Rockefeller backs The Clean Fight with $1M to fast-track climate tech adoption across U.S. communities

The Rockefeller Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to The Clean Fight in New York City to scale the nonprofit’s National Deployment Grant Fund accelerating real-world adoption of climate technologies. The catalytic grant will help startups pilot “first-of-many” projects, generate performance data, and unlock broader market uptake nationwide. Funding supports small demonstration projects, typically $50,000–$250,000, targeting building decarbonization and energy resilience. Early pilots include advanced heat pumps, contractor-enabling software, and efficient cooling in schools. Building on prior results—70 companies supported and 5,000 follow-on deployments—the initiative aims to break early adoption barriers and deliver scalable, community-level climate solutions.