A Year Defined by Intensifying Competition, Resource Security, and the Rise of Economic Durability as Cleantech’s New Mandate
San Francisco, CA – January 14, 2026 — Transcend, the leader in generative engineering software for critical infrastructure, has been named on Cleantech Group’s 2026 Global Cleantech 100. This annual list recognizes companies poised to deliver market-ready solutions that advance a cleaner, more resilient global future.
Now in its 17th year, the report highlights innovators addressing some of the world’s most urgent environmental and infrastructure challenges across energy, water, materials, agriculture, and infrastructure. The 2026 list reflects a global landscape shaped by rising climate risk, geopolitical volatility, and growing pressure on critical systems. The Global Cleantech 100 is sponsored by Chubb.
The 2026 cohort reflects a moment when climate ambition is colliding with delivery reality. Around the world, governments, utilities, and industries are committing to aggressive decarbonization and resilience goals while operating within tighter financial constraints, aging infrastructure, and increasing climate volatility. The companies recognized this year represent a wide range of approaches aimed at ensuring climate solutions can be deployed, scaled, and sustained under real-world conditions.
A More Competitive Landscape Amid Tightening Macroeconomic Conditions
Following a 2025 year marked by geopolitical volatility and shifting economic signals, the global cleantech ecosystem enters 2026 with slightly greater certainty—yet heightened competitive pressure. Growth is concentrating around two dominant themes: AI infrastructure and critical minerals.
These areas dominate this year’s “Grow” ring, as seen in digram below, while many other technologies remain in “Flow” or recede into “Slow”. This is creating a “pressure cooking” dynamic in which the Grow ring becomes more competitive, while the flow and slow become more difficult to break out of.
Despite headwinds, long-term indicators remain encouraging. When viewed over the past decade, venture investment levels—often a proxy for growth expectations—show the themes remains significantly more robust than ten years ago and continues to outperform pre-pandemic norms. Increasingly, the focus is shifting from rapid expansion to economic durability.
This emphasis on durability is reflected across the 2026 cohort. Companies addressing national security–linked supply chains, grid resilience, climate adaptation, and reliable access to power, materials, and water – feature prominently on this year’s list. Together, they illustrate how climate action is expanding beyond efficiency gains toward solutions that strengthen the systems communities depend on.
“Climate action depends on whether the systems we design today still work decades from now,” said Ari Raivetz, CEO of Transcend. “The Global Cleantech 100 recognizes companies taking on that challenge across energy, water, and infrastructure. We’re proud to be included.”
“This year’s Global Cleantech 100 reflects a market in transition—one that is becoming more disciplined, more discerning, and ultimately more resilient. While the adjustment phase has been painful for some parts of the ecosystem, we are also witnessing remarkable bursts of innovation responding to new sources of demand, from AI-driven power needs to critical materials security,” remarked Richard Youngman, CEO at Cleantech Group.
“The 2026 Global Cleantech 100 arrives at a pivotal moment. Around the world, governments and industries are no longer innovating for efficiency alone—they are innovating for durability. This year’s honorees reflect that shift,” said Anthony DeOrsey, Research Manager at Cleantech Group.
“Whether securing critical minerals, strengthening the grid, transforming industrial processes, or unlocking new value through AI, these companies are redefining resilience,” he added.
Download your complimentary copy of the 2026 Global Cleantech 100.
About Transcend
Transcend is a generative engineering platform that brings data standardization, governance, and traceability to critical infrastructure design—empowering asset owners, engineers, and technology suppliers/OEMs to plan, design, and build with confidence.
About Cleantech Group
Cleantech® Group is the human intelligence authority on global cleantech innovation. By blending our intelligence, proprietary data, and the global network we’ve cultivated for more than 20 years, we deliver insights you can trust and guidance you can act on.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
India Hughes
Senior Marketing Manager
Transcend
Email: ihughes@transcendinfra.com
Phone: +13104637628
Addison Marr
Senior Marketing Manager
Cleantech Group
Email: addison.marr@cleantech.com
Phone: +1 901-609-9540
