When it comes to work experience for students and sometimes even young professionals, it is always a chicken and an egg problem. Employers want candidates with multiple years of work experience but young candidates need entry level opportunities to gain those experiences. I struggled with this when I had just graduated from college, and this is why I am very excited to share a list of 10 exciting climate companies that are hiring for interns/CO-OP! Collectively, these 10 companies have raised over a billion dollars in capital (one of the companies heavily skew this stat, can you tell which one?) and have already recruited over 1000 people working for them.
Sometimes interns complain that they do boring work, but when you combine cutting edge tech, urgency to scale, and funding, I think these internship experiences will be pretty fun. Internships and CO-OPs are great ways to learn about an industry, a job position, and gain real work experience. Better yet, you can even get to explore a new city, meet new friends, and make real money! One of my internships brought me to Madison Wisconsin and I still remember watching the NBA finals at a local sports bar with locals. Now that I am working full time, I sometimes miss the ability to test trial a company for 3 months and then move on. You get to learn what you like about it and also what you don’t like.
Please share this with any students who are looking for internship opportunities. If you apply to any of these positions, shoot me a message because I love to know how it goes and may even be able to help you with the interview prep/referral. If you’re interested in any of the companies and want to jam about the business model/technology/industry, my inbox is also open!
Ten companies hiring intern right now:
electricity
form energy
electric hydrogen
manufacturing
Phoenix Tailings
Urban Machine
via separations
agriculture/food
mill
tender
transportation
lightship
carbon capture
AIR COMPANY
buildings
aeroseal
Company Highlight
form energy
If you are interested in working for Form Energy, they are currently hiring for a variety of internships, including roles in mechanical engineering, chemistry, and materials science. As an intern at Form Energy, you will have the opportunity to work on projects related to the development of the company's energy storage technology, and to collaborate with experts in the field of clean energy. This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the clean energy industry and to contribute to the development of technology that will help to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future.
Series E, $819M, 400 employees, based in MA with offices around the country, https://jobs.lever.co/formenergy
electric hydrogen
Developer of a deep decarbonization company intended to build low-cost, high-efficiency, fossil-free hydrogen systems. The company's low-cost renewable electricity produces clean hydrogen gas for decarbonization of pollution from industries and eases the dependency on fossil fuels, providing clients with cost-effectively decarbonize gas and reducing massive industrial waste.
Series B, $198M, 150 employees, based in MA with companies around the country, https://eh2.com/careers/
Phoenix Tailings
Provider of metal refining services intended to leverage untapped value within mining and refining waste economically and sustainably. The company's services engage in taking mining and refining waste and treating them as a new ore that can be used by various industries thereby sustainably creating primary metals and eliminating hazardous environmental waste, enabling clients to get access to carbon-free environmental alternatives by getting new ways of metals mined out of industrial waste.
Series A, $12, 30 employees, based in MA, https://jobs.lever.co/PhoenixTailings
Urban Machine
Operator of a wood reclamation company intended to remove staples and nails from reclaimed wood to turn it into premium lumber products. The company reclaims used wood from demolition sites, and waste pieces from new construction, enabling firms to eliminate waste and reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry.
Seed, $5M, 6 employees, based in CA, https://urbanmachine.build/careers/
via separations
Developer of a membrane filtration system designed to facilitate industrial separation processes. The company specializes in industrial decarbonization with its novel chemistries, enabling manufacturing facilities to slash their energy consumption while making more products.
Seed, $55M, 40 employees, based in MA, https://jobs.lever.co/viaseparations
mill
Developer of sustainable trash bins designed to convert waste into compost. The company offers digitally connected waste bins on rent that chop up, dry, shrink, and de-stink the waste overnight into a coffee ground-like material, and also offers free shipping of the dried waste to a facility that converts it into feed, enabling customers with a new system to outsmart waste at home and participate in waste management.
Series B, $100M, 120 employees, based in CA, https://boards.greenhouse.io/Mill
tender
Producer of alternative meats intended to promote vegan food. The company specializes in producing meats using novel fiber production technology that tastes the same as traditional animal meat along with all its nutritional values, enabling meat companies to thrive and improve the consumer experience using sustainable products.
Seed, $13M, 30 employees, based in MA, https://tenderfood.com/work/
lightship
Manufacturer, developer, and designer of electric recreational vehicles designed to provide economic and environment-friendly vehicles. The company focuses on creating an aerodynamic, battery-powered trailer, enabling travelers and customers to reduce fuel costs and vehicle emissions.
Series A, $27, 30 employees, based in CA https://jobs.lever.co/lightship
AIR COMPANY
AIR COMPANY is the world's-leading carbon utilization company, creating consumer and industrial products from carbon dioxide (CO2). Our mission is to address the dramatic surge in atmospheric carbon levels to ensure long-term planetary health and life on Earth. To curb emissions that affect climate change, AIR COMPANY has invented a proprietary power-to-liquids technology that mimics the recipe of photosynthesis. Using only renewable energy, our systems convert captured CO2 into carbon-negative alcohols and fuels with just oxygen as a byproduct. These CO2-based chemicals are then applied to a variety of consumer and industrial products, helping to decarbonize entire economic ecosystems.
Series A, $38M, 60 employees, based in NY, https://boards.greenhouse.io/aircompany
Aeroseal
Aeroseal is a company that develops and provides energy-saving solutions for buildings. By working at Aeroseal, you can contribute to a more sustainable future by helping to reduce energy waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to work with a team of experts in the field of building science and engineering, learning from their knowledge and experience. Aeroseal values innovation and creativity, and encourages its employees to think outside the box to come up with new and better ways of doing things. Overall, Aeroseal is a great company to work for if you are passionate about sustainability and want to make a positive impact on the environment.
Series A, $22M, 170 employees, based in OH,
https://aeroseal.breezy.hr/
As an added bonus, here are 32 Climate Policy Internships for students. We really need all hands on deck to tackle climate. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EU3apoV4Lm6EsdqyivEnVgYQP0tPw0lGI04MtDlN79A/edit?usp=sharing