At the 2024 Breakthrough Energy Summit, over 1,500 climate leaders gathered in London to ignite the future of climate technology. For three days, global innovators, investors, and policymakers tackled industry challenges, showcased transformative solutions, and forged partnerships to accelerate the clean energy transition.

Breakthrough Executive Director Rodi Guidero on stage during the Breakthrough Energy Summit Opening Plenary.

Breakthrough Executive Director Rodi Guidero kicked off the Summit by laying the groundwork for the clean industrial revolution, defining the steps needed to achieve a net-zero future, and discussing technologies that can bring about global change. He inspired Summit attendees with a unifying call to action, emphasizing each individual’s crucial role in accelerating climate innovation. “Together, we can launch a clean industrial revolution,” Rodi declared.

Rodi then sat down with Bill Gates, the founder of Breakthrough Energy, who reflected on its origins and emphasized the need to support innovation globally to build an equitable, clean future. Over the next decade, he shared, Breakthrough Energy aims to scale its initiatives significantly—expanding technologies and solutions across various regions, addressing political and economic uncertainties, and forming strategic partnerships to drive global emissions down to zero.

Breakthrough Energy Chief Technology Officer Eric Toone.

During the opening plenary, Breakthrough’s Chief Technology Officer Eric Toone captivated the audience with his message, “Energy is prosperity.” He traced the history of technological advancements that brought prosperity but left a legacy of CO2 and other greenhouse gases that threaten to make our planet uninhabitable. Eric then shared some of the most promising technologies that could help to create a net-zero future.

Breakthrough Energy Founder Bill Gates meeting with Commonwealth Fusion Systems in the innovator tent at the Breakthrough Energy Summit.

Examples of the groundbreaking innovation that Eric Toone uplifted were displayed throughout the Summit in the Innovation Showcase, where Breakthrough Energy portfolio companies and Fellows highlighted their groundbreaking technologies across each of the Five Grand Challenges.

In the Transportation room of the Showcase, Steven Henderson, Co-Founder and CEO of Fleetzero, presented his company’s battery technology that enables affordable long-range electric cargo shipping. “It’s great to be amongst similar climate tech companies at the Summit,” Steven said. “Bill Gates toured the innovation showcase and asked good questions, and potential customers are engaging in important conversations about our ability to electrify even the largest ships.”

Panelists discuss the hydrogen ecosystem at the Breakthrough Energy Summit.

The Summit featured breakout sessions, panels, and workshops that addressed some of the most challenging and exciting issues facing the climate tech community. Experts discussed the role of AI, talked about innovations to decarbonize some of the most common materials that make up our world, such as cement and steel, and presented the progress in hard-to-abate sectors, like aviation and shipping.

Rajeev Ram of Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Breakthrough’s Rajeev Ram unveiled the new Grid Modeling Project, which aims to modernize power grids. The open-source platform will transform grid planning, forecasting, and clean energy integration.

Ashley Grosh, Head of Breakthrough Energy Discovery.

Breakthrough Energy leaders delved into Breakthrough’s emphasis on discovery, development, and deployment. The “Three D’s” are how we organize our work to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. Ashley Grosh, Head of Discovery, began the plenary by outlining how Breakthrough Energy Discovery supports technology development & commercialization with groundbreaking programs like Fellows, Explorers, and Workshops.

Cat Clifford, Senior Science and Economics Correspondent with Cipher News, facilitates a panel with leaders of Breakthrough Energy Ventures portfolio companies.

Cat Clifford, Senior Science and Economics Correspondent with Cipher News, sat down with Andrew Ponec, Co-Founder and CEO of Antora Energy, Mateo Jaramillo, Co-Founder and CEO of Form Energy, and Cody Friesen, CEO of SOURCE Global. These three leaders from Breakthrough Energy Ventures portfolio companies discussed their pioneering technologies in the development stage. They shared insights on the unique challenges their companies face at this stage as they strive to build successful companies capable of scaling their clean technologies.

Eric Trusiewicz, Chief Executive Officer of Rondo Energy.

Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, alongside its partners the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (“EIB”), announced €75 Million in funding for Rondo Energy—also a Breakthrough Energy Ventures portfolio company.

Christopher Sorensen, CEO of Rondo’s partner GreenLab, talked about the significance of this announcement being made at the Summit. “Having worked with Rondo and Breakthrough Energy for the last year, we’ve experienced a high level of purpose and engagement alongside a high level of competency and willingness to challenge assumptions,” Christopher shared. “That’s the same experience we’ve been having with everyone we’ve met at the Summit.”

Mario Fernandez, Head of Catalyst, presents the 12 Keys to Scaling Up.

Mario Fernandez, Head of Catalyst, later expanded on Breakthrough Energy’s Deployment work with a presentation on how to enable technologies to scale and companies to access cheaper capital: Unlocking Capital for Climate Tech Projects: The 12 Keys to Scaling-up.

His Royal Highness, Prince William, walking with Breakthrough Energy Founder Bill Gates and Libby Wayman of Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

As the Summit came to a close, His Royal Highness, Prince William, Founder & President of The Earthshot Prize, reminded us what is possible when innovators are given the freedom to experiment boldly. Breakthrough Energy is a supporter of The Earthshot Prize, which was launched in 2020 to incentivize innovation by finding and scaling the most promising solutions to the world’s most significant environmental challenges.

Breakthrough Energy team members at the 2024 Breakthrough Energy Summit.

Breakthrough Energy’s 2024 Summit wrapped with a message of optimism and calls for continued collaboration. Participants left inspired and ready to get to work on the clean industrial revolution. Irina Gorbounova, Head of Xcarb Innovation Fund, ArcelorMittal reflected, “When you think about events that will change the course of history for the next decade – this is one of them.”