Answers to common questions from founders, investors, and
researchers using Climate Innovation Compass India.
FOR ASPIRING FOUNDERS & INNOVATORS
Start by exploring the sectors and understanding how they work, including the key stakeholders and value chains involved. Next, dive into the opportunities (problem statements). Each opportunity represents a challenge that our team has validated based on its climate impact, economic viability, and market readiness in the Indian context. You can filter opportunities by sector or technology area, explore the problem statements, understand the solutions that exist today, and identify the gaps that still need to be addressed. If a problem resonates with you and you are building a solution in that space, let us know through the contact form. We would love to learn more about your work.
Deep-tech climate startups often require longer gestation periods, specialised technical expertise, and strong connections with research institutions. We recommend starting by identifying a validated problem statement on the platform and gaining a deeper understanding of the opportunity area. From there, founders can connect with India's universities, research labs, and innovation ecosystem. For those building deep-tech solutions, our partner NSRCEL's Climate Centre of Excellence also provides dedicated support to early-stage climate-tech founders.
Use the contact form on the platform to express your interest area and the type of co-founder you are looking for. We will connect you with others in the network who are working on similar problems. You can also participate in events run by Pragati Earth and NSRCEL where founders actively meet and collaborate.
Look up the relevant sector on this platform. If your idea maps to a documented problem statement, that is a strong signal. If it does not appear, it could mean the problem is underexplored or that the market readiness is low. You can submit your idea through the form and our team will flag it if it connects to ongoing work in the ecosystem.
FOR CURRENT FOUNDERS
It does not mean your solution is unimportant. Our methodology prioritises problems based on current market readiness and the potential for commercial adoption in the near term. As a result, some important problem areas may not be featured yet, especially if they are still at an early stage or require longer development timelines. If you believe we have overlooked a problem area, please reach out through the form. We are continuously updating the Climate Innovation Compass, and your input can help us improve future iterations.
In the majority of cases, fundability depends on three factors: problem scale, market readiness, and differentiation. Our framework already filters for the first two. To assess differentiation, look at the 'What has been tried' section for your problem area on the Compass. If you are solving a gap that existing approaches miss, and there is a customer willing to pay, that is the strongest signal for investors.
Yes. If your startup is working on one of the documented opportunity areas, use the contact form to reach out. Pragati Earth is actively looking to connect with founders working on high-priority climate problems in India.
FOR INVESTORS
The Opportunities section maps validated problem statements with the current state of innovation and identified gaps. These represent areas where new ventures are likely to emerge. You can also use the platform to connect with early-stage founders working in these spaces before they show up in traditional deal flow.
We use a problem-led methodology that evaluates each opportunity across three dimensions: scale of impact, economic value of the problem, and current readiness for adoption. This helps investors understand not just where the need is greatest, but where solutions are most likely to reach commercial viability in the near to medium term. To know more, we strongly recommend reading the Methodology section.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
The platform was developed by Pragati Earth and NSRCEL (IIM Bangalore's startup incubator), with support from Breakthrough Energy. The research was conducted by a team of Fellows and volunteers through interviews with more than 70 domain experts from India's climate ecosystem.
Yes. The Climate Innovation Compass is a completely open-source platform. All problem statements, opportunity analyses, and sector overviews are freely accessible. We believe open information is a prerequisite for better collaboration in India's climate ecosystem.
We plan to update opportunity assessments regularly, incorporating new research, market developments, and inputs from our expert council. If you have information that should update an existing problem statement, reach out through the form.
We are open to partnerships with research institutions, corporates, government bodies, and funders who want to contribute to India's climate innovation ecosystem. Contact us through the form and our team will follow up.