These are busy times for the venture capital investors backing startups tackling a range of tough-to-crack climate problems, from global warming to a shortage of clean water.
VC investors have poured a record $30.8 billion into climate technology startups so far this year, a nearly 50% increase from all of last year, according to data firm PitchBook. These investors are betting on more hits like electric vehicle maker Rivian, whose market value topped $150 billion after its listing debut this month. And they are hoping to avoid the failures, like Solyndra, that burned green energy investors a decade ago.
