Blue Earth has named ten BE100 winners, each selected for a minimum £100,000 investment from BE100 Fund II. Combined investment will total at least £1 million. The winners, announced in London on 19 October 2026, were chosen from 1,414 applicants across ten industries.
Between them, the ten companies are seeking £27.8 million to support their growth. Blue Earth said its investment is intended to help them attract further backing. The winning businesses work in areas including clean industrial heat, water recovery, cancer-treatment decisions and access to financial services.
Capture6 and Lir Labs among the BE100 winners
Capture6 won the Carbon & Nature category. The company combines freshwater recovery from saline waste streams with atmospheric carbon removal. Lir Labs won the Blue Economy category. It monitors microorganisms to detect emerging problems in wastewater treatment.
Louise Cromwell of Capture6 said, “Winning at Blue Earth Summit comes at a pivotal moment for Capture6, with steel in the ground on two of our flagship projects. We look forward to working with Blue Earth and its impact network to scale solutions at the intersection of water and carbon.”
Industrial heat, textile reuse and crop resilience
The winners also include Amsterdam-based VNYX, whose robots grade, clean and photograph clothes so they are ready for a second owner. Oxford-based Odqa concentrates sunlight to heat air and stores the heat in rock beds, so it can be used in industry after sunset.
Elicit Plant helps crops cope with water stress through sprays applied to their leaves.
How the shortlist was selected
Blue Earth announced the 100-company BE100 cohort on 8 October. Just 7% of applicants secured a place after review by 40 judges from venture capital and industry. The judging panel included Damian Routley, Chief Operating Officer at Founders Factory; Ed Phillips, Managing Director, Global at Future Planet Capital; and Amy Tsang, Head of Europe at The Mills Fabrica.
Sixty per cent of the shortlisted companies are based in the UK, and the rest are based in other countries. The finalists pitched at Blue Earth Summit on 14 and 15 October at Woolwich Works in London. The full cohort is listed on the BE100 page of the Blue Earth Summit website.
Expanding the BE100 fund
The programme has grown from three winners last year to ten this year. Last year, Blue Earth invested in Segura, RAFT Energy and Low Carbon Materials, at an average of £200,000 per company.
Guy Hayler, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Blue Earth, said when the cohort was announced, “Last year we invested in three winners. This year we’re aiming to back at least ten. We want to help founders turn solutions to major challenges into businesses that can compete and grow.”
BE100 Fund II is managed in partnership with Haatch. It is backed by institutional investors, family offices, exited founders and angel investors. In its 8 October release, Blue Earth said fundraising would continue through October, with an upper cap of £10 million. The company said it is building BE100 as an annual fund that invests alongside established venture capital firms and institutional investors, and that it plans to grow the fund over time.
Hayler added, “The bigger ambition is to change what customers expect from an entire industry. When cleaner materials or more efficient energy systems become the obvious commercial choice, established businesses have a reason to change too. That’s how the impact can reach far beyond these companies’ own customers. In our mind we are backing the inevitable leaders of the future and that’s exciting.”
The winners enter a venture market that is growing but concentrated. Crunchbase reports that global venture funding rose 53% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, with 64% going to AI companies.
BE100 is supported by HSBC Innovation Banking, Joelson, JCDecaux, Cazenove Capital, Peak EOR and Volopa, with Haatch as fund partner. Climate Global News has previously reported on the launch of applications for BE100.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the 2026 BE100 winners?
Blue Earth named ten winners. They include Capture6, which won Carbon & Nature, Lir Labs, which won Blue Economy, and VNYX, Odqa and Elicit Plant.
How much investment will BE100 winners receive?
Each winner has been selected for a minimum £100,000 investment from BE100 Fund II, giving at least £1 million in combined investment. The ten winners are collectively seeking £27.8 million.
How many companies applied for BE100 2026?
There were 1,414 applicants across ten industries. Just 7% secured a place in the 100-company cohort after review by 40 judges from venture capital and industry.
Who manages BE100 Fund II?
BE100 Fund II is managed in partnership with Haatch. It is backed by institutional investors, family offices, exited founders and angel investors.
What does Capture6 do?
Capture6 combines freshwater recovery from saline waste streams with atmospheric carbon removal. It won the Carbon & Nature category at BE100.
