10 Start-Ups to Watch 2025

It's been a tough year for many chemistry-based start-ups.A slowdown in the transition to electric vehicles has rattled companies developing new materials for batteries. The US government’s indifference to climate change has been rough for start-ups developing new ways to produce hydrogen or capture carbon dioxide. And the sudden termination of US Department of Energy funding for hundreds of clean energy–related projects has blindsided companies across the board.But start-ups and their founders persevere. Some are making do with funds raised in years past. Others have investors that are willing to think long term about the potential impact of their technologies. And still others are targeting food or health-care markets, which are little affected by the vicissitudes of government policy.In fact, we at C&EN had no trouble this year amassing a fresh list of hundreds of interesting start-ups in fields including food, agriculture, industrial chemicals, textiles, energy, mining, and drug discovery. We combed through these companies—gathered from reader submissions, databases of venture-backed firms, and our own coverage—to settle on this year’s 10 Start-Ups to Watch.We’re confident you’ll find them fascinating. But also be assured that many more intriguing companies are out there trying to make the world cleaner, healthier, and otherwise better through the power of chemistry.Know about an interesting chemistry start-up? Nominate it for our 2026 feature at cenm.ag/startupnom.