The list highlights AI efficiency, pollution tracking, city climate models, and lithium extraction startups.

MIT Technology Review released its annual 35 innovators under 35 list, and the climate and energy category includes nine researchers and inventors from around the world. Their work spans AI energy efficiency, pollution tracking, city climate models, and lithium extraction from brine and hardrock ore.

AI appears across the list. Jae-Won Chung built software to make open-source models more energy-efficient, Jing Wei uses machine learning to fill gaps in pollution data, and Zhonghua Zheng developed AI climate models tuned for cities. Mohammad Alkhadra leads Lithios, a brine lithium startup, and Benjamin Mowbray serves as CTO of Rock Zero, a hardrock ore startup.

For builders and operators, the list signals where climate software and hardware are converging. Energy-efficiency software can cut costs for open-source model deployments, improve pollution monitoring, and make city-level climate forecasts more usable. Lithium extraction startups target a supply crunch that affects batteries, electric vehicles, and grid storage. Procurement teams should track lithium processing costs.

The next year will show whether these climate tools scale beyond pilot projects. Watch whether Lithios and Rock Zero reach commercial lithium production, whether AI energy measurement becomes standard for open-source models, and whether city climate models improve planning. The list gives a snapshot of where climate tech research is moving, but adoption will depend on cost, policy, and infrastructure.

What matters

• MIT Technology Review selected nine climate and energy researchers for its 35 innovators under 35 list.
• Builders can watch how these tools cut AI energy use, map pollution, and improve city climate models.
• Watch whether Lithios and Rock Zero scale lithium extraction for batteries and grid storage.

Why it matters

Watch whether Lithios and Rock Zero scale lithium extraction for batteries and grid storage.

This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by MIT Technology Review AI. Source reference: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/17/1144251/innovators-shaping-climate-tech/.

Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.