Policy changes are reshaping the way New Iridium, American Battery Technology, BioConsortia, and Calcarea operate and innovate
Since January, the founders of chemistry start-ups have been trying to keep their balance as the ground has shifted beneath their feet.
The re-election of Donald J. Trump heralded sweeping changes to science and technology policy in the US. Major tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act for sustainable chemical technologies are on their way out. Hundreds of grants for clean technology projects are under review. US tariffs, and retaliatory tariffs on US goods, have shaken global supply chains. Amid all the change, private investors have become more cautious.
The Trump administration is prioritizing support for some areas of clean technology, like critical minerals. But as the government is easing the permitting process for certain mines, it’s simultaneously removing support for industries, such as electric vehicles, that use the minerals being extracted from the ground.
For many cleantech start-ups, the 30,000-foot view is bleak. But the impact of these changes is not spread evenly, and understanding their day-to-day impact requires a magnifying glass. In the following vignettes, leaders from four US chemistry start-ups explain how they are navigating uncertainty in the Trump era.