Tom Martin
4 April, 2025
Business

Clean energy startups secure £150m investment boost with Net Zero Technology Centre’s support

Clean energy startups supported by Aberdeen’s Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) have raised £150 million in private investment, reflecting growing confidence in renewable energy, hydrogen, and carbon capture.

Mark Anderson, Chief Acceleration Officer at the Net Zero Technology Centre, opens the Net Zero Innovators conference, focusing on how new solutions can speed up the shift to clean energy.

The not-for-profit centre, funded by the Scottish and UK governments, has backed more than 80 pioneering firms, helping them generate £36 million in revenue and create over 1,500 jobs.

Its TechX Accelerator programme has played a key role, investing £7 million since 2017 and attracting 20 times that amount in private equity.

The figures were revealed at NZTC’s inaugural Net Zero Innovators conference in Aberdeen, where startups showcased their technology to industry leaders and investors.

The event, attended by around 500 delegates, brought together developers, energy companies and supply chain specialists to trial and scale up solutions.

Among the firms presenting their innovations were HonuWorx, developing submarines that operate without crews to reduce offshore emissions by up to 30 tonnes per day, and ACUA Ocean, creating the world’s first hydrogen-powered surface vessel for offshore monitoring.

Frontier Robotics is improving marine robots to help maintain offshore wind farms, while Wastewater Fuels is turning wastewater into green hydrogen.

 delegate gets hands-on with ACUA Ocean's cutting-edge underwater inspection technology through an immersive VR experience at the Net Zero Innovators conference.
delegate gets hands-on with ACUA Ocean's cutting-edge underwater inspection technology through an immersive VR experience at the Net Zero Innovators conference. Credit: Ross Johnston/Newsline Media/NZTC

Myriad Wind demonstrated multi-rotor wind turbines that are more cost-effective, safer and easier to maintain.

Mark Anderson, NZTC’s chief acceleration officer, said the investment secured by these companies demonstrated the growing momentum behind clean energy technology.

“These figures are a testament to the power of innovation and the impact of our support for clean energy startups,” he said.

A model of JET Connectivity’s 5G mesh buoys on display at the Net Zero Innovators conference, highlighting the future of offshore communication.
A model of JET Connectivity’s 5G mesh buoys on display at the Net Zero Innovators conference, highlighting the future of offshore communication. Credit: Ross Johnston/Newsline Media/NZTC

“The £150 million in private investment raised by companies through our TechX Accelerator programme shows the real value of the work happening here,” he said.

The conference also featured panel discussions on decarbonisation and a roundtable on unlocking investment in energy tech innovation.

A ‘pitch battle’ saw startups from the TechX programme compete to showcase their solutions to industry leaders and potential backers.

Anderson said events like this were critical to bridging the gap between startups and industry, ensuring new technology reaches commercial scale.

He added: “It is not just about technological breakthroughs. It is about making the right connections, matching innovators with industry leaders who can help trial, scale and deploy their solutions.

“By bringing together cutting-edge startups with industry decision-makers, we are accelerating the development of breakthrough technologies and ensuring they can be deployed at scale to make a real difference in the energy transition.”

He also pointed to Aberdeen’s role in driving the energy innovation agenda, saying partnerships were "key to driving growth, creating jobs, and building a more sustainable economy for communities across the UK."