The International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), an organization under Unesco, and Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS) have opened applications for the 2025 Compute for Climate Fellowship. The program supports startups using cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop new solutions for climate change.
For its third year, the fellowship will select 20 startups from around the world, an increase from eight in 2024 and four in 2023. The selected companies will receive funding, mentorship from AWS and IRCAI experts, and access to AWS cloud technologies to build their proof-of-concept projects at no cost.
“It wasn’t simple, but we managed to supercharge the startups with both resources and knowledge, and now we are taking it even further,” said Davor Orlic, COO of IRCAI. “By expanding the Compute for Climate Fellowship, we are not only increasing the number of selected startups but also broadening the scope of climate solutions they can tackle, and the applicability of AI in the climate space.”
“With the effects of the climate crisis intensifying, it is imperative that we support the development of a broad set of approaches to bring new climate solutions to life — that’s why we are expanding the scope of the Compute for Climate Fellowship to accept a larger number of startups,” said Lisbeth Kaufman, head of Climate Tech Startups Business Development at AWS.
Sustainable transportation
The 2025 fellowship will support projects focused on clean energy, sustainable transportation, agriculture, and carbon removal, among other areas. This year, a new category has been introduced to recognize Indigenous-led climate solutions. Indigenous communities, often on the front lines of climate change, bring valuable knowledge of ecosystems and sustainable practices. The fellowship aims to empower Indigenous innovators by providing funding and technical resources.
AWS has committed up to $4 million in cloud credits to help the selected startups develop their projects. Applications will be accepted from March 4 to April 6, 2025. The program prioritizes projects that can be completed in two to three months and have the potential for significant environmental impact.
Past participants of the fellowship include RealtaFusion, a startup working on nuclear fusion, and Cosma, which uses AI-driven underwater drones for marine conservation. Both companies credit the fellowship for accelerating their research and development efforts.
Startups that are not selected will still receive up to $5,000 in AWS credits and access to training workshops. They will also be invited to join the IRCAI Industrial Club, a network of organizations working on AI-driven climate solutions.
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