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Tim De Chant

Senior Reporter, Climate, TechCrunch

Tim De Chant is a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch. He has written for a wide range of publications, including Wired magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Ars Technica, The Wire China, and NOVA Next, where he was founding editor. De Chant is also a lecturer in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, and he was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, during which time he studied climate technologies and explored new business models for journalism. He received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his BA degree in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College.

Tim De Chant

Latest from Tim De Chant

The company recently closed a $130 million round, according to an SEC filing, bringing the total to $327 million.

Zap Energy investors in recent $130M round included Soros Fund and Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective

Marvel Fusion is one of several companies pursuing what’s known as inertial confinement fusion.

Marvel Fusion lands $70M for laser-powered fusion bet

As the universe’s lightest gas, hydrogen is tricky to contain. But there’s an alternative: attaching hydrogen atoms to a carrier molecule that’s easier to move.

Ayrton Energy mimics margarine to store hydrogen safely

Europe’s attempt at building a battery manufacturing powerhouse announced that it had halted work on a factory expansion and laid off about 20% of its employees.

Northvolt lays off 1,600 workers, but it’s not the end for Europe’s battery champion

Companies are eyeing nuclear power as a way to reconcile their breakneck data center growth with their commitments to hit net zero carbon emissions.

How Big Tech embraced nuclear power

The startup, previously known as GreenBlu, was working on desalination when it realized there was more value in the minerals that were left behind.

Tidal Metals sees seawater as the solution to a critical mineral shortage

The startup has been methodically exploring how batteries might transform life in emerging markets.

Zeno emerges from stealth to crib Tesla’s master plan for Africa and beyond

The startup will use turbomachinery to develop a heat pump capable of generating industrial-grade heat.

Karman Industries hopes its SpaceX-inspired heat pumps will replace industrial boilers

The startup is taking a different approach to removing carbon dioxide from the air than most of its competitors.

Phlair’s carbon-sucking technology could lower direct air capture’s costs

The startup focuses on optimizing the entire widget, from the electrolyzer’s electrodes to the tangle of pipes and pumps that support them.

Hgen draws on lessons from Tesla and SpaceX to drive down the cost of hydrogen 

The company is working with Muon Space, the Earth Fire Alliance, and others to launch FireSat.

New sensors co-developed by Google aim to detect wildfires everywhere much faster

Fusion startups have raised $7.1 billion to date, with the majority of it going to a handful of companies. 

Every fusion startup that has raised over $300M

What could be more frightening than Friday the 13th? How about a realization that AI is in its awkward tween stage? At least, it was…

AI’s tween years, who’s taking over climate tech, and the latest for Fearless Fund

A new report from Congruent Ventures and SVB highlights startups that could significantly reduce carbon emissions, mitigating climate change.

Hardware companies dominate a list of promising climate tech startups

The lack of climate announcement’s at Apple’s annual event shows just how hard meaningful progress on carbon emissions can be, even for one of the world’s most valuable companies.

Climate change was a lot less prominent in this year’s iPhone event

The startup has devised a durable way to store solar power as heat that can then be used for household heating or hot water.

Sunamp’s thermal battery uses a chemical found in salt-and-vinegar potato chips

By using readily available natural gas as the feedstock, C-Zero hopes to produce emission-free hydrogen for less than other green hydrogen startups.

C-Zero is raising $18M to make emission-free hydrogen using natural gas, filings reveal

The stealthily operating startup thinks it can narrow the gap by helping miners extract more copper from their mines.

Endolith is using ‘Olympic-caliber’ copper microbes to address the copper shortage

Microplastics are everywhere. Everywhere.  They are in our waters, in our food and even crossing blood barriers to enter our brains.  Sarah Paiji Yoo launched…

Sarah Paiji Yoo is working to clean up our macro-microplastic mess

Flexible green methanol, which is made without fossil fuels, could rid carbon pollution from a range of industries.

Oxylus Energy strikes ‘beautiful balance’ to make e-fuels for aviation and shipping

The pellets can be stored in piles or silos, moved around using conveyor belts, and transported via rail cars.

Cache Energy’s mysterious white pellets could help kill coal and natural gas

For the price, buyers will get a well-equipped electric minivan that falls a bit short on range.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric minivan will cost $59,995 for just 234 miles of range

BEVC is the latest life sciences VC to add planetary health to its portfolio, suggesting that the trend is catching hold.

Life sciences investor BEVC raising $25M climate fund

Until recently, saving the world usually didn’t involve turning a profit. But as the world has warmed, a range of startups and investors have emerged that have squared the circle,…

Discover how founders and investors are saving the planet at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

The startup is proposing to use wells stretching thousands of feet as batteries, storing water under pressure to generate electricity later.

Sage Geosystems wants to solve the data center energy crisis by storing pressurized water deep underground

The startup’s core technology is a proprietary material that absorbs moisture from the air, allowing air conditioning to cool buildings more efficiently.

Humidity sucks. Transaera has a new way to deal with it

Cala Systems’ water heater pairs an advanced heat pump with an AI-powered control system to forecast hot water demand.

AI-powered water heater could banish cold showers and carbon pollution

Investors are assisting startup founders earlier than ever in an effort to help them bridge the first climate tech valley of death.

Why Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy and other investors are scouring universities for founders

The startup developed a two-material system that helps homes self-regulate their internal humidity.

Adept Materials’ dehumidifying paint was inspired by trees and semiconductors

The startup has raised $21.5 million to build more of its machines and deploy them throughout the U.S.

Applied Carbon’s farm robot turns plant waste into biochar to capture CO2