Money for climate startups hasn't vanished. It has moved toward whatever feeds AI data centres, and if your technology doesn't, you're probably waiting longer for a cheque.

That squeeze prompted the Opalene Climate Challenge, a one-time Washington initiative led by the nonprofit VertueLab. It picked six winners from nearly 40 applicants and unveiled them Thursday at the Seattle Climate Innovation Hub.

Deals are fewer overall, and hardware and materials companies feel it most. They need more capital, longer development cycles and slow........

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