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Radar · Environment in Oakland

Best Environment Companies in Oakland, United States

The 33 best Environment companies in Oakland, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: BrightSource Energy.

33companies tracked
$888.2Mdisclosed funding
0unicorns
9have raised
FLIAR INTELLIGENCE · ENVIRONMENT × OAKLAND

Our analysis of 90 Environment companies

$38.2b in tracked funding; 89% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.

90companies analysed
89%cloud-native stacks
2025funding peak (by rounds)
3unicorns
2015median founding year
131kcombined LinkedIn audience
51%of audience held by top 3
3companies hiring publicly (12 mo)

Ranked: Best Environment companies in Oakland

#CompanyDisclosed fundingLast roundStageFounderFoundedTech stackPatents & IP focusRecent signals
1BrightSource Energy
AI-powered energy management software optimizing renewable energy and storage portfolios
$806M102 mo agoSeries GDave Ramm
Chairman and CEO
2006WordPressMySQLPHP+22——
2SOLARCYCLE
Provider of solar panel recycling services
$38M44 mo agoSeries APablo Dias
Co-Founder & CTO
2022WebflowjQuery-pjaxcore-js+1736 patents
Recovering and processing glass, silicon, and metals from end‑of‑life solar modules
—
3GRID Alternatives
Solar panel & products installation company
40Growth top 35%Tech top 50%Funding bottom 49%Talent bottom 49%
All 6 signals ▾
Growthtop 35%
Techtop 50%
Fundingbottom 49%
Talentbottom 49%
Globalbottom 37%
Marketbottom 28%
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Tech: 29 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare, Fastly
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 40/100
$23M17 mo agoFunding RaisedKaren Edson
CEO
2001DrupalApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+23——
4ClimatePlan
Network of organizations advancing land-use and transportation policies to address climate change and promote…
$19M38 mo agoSeries B—2007———
5MMCISolar
Solar thermal technology company providing renewable energy and job opportunities
$1M83 mo agoFunding RaisedMark Miles
Founder & CEO
2010———
6GSSG Solar
Solar investment and financial advisory firm
$1M164 mo agoSeed—2013WordPressMySQLPHP+22——
7Sunfig
Developer of solar energy projects
$200K88 mo agoAcquiredAshton Vandemark
Co-Founder & CEO
2017———
8Anza
Manufacturer of solar PV modules and battery
—41 mo agoSeedMike Hall
CEO
2022WordPress Site EditorWordPressMySQL+31——

Top 10 Environment companies in Oakland

#1
Funding Raised · Oakland, California · founded 2001
$22.6Mraised
▾

Solar panel & products installation company

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 40how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 35%
Tech
top 50%
Funding
bottom 49%
Talent
bottom 49%
Global
bottom 37%
Market
bottom 28%
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Tech: 29 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare, Fastly · Devops: Nginx, Varnish
Funding: Raised $22.6M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 17 yrs (0.2/yr) · Last round Grant (prize money) (May 2025)
Audience (LinkedIn): 26k LinkedIn followers — 20.1% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
  • May 2025Grant (prize money)$1.5M
  • May 2025Grant (prize money)$20.1M
  • Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$999.5K
  • Sep 2009Grant (prize money)$15K
Founders & team
Karen EdsonCEO
Investors
national service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OSTI, REDF
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCampaign MonitorCart FunctionalityCloudflareDocusignDrupal
#2
Series G · Oakland, California · founded 2006 · 4 employees
$805.7Mraised
▾

AI-powered energy management software optimizing renewable energy and storage portfolios. The company revolutionizes energy management with its AI-powered optimization software, providing advanced solutions for renewable energy and storage. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and data analytics, it empowers clients to make informed decisions that enhance sustainability and profitability. The software optimizes photovoltaics, battery storage, microgrids, wind turbines, and EV charging stations. It offers intelligent optimization, cost reduction, and revenue maximization through AI-driven market participation and digital twin technology. The platform provides real-time computation and revenue maximization for diverse energy assets using physics-based modeling and AI. It features a flexible configuration engine, open architecture, and end-to-end platform capabilities, including planning, sizing, and real-time revenue optimization. The company leverages expertise in cybersecurity and hardware-software integration to protect assets and ensure grid stability. This is a SaaS based B2B solution.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 9k LinkedIn followers — 7.1% of this cohort's audience
Activity: 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • May 2018Grant (prize money)—
  • Sep 2017Conventional Debt$9.2M
  • Nov 2016Grant (prize money)$829.1K
  • Apr 2016Conventional Debt$3.9M
Founders & team
Dave RammChairman and CEO
Investors
VantagePoint Capital Partners, DFJ, DBL Partners, J P Morgan, Europa, Alstom
Tech stack
WordpressMysqlPhpOceanwpWp RocketElementor
#3
Series A · Oakland, California · founded 2022 · 30 employees
$38.2Mraised
▾

Provider of solar panel recycling services

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 14k LinkedIn followers — 10.8% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
  • Feb 2023Series A$31.6M
  • Jun 2022Seed$6.6M
  • Apr 2021Seed$4.7M
Founders & team
Pablo DiasCo-Founder & CTOPablo DiasCo-FounderJesse SimonsCo-Founder
Investors
Closed Loop Partners, Urban Innovation Fund, Fifth Wall, HG Ventures, Prologis, Very Serious Ventures
Tech stack
CdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementContentsquareCore-JsGoogle Analytics
#4
Series B · Oakland, California · founded 2007
$18.8Mraised
▾

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LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 337 LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
  • Aug 2023Series B$18.8M
Tech stack
RubyRackcacheCloudflareHttp/3
#5
Funding Raised · Oakland, California · founded 2010
$1.3Mraised
▾

Solar thermal technology company providing renewable energy and job opportunities. It focuses on developing solar thermal collectors that use air to transport heat, eliminating the need for copper and stainless steel. This approach allows for the use of lower-cost, recyclable materials and simplifies retrofitting to existing heating infrastructure. The company aims to foster an industry that employs diverse communities while making them more resilient by displacing fossil fuel heat. It is committed to technology development in service to society and the environment, enabling communities with renewable energy solutions and creating rewarding, living wage jobs. The company's technology offers a sustainable, self-reliant approach to renewable heat.

Funding rounds
  • Dec 2019Grant (prize money)$224.9K
  • 2017Grant (prize money)—
  • Mar 2015Grant (prize money)$909.4K
  • Jul 2013Grant (prize money)$179.4K
Founders & team
Mark MilesFounder & CEO
Investors
CalSEED, National Science Foundation, California Solar & Storage Association, America’s Seed Fund
#6
Seed · Oakland, California · founded 2013 · 30 employees
$1.3Mraised
▾

Solar investment and financial advisory firm

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 964 LinkedIn followers · 47 engagements/post (2.0× cohort median)
Activity: 1 partnerships (incl. GSSG Solar, LLC and Vision Ridge Partners, LLC) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Feb 2013Seed$1.3M
Investors
Vision Ridge Partners, Ceniarth
Tech stack
Beaver BuilderBootstrapCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementContact Form 7Godaddy
#7
Acquired · Oakland, California · founded 2017 · 3 employees
$200Kraised
▾

Provider of solar project optimization software services in Oakland, California. The company increases solar project return through upstream design, performance, and financial modeling, thereby helping customers evaluate how different modules, products, costs, or boundaries impact project's generation and financial outcomes.

Funding rounds
  • Jul 2019Grant (prize money)$200K
Founders & team
Ashton VandemarkCo-Founder & CEO
Investors
OSTI
#8
Seed · Oakland, California · founded 2022 · 28 employees
—raised
▾

Manufacturer of solar PV modules and battery

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 6k LinkedIn followers — 4.4% of this cohort's audience
Hiring: 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Full Stack Technical Lead
Activity: 2 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • May 2023Seed—
Founders & team
Mike HallCEO
Investors
ECP, Angeleno Group
#9
Seed · Oakland, California · founded 2021 · 6 employees
—raised
▾

Developer of solar energy projects

Funding rounds
  • Oct 2022Seed—
Founders & team
Paris HaysCEO
Investors
Energy Spectrum
Tech stack
CookieyesCore-JsElementorFont AwesomeGodaddyGoogle Analytics
#10
Deadpooled · Oakland, California · founded 2007
—raised
▾

RE Power is a residential solar installer which operates as a network of 40 franchises across the U.S. Claimed to have installed a 46 MW of solar across its all locations. Offers services including pre-consulting, design, paperwork and installation of solar PV system across the US from Hawaii to Puerto Rico.

Founders & team
Mallorie McLaughlinCo-Owner
Investors
RockPort Capital

Funding & investor landscape

$888.2Mtotal disclosed funding
7companies funded
31disclosed rounds
0rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
BP Ventures2 rounds
OSTI2 rounds
Advanced Stage Capital1 rounds
Alstom1 rounds
America’s Seed Fund1 rounds
Angeleno Group1 rounds
Avista Investments1 rounds
Black River1 rounds
CalSEED1 rounds
CalSTRS1 rounds

Notable founders

Karen Edson
CEO · GRID Alternatives
Dave Ramm
Chairman and CEO · BrightSource Energy
Pablo Dias
Co-Founder & CTO · SOLARCYCLE
Mark Miles
Founder & CEO · MMCISolar
Ashton Vandemark
Co-Founder & CEO · Sunfig
Mike Hall
CEO · Anza
Paris Hays
CEO · Nightpeak Energy
Mallorie McLaughlin
Co-Owner · REPOWER America
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 6,440,608 docs

Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage

Share of Environment coverage by sub-theme.

Regulatory-risk over time rising

Funding & growth over time

funding rising · growth rising

RESEARCH SIGNALS · United States

How research on Environmental Monitoring is moving in the United States

A read on the academic research around Environmental Monitoring — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 3,039 United States-affiliated papers.

research sentiment over time
200820172026
enthusiastic · positive · guarded tone
Tone is overwhelmingly optimistic and softening — the enthusiastic (strongly-positive) share moved 41% → 38% across 2008–2026.
top research entities
  • United States Geological Survey157
  • Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies112
  • Environmental Protection Agency84
  • National Research Council79
  • National Park Service76
leading researchers
Kelly, Vicky · Kelly, Victoria · Catalyst Cooperative · U.S. DOE EM · McIntyre, Cheryl · Stocker-Waldhuber, Martin · Seiser, Bernd · Hartl, Lea
▲ Breakthroughs481 · 16%
▲ 12%→18% share
▲1.5× share momentum0 median citations77% since 2021mostly methods-led
Breakthroughs are rising (12%→18% of field), led by Software deployment.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Software deployment2→31
  • Pollution3→27
  • Air quality index1→25
  • Water quality10→34
  • Air pollution3→25
Newly emergingScalability 0→21 · Biodiversity 0→18 · Climate change 0→14
Landmark Environmental sensor networks in ecological research · 165 cites
◆ Advancements804 · 26%
▼ 31%→24% share
▼0.8× share momentum0 median citations64% since 2021mostly methods-led
Advancements are cooling (31%→24% of field), led by Air quality index.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Air quality index14→60
  • Air pollution8→51
  • Pollutant4→32
  • Sampling (signal processing)14→42
  • Water quality23→48
Newly emergingKey (lock) 0→17 · Range (aeronautics) 0→10 · Microplastics 0→10
Landmark Tracking complex mixtures of chemicals in our changing environment · 716 cites
▼ Concerns626 · 21%
▼ 21%→20% share
▲1.0× share momentum0 median citations68% since 2021mostly empirical
Concerns are cooling (21%→20% of field), led by Human health.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Human health1→32
  • Pollution4→33
  • Air quality index6→31
  • Pollutant6→28
  • Biodiversity1→22
Newly emergingMicroplastics 0→19 · Agriculture 0→18 · Marine debris 0→14
Landmark Past, present, and future perspectives of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding: A systematic review in methods, monito · 1,184 cites
RESEARCH HOTSPOTS · United States

Where environmental monitoring is researched across United States

Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.

SF Bay Area80 · +0.27
Hot · Wireless sensor networkAdvancing · Environmental DNAOpportunity · Environmental pollutionConcern · Environmental planning
Boston61 · +0.43
Hot · Exposure assessmentAdvancing · Environmental dataOpportunity · Software deployment
New York54 · +0.35
Hot · BiodiversityAdvancing · HabitatOpportunity · Geospatial analysis
Seattle53 · +0.24
Hot · Air pollutionAdvancing · Environmental epidemiologyOpportunity · Citizen scienceConcern · Estuary
Los Angeles37 · +0.39
Hot · Wireless sensor networkAdvancing · Air monitoringOpportunity · GroundwaterConcern · Contamination
San Diego33 · +0.26
Hot · SustainabilityAdvancing · Citizen scienceOpportunity · ContaminationConcern · Environmental quality
Atlanta32 · +0.25
Hot · Human healthOpportunity · Ozone
Ann Arbor22 · +0.24
Advancing · WorkflowOpportunity · Water quality
Pittsburgh19 · +0.37
Hot · Software deploymentOpportunity · Environmental impact assessment
Philadelphia19 · +0.41
Hot · Air quality indexAdvancing · Software deploymentOpportunity · Climate change
PATENT SIGNAL · United States

Who's filing environmental monitoring patents in the United States

United States environmental monitoring patent filing is accelerating — 450 filings from 343 assignees (2016–2025), led by LEEO, Valencell, United Parcel Service; annual filings 47→49.

450 filings343 assigneespeak 60/yr2016–2025
filing momentum (YoY 2016–2025)
top patent filers
  • LEEO41
  • Valencell25
  • United Parcel Service21
  • Honeywell INT20
  • Apple18
  • Venturedyne18
  • Pillar TECH17
  • IND Scient16

Common questions

How many Environment companies are there in Oakland, United States?
Radar tracks 33 indexable Environment companies headquartered in Oakland, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Environment companies in Oakland, United States?
The Environment companies in Oakland, United States on this list have raised a combined $888.2M in disclosed equity funding across 7 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Environment company in Oakland, United States?
BrightSource Energy is the highest-funded Environment company in Oakland, United States, with $805.7M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Environment companies in Oakland, United States are funded?
7 of the 33 Environment companies in Oakland, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Environment unicorns are there in Oakland, United States?
None of the Environment companies in Oakland, United States on this list currently has a disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in Oakland, United States Environment companies?
The most active investors in Oakland, United States Environment companies on this list include BP Ventures, OSTI, Advanced Stage Capital, Alstom, America’s Seed Fund.
Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories

Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.

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