Critical Climate Innovations for Transitioning to a Zero-Carbon Energy System

The path to net zero demands breakthrough technologies, and the UK is home to a growing wave of founders building them. Join us for an evening exploring the critical innovations reshaping our energy system, from smarter grids and demand-side flexibility to the next generation of clean-energy infrastructure.

This session brings together two contrasting models of climate innovation: a pure-software play rebuilding the digital plumbing of energy markets, and a software-enabled hardware company turning a physical product into a connected grid asset. Together, they illustrate the breadth of what climate tech looks like today, and the very different paths founders take to scale it.

This event is jointly delivered by the ZERO Founders Network (ZERO Institute), the Oriel Environment Group, and Oxfordshire Greentech. Bringing together three communities that sit at the heart of Oxford’s climate and entrepreneurship ecosystem, the collaboration reflects the shared ambition of our networks: to connect researchers, founders, investors, and students working on the technologies the energy transition demands.

Agenda

4:00 – 4:15 pm: Arrival & welcome
4:15 – 4:30 pm: Lightning talk: Joe McDonald (tem)
4:30 – 4:45 pm: Lightning talk: Dr Pete Armstrong (Mixergy)
4:45 – 5:30 pm: Panel: Software vs. Software-Enabled Hardware, Two Paths to Decarbonising Energy
5:30 – 6:15 pm: Startup Showcase: Rising Climate-Tech Pitches
6:15 – 7:00 pm: Networking over drinks & nibbles