In 2023, most startup investments fell, but cleantech and sustainability-focused areas didn’t see such a decline. According to data from Crunchbase, about $13.9 billion was invested globally this year in companies working on things like battery recycling and developing crops that save water. This investment is similar to last year. Their analysis focuses on global sustainability funding in 2023 compared to the past 4 years. The chart above shows the total amount of investment in billions of dollars and the total number of rounds (363). In the United States, funding specifically focused on sustainability took a bigger step back this year, as shown below. However, cleantech investment didn’t fall as sharply as in many other areas. And funds dedicated to the field are still actively backing new projects. (Jennifer L).