The Cambridge Climate Challenge has announced the finalists for its 2026 competition, recognising a new cohort of interdisciplinary teams developing innovative solutions to the climate crisis.
Following a highly competitive selection process, nine finalist teams have been chosen from across the University of Cambridge and its wider community. Their ideas span sustainable food systems, climate resilience, the circular economy, and low‑carbon technologies, combining academic insight with real‑world application. The teams bring together expertise from science, engineering, business, policy, and social sciences, reflecting the Challenge’s emphasis on collaboration and impact.
This year’s Climate Challenge finalist teams are:
Track 1 ‘concept-stage’ teams:
- Bimurix are developing a new phase‑change material that can be added to paints to deliver sustained, day‑long passive cooling, reducing the need for energy-intensive air conditioning. Bimurix is led by Haitham Ashraf Abdlehamid, Tim-Louis Wilken, and Gabriele Cannucciari.
- Canopy are developing a digital platform that enables British Muslim communities to align existing faith-based charitable giving with verified climate mitigation and resilience projects. Canopy is created by Daniyal Ashraf, Syeda Hanniya Kamran, and Sarim Gillani.
- Circulet are developing a decentralised, AI‑driven infrastructure that turns informal cooking oil recovery in emerging markets into verified industrial feedstocks and compliance‑ready climate outcomes. Circulet is run by Felipe De La Torre Wejebe, Melissa Akita, and Emmanuel Abalo.
- Methane Emission Intelligence (MEI) are realigning climate finance with greenhouse gas realities by accurately pricing near-term methane risk and steering investment away from fossil gas expansion using a credible, science‑based methane exposure standard. MEI is a collaboration between Katherin Milagros Garcia Marroquin and Sofia Morales Diaz.
- Smokeless Stubble Initiative (SSI) are developing portable units that let farmers in North India convert crop residue into useful biochar, avoiding open burning while improving soil and reducing emissions. SSI is led by Michael Clark, Ashis Mittal, Bhavya Gupta, and Joseph Ashton.
- SupportCycle is developing a platform that uses basic mobile phones to combat menstrual poverty and plastic waste in rural Uganda. SupportCycle is the work of Joan Sseggane Nantaba and Edith Najjuma.
Track 2 ‘early venture’ teams:
- A&A Cashew Bioethanol are converting wasted cashew apples into pharmaceutical‑ and industrial‑grade ethanol in Ghana, cutting emissions and supplying local markets through a scalable circular‑economy model. The team is comprised of Abubakar Abass and Fredrick Ampomah.
- GreenMixes are turning concrete into a carbon sink by developing a new additive derived from biochar. The venture is created by Callon Peate and Dr Dushanth Seevaratnam.
- Landscape Evaluation and Nature Strategies (LENS) are building an AI platform that maps asset-level nature and climate risks and translates them into quantified insights to support resilient planning in the built environment. LENS is a partnership between Andre Hadji-Thomas, Lena Willmann, and Dr Victoria Kimonides.
The Climate Challenge exists to give talented people the platform, the support, and the confidence to take bold ideas and accelerate them into real-world impact. This year’s finalists reflect the strength and diversity of our community, bringing creativity, lived experience and academic rigour together with a shared determination to make a real‑world difference.
- Shelley Arora-Tailby, Head of Innovation, Cambridge Zero
The finalist teams will present their solutions at the Cambridge Climate Challenge 2026 Grand Final, taking place on Friday 1 May from 3pm at Kings College. The event is free and open to all to attend, welcoming students, researchers, industry partners, investors, policymakers, and members of the public.
During the final, teams will deliver pitches to a panel of expert judges, take part in a Q&A, and compete for cash prizes up to £5,000 alongside tailored business support awards. The event will also include opportunities for audience engagement and networking over drinks and canapés.
Register your place at the Grand Final.
‘We are extremely grateful for these networking and training sessions. This [competition] moves us forwards, has given us a lot of confidence that maybe we can take this idea into something that could be impactful. We’re very excited to see that, so see you in the finals!’
- Sarim Gillani, Canopy team member
The Cambridge Climate Challenge is an annual innovation and entrepreneurship competition delivered by Cambridge Zero in partnership with Carbon13, Cambridge Enterprise, the Maxwell Centre, Energy IRC, King’s Entrepreneurship Lab, and CISL Canopy. The Challenge supports interdisciplinary teams to develop scalable solutions that contribute to a net‑zero and climate‑resilient future, combining academic excellence with practical impact. The competition is generously sponsored by Carbon13.