Best Environment Tech Companies in North Carolina, United States
The 100 best Environment Tech companies in North Carolina, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Phononic.
Our analysis of 83 Environment Tech companies
$16.0b in tracked funding; 90% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Environment Tech companies in North Carolina
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phononic Providing solid state thermal management solutions | $230M | 59 mo ago | 109 109 → 125 (+15%) | Tony Atti Co-Founder & CEO | 96 patents Thermoelectric cooling and moisture control for refrigerated transport and cold-chain logistics | 2 awards |
| 2 | Dude Solutions SaaS-driven CMMS software for commercial spaces | $100M | 148 mo ago | 533 | — | — | — |
| 3 | PowerSecure Energy efficiency and smart grid management solutions | $65M | 129 mo ago | 1,030 1,030 → 862 (-16%) | — | 22 patents Smart power‑bus communication and control for modular containerized generation and storage systems | — |
| 4 | Tantalus Communication technology provider for smart grids 53Funding top 22%News top 22%Growth top 33%Moat top 48% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 22% Newstop 22% Growthtop 33% Moattop 48% Techtop 49% Marketbottom 44% Globalbottom 44% Talentbottom 40% Partnersbottom 35% Funding: Raised $58.7M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 22 yrs (0.4/yr) News: 11 BI events in 12 mo (of 29 tracked, 7 types) · +1000% YoY rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $59M | 4 mo ago | 42 | Ramatoulie Deen Founder/Executive Director | — | 1 launch |
| 5 | Second Nature Provider of resident benefits packages for property managers and owners | $36M | 74 mo ago | 247 247 → 373 (+51%) | Thad Tarkington Co-Founder & CEO | 27 patents Modular, collapsible and variable air filter assemblies for HVAC and industrial ventilation. | — |
| 6 | ndustrial Provider of energy management solutions for industrial and cold chain operations | $26M | 17 mo ago | 40 | Jason Massey Co-Founder & CEO | 15 patents IoT sensor provisioning and onboarding for wireless sensor networks | — |
| 7 | Atom Power Electric vehicle charging solutions and solid-state circuit breaker technology provider | $23M | 72 mo ago | 113 | — | 66 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 8 | GreenPlaces Online platform to calculate and offset the carbon footprint | $21M | 22 mo ago | 35 | — | — | — |
| 9 | Susteon Technology solution for decarbonization | $14M | 10 mo ago | 14 | Shantanu Agarwal Co-Founder | 36 patents Advanced CO2 capture solvents and electrically heated catalytic reactors for hydrogen/oxygen production | — |
| 10 | The Climate Service Cloud-based climate risk analytics platform for investors and financial institutions | $12M | 59 mo ago | 32 | — | — | — |
| 11 | Rent Ready Provider of an online marketplace to book apartment turnover services | $12M | 63 mo ago | 26 | Jonathan Kite Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 12 | Sustaera Developer of renewable energy-powered direct air carbon capture technology | $11M | 35 mo ago | 12 | Ben Gardner CEO | 16 patents Solid sorbent and carbon composite technologies for CO₂ capture and removal | — |
| 13 | AQUALIS Provider of solutions for storm water management | $10M | 95 mo ago | 121 | Richard Matero CEO | — | 5 job openings |
| 14 | Power Analytics Provider of energy monitoring systems and microgrid integration systems | $6M | 201 mo ago | 23 | Adib Nasle Co-Founder & ex-President | 77 patents Real-time AI-driven monitoring, forecasting, and safety analytics for electrical power distribution. | — |
| 15 | Opal Provider of software and hardware tools for workforce safety | $5M | 77 mo ago | 2 | Michael Brisson Co-Founder | — | — |
| 16 | Ecobot Provider of a compliance management platform for construction | $4M | 37 mo ago | 9 | Lee Lance Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 17 | Phytonix Corporation Manufacturer of pharmaceutical tablets, syrups, and capsules | $3M | 92 mo ago | 3 | — | — | — |
| 18 | Nimble Energy Provider of AI-powered energy and utilities management solutions | $3M | 13 mo ago | — | Jeff Soplop CEO/Founder | — | — |
| 19 | Microgrid Labs Provider of microgrid implementation solutions | $2M | 54 mo ago | 16 | Namit Singh COO | CoFounder | 4 patents Low-cost design, control, and management of electric vehicle charging infrastructure | — |
| 20 | Braggawatt Online platform for project financing in solar energy projects | $2M | 97 mo ago | — | Trey Ramsey Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 21 | AgEYE Technologies AI-powered farm management solutions provider | $2M | 18 mo ago | 23 | — | — | — |
| 22 | Scientific Environmental Design Energy efficient HVAC systems | $2M | 92 mo ago | 5 | — | — | — |
| 23 | NALA Developer of chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membranes | $700K | 4 mo ago | 18 | Sue Mecham Co-Founder & CEO | — | 1 award |
| 24 | GridBridge Power delivery solutions improving utilities' operating performance at the grid edge | $500K | 132 mo ago | 6 | Chad Eckhardt President & CEO | 29 patents Flexible grid‑edge energy management and routing for electrical distribution networks | — |
| 25 | Flux Hybrids Developer of conversion kits for multi-category electric vehicles | $467K | 50 mo ago | 6 | Cody Biedermann Co-Founder & CTO | — | — |
| 26 | PointGuard Online building analytics software | $450K | 202 mo ago | 16 | Shannon Smith CEO | — | — |
| 27 | Invicta Water Technology solution for water treatment | $300K | 26 mo ago | — | Theodore Kalmbach Co-Founder | — | — |
| 28 | Triangle Biofuels Industries Biodiesel producer focused on renewable fuels and reducing emissions | $296K | 176 mo ago | — | Zack Hamm Founder & President | — | — |
| 29 | Minerva Lithium Provider of battery-grade lithium products through sustainable and scalable refining processes | $256K | 58 mo ago | 4 | Sheeba Dawood Co-Founder & CEO | — | 1 internship |
| 30 | Purillume Provider of smart LED bed light | $250K | 118 mo ago | 2 | Neeraj Lal Founder & President | 12 patents LED luminaire design and lighting harp components for high‑efficiency lighting systems | — |
| 31 | EcoClosure Developer of regenerable building enclosures integrating microalgae for decarbonization and building… | $225K | 72 mo ago | 2 | Kyoung Kim Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 32 | Phase Change Energy Solutions Developer of thermal energy storage and heating products | $187K | 46 mo ago | 59 | Reyad Sawafta Co-Founder & CTO | 112 patents Phase‑change thermal storage materials and devices for heat management and transport | — |
| 33 | BreeziPro Provider of predictive maintenance technology for HVAC systems | $100K | 105 mo ago | 4 | Tim Seaton Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
Top 12 Environment Tech companies in North Carolina
#1
Public · Raleigh, North Carolina · founded 1989 · 42 employees$58.7Mraised▾
Tantalus Systems is a provider of multi-purpose smart grid solutions platform for advanced metering, demand response, and distribution automation. Offers TUNet, a WAN/LAN/HAN communications system that enables electric, water, and gas municipal and cooperative utilities to automate processes, improve business operations, and deliver customer services. It also works on multi-commodity networks like IP based, Mesh and Star, etc.
- Feb 2026Post IPO$156.7K
- May 2024Post IPO$366.5K
- Feb 2017Series B$6M
- Dec 2016Conventional Debt$5.1M
#2
Funding Raised · Cary, North Carolina · founded 2017 · 14 employees$13.7Mraised▾
Technology solution for decarbonization. It is a technology developer focused on industrial decarbonization, specializing in the creation of low-carbon breakthrough solutions for climate change mitigation, utilizing innovative sorbent technologies for carbon capture and utilization.
- Aug 2025Grant (prize money)$999.7K
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$1M
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$3M
- Jul 2024Grant (prize money)$256.5K
#3
Series A · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2018 · 18 employees$700Kraised▾
Developer of chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membranes for water treatment. These membranes reduce biofouling, lowering operating costs and extending membrane lifespan. The technology enables efficient water reuse and reduces the environmental impact of water treatment systems. This is achieved through patented materials resistant to chlorine, allowing for effective cleaning without membrane damage. The result is lower energy consumption and reduced maintenance needs for water purification systems.
- Jan 2026Series A$10.8M
- Mar 2025Conventional Debt$1000K
- Apr 2022Conventional Debt$712.3K
- Mar 2022Seed$700K
#4
Series B · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2015 · 40 employees$25.9Mraised▾
Provider of energy management solutions for industrial and cold chain operations. The company offers an energy intensity platform designed for production-first energy management. It provides solutions for load control, temperature monitoring, and shore power. The company aims to decrease costs and increase sustainable industrial operations through its platform and services.
- Jan 2025Series B—
- Aug 2024Grant (prize money)—
- Apr 2024Series B$20.1M
- May 2021Series A$6M
#5
Series A · Raleigh, North Carolina · founded 2021 · 35 employees$21.5Mraised▾
Online platform to calculate and offset the carbon footprint. Its platform helps companies to calculate carbon emissions from the daily commute, electric lighting, data servers, air travels, and others. It invests in carbon negative projects to offset the carbon footprint.
- Aug 2024Series A$3.3M
- Jun 2023Series A$13.2M
- Oct 2022Series A$4M
- Jul 2021Seed$975K
#6
Seed · Carrboro, North Carolina · founded 2023$2.8Mraised▾
Provider of AI-powered energy and utilities management solutions. It is focused on providing sustainable energy solutions with the help of AI analytics. It offers automated insights and solutions for energy and utilities management in buildings.
- Apr 2025Seed$2.8M
#7
Series F · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2009 · 109 employees$230Mraised▾
Providing solid state thermal management solutions. It utilizes thermoelectric capabilities of semi conductors to create products that can convert heat into electricity or use electricity to eliminate heat. Phononic has developed solid state pump which can replace compressors in high end refrigeration requirement like in labs and medical facilities.
- Jul 2021Series F$50M
- Jun 2020Conventional Debt—
- Nov 2016Series E$40M
- Sep 2016Series E$30M
#8
Seed · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2018 · 23 employees$1.8Mraised▾
AI-powered farm management solutions provider It provides AI-powered farm management solutions. It developed Smart Spectrum, an intelligent horticulture lighting system that records farm data and adjusts the light spectrum according to plant needs. also offers disease detection and inventory management solutions.
- Dec 2024Seed—
- Apr 2024Seed$515.2K
- Dec 2022Seed—
- Sep 2022Seed$1.3M
#9
Series A · Durham, North Carolina · founded 2021 · 12 employees$10.8Mraised▾
Developer of renewable energy-powered direct air carbon capture technology. This technology enables the removal and reuse of carbon dioxide at a large scale. The process aims to mitigate the effects of climate change by actively reducing atmospheric carbon levels. The technology is designed for scalability and affordability, making it a viable solution for widespread carbon removal efforts.
- Jul 2023Series A$1.5M
- Dec 2021Series A$10M
#10
Series C · Raleigh, North Carolina · founded 2012 · 247 employees$36.2Mraised▾
Provider of resident benefits packages for property managers and owners. These packages bundle perks designed to improve resident satisfaction and property value. Benefits include renters insurance, credit building, air filter delivery, and on-demand pest control. The packages integrate with existing property management software to streamline operations.
- Mar 2020Series C$16.4M
- Oct 2018Series B$6.9M
- Jul 2017Series B$7M
- Aug 2016Series A—
#11
Acquired · Cary, North Carolina · founded 1999 · 533 employees$100Mraised▾
SaaS-driven CMMS software for commercial spaces. Features include work & asset management, energy management, event management, community management, and more. Offers solutions for multiple sectors such as education, healthcare, manufacturing, commercial, government, and more.
- Feb 2014PE$100M
#12
Acquired · Wake Forest, North Carolina · founded 1991 · 1030 employees$65Mraised▾
Energy efficiency and smart grid management solutions to electric utilities, and institutional and commercial customers. It provides products and services in the areas of Interactive Distributed Generation(IDG), energy efficiency, utility infrastructure, and solar energy. Its products and services are in the areas of energy efficiency, interactive distributed generation, and utility Infrastructure solutions. The company's energy-efficiency products and services include energy-efficient lighting solutions that utilize LED technologies to manage lighting quality and the design, installation, and maintenance of energy conservation.
- Sep 2015Grant (prize money)$40M
- Jun 2013Conventional Debt$25M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Environment Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.