaling hard-tech climate solutions... ## [How Southeast Asia's Low-Emission Chemicals Sector Can Expand](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/how-southeast-asias-low-emission-chemicals-sector-can-expand) Southeast Asia’s chemicals sector is enormous, economically indispensable, and poised for rapid expansion. Nowhere is that more evident than on Singapore’s Jurong Island, an.. ## [Charting the Path to Clean-Powered Productions: Executive Summary](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/charting-the-path-to-clean-powered-productions-executive-summary) Read the full report » ## [Smelting Barriers: The Innovators Forging a New Future for Iron and Steel](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/smelting-barriers-the-innovators-forging-a-new-future-for-iron-and-steel) Additional Contributors: Sal Brzozowski, Ali Rotatori, Mackenzie Cool, Thanh Ha, Ana Sophia Mifsud ## [RMI and Third Derivative Advance Cooling Innovations to Combat Global Heat Crisis](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/rmi-and-third-derivative-advance-cooling-innovations-to-combat-global-heat-crisis) Boulder, CO — November 17, 2025 ## [Foundations of Change: The Next Frontier of Cement and Concrete Innovation](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/foundations-of-change-the-next-frontier-of-cement-and-concrete-innovation) Photo credit: Solid Carbon. Additional Contributors: Sal Brzozowski, Ali Rotatori, Heather House, Lindsay Rasmussen, Ben Skinner, Mackenzie Cool, and Kelly Wu ## [Innovative companies join 280+ strong portfolio](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/d3-incoming-general-cohort-25-3-newsbrief) DENVER, CO — Third Derivative, RMI’s global climate tech accelerator, welcomed 18 new startups from six countries across four continents this week — including the accelerator’s.. ## [Catalyzing Change: The new wave of innovation in the chemicals sector](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/catalyzing-change-the-new-wave-of-innovation-in-the-chemicals-sector) The global chemicals industry is deeply embedded in our everyday lives. Across various industries, including healthcare, packaging, agriculture, textiles, automotive,.. ## [Solid-State Cooling Works. Meet the Founders Who Want to Bring it to Market.](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/solid-state-cooling-works.-meet-the-founders-who-want-to-bring-it-to-market) A warmer world demands more cooling, but with EVs, data centers, and industry set to increase electricity demand, any cooling technology must begin with efficiency top of mind... ## [Innovation to Impact: Advancing Solid-State Cooling to Market](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/innovation-to-impact-advancing-solid-state-cooling-to-market) Introduction As the world encounters another hot summer, cooling is becoming an even hotter topic. Cooling demand is skyrocketing, driven primarily by the Global South and fueled.. ## [Accelerating Industrial Innovation in Cement, Steel, and Chemicals](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/accelerating-industrial-innovation-in-cement-steel-and-chemicals) Last week, Third Derivative welcomed 31 startups to our Industrial Innovation Cohorts alongside our first general cohort of 2025. Today, we’re excited to highlight 26 new startups.. ## [Clean Energy 101: Solid-State Cooling](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/clean-energy-101-solid-state-cooling) An exciting class of technologies is poised to revolutionize the cooling landscape — solid-state, or those that use solid materials and an applied field or force to generate.. ## [35 Graduating Startups Driving Innovation: Cohort 23-2 and First Gigaton Captured](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/35-graduating-startups-driving-innovation-cohort-23-2-and-first-gigaton-captured) Today, we celebrate a major milestone with the graduation of 35 startups from Cohort 23-2 (our second cohort of 2023) and Third Derivatives' First Gigaton Captured (FGC) program... ## [Powering the Future of Entertainment](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/announcing-the-clean-mobile-power-cohort) Third Derivative announces our newest cohort alongside Netflix and the Walt Disney Company in the Clean Mobile Power Initiative, aimed at accelerating the deployment of.. ## [Pioneering Clean Energy at Netflix — and Across the Entertainment Industry](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/clean-energy-at-netflix-and-across-the-entertainment-industry) When you sit down on the couch to stream your latest show, climate change and the urgency of the energy transition may be far from your mind — even when the latest season of Love.. ## [RMI, Deep Science Ventures, and Third Derivative Team Up to Launch Mark1, Developing First of a Kind Climate Tech Projects](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/rmi-deep-science-ventures-and-third-derivative-team-up-to-launch-mark1-developing-first-of-a-kind-climate-tech-projects) Nonprofit RMI, its climate tech accelerator Third Derivative, and deep tech venture creator Deep Science Ventures, alongside founding partner Builders Vision, created Mark1 to.. ## [Navigating Innovation in Electrochemistry-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Key Insights From D3’s Latest Deep Dive](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/navigating-innovation-in-electrochemistry-based-carbon-dioxide-removal-key-insights-from-d3s-latest-deep-dive) In 2019, there were only three companies using electrochemistry for carbon dioxide removal (CDR). As of March this year, that number had grown to at least 24, with some companies.. ## [Third Derivative and RMI Launch Industrial Innovation Cohorts to Accelerate Decarbonization of Steel, Cement, and Chemicals](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/third-derivative-and-rmi-launch-industrial-innovation-cohorts-to-accelerate-decarbonization-of-steel-cement-and-chemicals) RMI and Third Derivative are launching the Industrial Innovation Cohorts initiative supported by a $2 million grant from The Lemelson Foundation. ## [The Clean Mobile Power Initiative Adds Key Entertainment Industry Equipment Supplier Partners](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/clean-mobile-power-initiative-adds-key-supplier-partners) We are excited to share that entertainment industry equipment suppliers, The MBS Group, Sunbelt Rentals, and Quixote by Sunset Studios, have joined the Clean Mobile Power.. ## [Introducing Third Derivative’s Cohort 24-1](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/introducing-third-derivatives-cohort-24-1) About Cohort 24-1 RMI’s global climate tech accelerator, Third Derivative, was built to accelerate the rate of climate innovation. Cohort 24-1, our tenth cohort to date, helps us.. ## [The Power of 83: A Beacon of Hope for Climate and Humanity](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/the-power-of-83-a-beacon-of-hope-for-climate-and-humanity) The past year was, at times, a rollercoaster of emotion related to climate progress and pitfalls. Every week seemed to bring conflicting messages of, somehow, both hope and.. ## [Really cool roofs: How breakthrough materials can save lives, carbon, and money in a warming world](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/really-cool-roofs-how-breakthrough-materials-can-save) As this year's scorching northern hemisphere summer comes to an end, we cannot let it recede from view. With every possibility that the summer of 2024—and each summer beyond.. ## [Introducing the Clean Mobile Power Initiative](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/introducing-the-clean-mobile-power-initiative) Entertainment industry leaders, including Netflix and The Walt Disney Company, have made a bold pledge to approximately halve their carbon emissions by 2030. This commitment will.. ## [Top Entertainment Leaders Come Together to Develop Zero-Emissions Power Through Clean Mobile Power Initiative](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/top-entertainment-leaders-come-together-clean-mobile-power-initiative) Denver, CO – June 22, 2023 - Today, entertainment and studio leaders Netflix and The Walt Disney Company launched the Clean Mobile Power Initiative with the participation and.. ## [Hydrogen Produced from Methane Pyrolysis: Key Considerations for Investors](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/hydrogen-produced-from-methane-pyrolysis-key-considerations-for-investors) As we look to a net-zero future, we believe that clean hydrogen is a promising energy source. Traditionally hard-to-abate sectors, such as steel, petrochemicals, shipping,.. ## [Reality Check: Silicon Valley Bank placed some risky bets, but climate tech wasn’t one of them](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/reality-check-silicon-valley-bank-climate-tech) The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has brought out the doomsayers. The demise of the bank, which counted hundreds of climate tech startups among its customers, has raised.. ## [D3 Announces Its First Cohort of 2023](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/announcing-23-1) After a landmark year in 2022 for global momentum in climate commitments, legislation, and investments, Third Derivative (D3) is excited to start 2023 by welcoming 15 impactful.. ## [RMI Appoints New Lead for Climate Tech Accelerator Third Derivative](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/rmi-appoints-new-lead-for-climate-tech-accelerator-third-derivative) Boulder, CO – November 22, 2022  ## [Spotlight: TekUncorked Bringing Reliability and Resilience to India’s Grid](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/tekuncorked-bringing-reliability-resilience-to-india-grid) In Third Derivative’s “Ecosystem Spotlight” series, learn about the people, ideas, and companies that are—together—accelerating the rate of climate innovation to address the.. ## [Low-Carbon Cement: Key Considerations for Investors](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/low-carbon-cement-3) Concrete is one of the planet’s most used materials, second only to water. No other material can match its durability, cost, or flexibility — it plays an irreplaceable role in our.. ## [D3 Launches First Cohort of Innovative Carbon Dioxide Removal Startups](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/d3-launches-first-cohort-co2-startups) Oakland, CA – July 19, 2022 ## [D3 Announces Two New Cohorts, Including First Focused Group on CO2 Removal](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/announcing-22-2-and-22-3) As part of our effort to move the needle—and the market—on climate tech, Third Derivative (D3) is proud to announce Cohorts 22-2 and 22-3. Alongside a general cohort (22-2).. ## [Celebrating Cohort 417: D3's Inaugural Startups Move On](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/celebrating-cohort417) Congratulations are in order for Third Derivative’s inaugural group of trailblazing entrepreneurs—Cohort 417—who recently became our first cohort to make the transition to D3.. ## [Three Pathways to Innovation in Low-Carbon Cement](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/low-carbon-cement-2) Concrete and cement have helped form the complex and varied built environment of the 21st century. The problem is, the process of producing cement also produces large amounts of.. ## [Bringing Low-Carbon Cement To Market](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/low-carbon-cement) Cement is quite literally the glue that holds much of the modern world together. It is the most widely used industrial commodity today, and the world consumes about half a ton of.. ## [E-Fuel: Decarbonizing Aviation with Sustainable Drop-In Fuel Alternatives](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/e-fuel-decarbonizing-aviation-with-sustainable-drop-in-fuel-alternatives) DOWNLOAD REPORT BELOW: ## [Ecosystem Spotlight: The long-duration energy storage solutions we need now](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/ecosystem-spotlight-the-long-duration-energy-storage-solutions-we-need-now) Solar and wind energy may be practically limitless—but we’re still limited in the ability to decarbonize until we can effectively store surplus energy for use at night, and when.. ## [D3 Appoints Managing Director to Accelerate Tech Solutions and Innovations for Climate Change](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/d3-appoints-new-managing-director-to-accelerate-tech-solutions-and-innovations-for-climate-change) Boulder, CO – April 27, 2022  ## [Three Approaches to Ocean CDR](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/three-approaches-to-ocean-cdr) In the 200-plus years since the industrial revolution began, human-caused carbon emissions have raised the acidity of the surface layers of our oceans by a whopping 30 percent... ## [Announcing Cohort 22-1](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/announcing-cohort-22-1) Comprised of 16 startups working on some of the most important emissions categories, today we're welcoming Cohort 22-1 into D3's portfolio as our third official cohort. ## [How (And Why) We Measure Climate Impact](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/why-and-how-we-measure-climate-impact) Many new and promising climate technology startups are emerging today, but investors do not yet have all the tools they need to assess the impact of those startups. ## [The Future Is Electric: BasiGo’s Vision for Bus Transit in Africa](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/basigos-vision-for-bus-transit-in-africa) In Third Derivative’s “Ecosystem Spotlight” series, learn about the people, ideas, and companies accelerating the clean future, together. Today, we’re featuring Jit Bhattacharya,.. ## [Announcing First Gigaton Captured](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/announcing-first-gigaton-captured) We’re thrilled to announce that Third Derivative (D3) is joining forces with the preeminent Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust to find, fund, and scale the most.. ## [Three Areas of Innovation for Direct Air Capture Startups to Seize This Decade](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/three-areas-of-innovation-for-direct-air-capture-startups-to-seize-this-decade) Direct air capture, or DAC, is a fledgling technology that essentially reverses that process—capturing CO2 out of the air so it can be used or returned underground to be stored.. ## [Ecosystem Spotlight: Reeddi’s Clean Energy-as-a-Service Solution](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/ecosystem-spotlight-reeddis-clean-energy-as-a-service-solution) In Third Derivative’s “Ecosystem Spotlight” series, learn about the people, ideas, and companies that are—together—accelerating the rate of climate innovation to address the.. ## [A Look at the Philippines’ Clean Energy Ecosystem](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/a-look-at-the-philippines-clean-energy-ecosystem) The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. Sea level rise is three to four times faster in this island nation than the global average,.. ## [Why Aren’t More Grid-Edge Startups Investable?](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/why-arent-more-grid-edge-startups-investable) In today’s era of energy transition buzzwords, “decarbonization” is the belle of the ball. But increasingly, so is “decentralization.” Nowhere is this more apparent than within.. ## [Driving Window Innovation to Combat Climate Change](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/driving-window-innovation-to-combat-climate-change) From urban construction trends to aesthetic appeal and the many benefits of natural light indoors, windows are dominating more wall space in buildings than ever. And this global.. ## [Why Deploying Climate Tech at Scale Is So Hard](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/why-deploying-climate-tech-at-scale-is-so-hard) The science is clear. To combat climate change, we need to deploy trillions of dollars a year into new, gigaton-scale climate solutions. Some of these solutions involve existing,.. ## [Climate Tech’s Four Valleys of Death and Why We Must Build a Bridge](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/climate-techs-four-valleys-of-death-and-why-we-must-build-a-bridge) For such technologies, it’s an especially challenging path from idea to first product to broad deployment. Solar PV, wind, or electric vehicles experienced long and arduous.. ## [Why We Need Faster Climate Tech Innovation](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/why-we-need-faster-climate-tech-innovation) In 2014, Reinventing Fire mapped a path to greater than 80 percent reductions in carbon emissions, at a cost $5 trillion cheaper than business as usual, while requiring “no new.. ## [Innovating to Solve Two Crises at Once](https://www.third-derivative.org/blog/innovating-to-solve-two-crises-at-once) COVID-19 is a cataclysm of epic scale that has disrupted life as we know it globally. ![logo-white](https://www.third-derivative.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Atomic_Third_Derivative/logos/logo-white.png?width=300&name=logo-white.png) Founded by [RMI](https://rmi.org/) and [New Energy Nexus](https://www.newenergynexus.com/), Third Derivative (D3) is accelerating the rate of climate innovation through our inclusive ecosystem approach, which rapidly finds, funds, and scales climate tech globally. #### Connect with us: #### About - [Story](https://www.third-derivative.org/about#story) - [Team](https://www.third-derivative.org/team) - [Careers](https://www.third-derivative.org/careers) #### Insights & Events - [Research & Insights](https://www.third-derivative.org/insights) #### Contact - [Contact Us](https://www.third-derivative.org/contact) - [Media](https://www.third-derivative.org/press) #### For Entrepreneurs - [How to Apply](https://www.third-derivative.org/startup-application) - [Eligibility & Selection](https://www.third-derivative.org/startups) #### Partners - [Investors](https://www.third-derivative.org/investors) - [Corporates](https://www.third-derivative.org/corporates) - [Mentors](https://www.third-derivative.org/mentors) - [Refer a Startup](https://www.third-derivative.org/startup-referral) #### SIGN UP FOR THE MONTHLY D3 NEWSLETTER [Sign Up](https://rmi.tfaforms.net/100) Copyright 2026. Third Derivative. All Rights Reserved. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.third-derivative.org/privacy-policy) ![](https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=3824596&fmt=gif)