Supported by the UK Government, Innovation Zero brings together leaders accelerating the electrification, digitalisation, and industrial innovation underpinning energy security, productivity, and sustainable growth for the future economy.
Date: 28 - 29 April 2026
Location: Olympia, London
Demystifying the UK Climate Tech Ecosystem - Day 1 | Tuesday 28 April
Viola Jardon, Programme Director, Innovation will speak on a panel
From Innovate UK to public banks, to university ecosystems and angel syndicates, the innovation support landscape can be confusing. This session demystifies how the cleantech ecosystem fits together and how entrepreneurs can engage most effectively with public finance and innovation networks.
- How do key UK funders coordinate their cleantech investment approaches?
- Where can startups access support from different sources and when is the right time?
Pitch Session: Built Environment - Day 1 | Tuesday 28 April
Viola Jardon, Programme Director, Innovation will provide feedback to innovators
A showcase of next generation built environment innovations shaping the UK’s transition. Selected innovators will each have 5 minutes to pitch their breakthrough solutions, followed by audience Q&A with investors and industry buyers.
Adding Nature to the Balance Sheet - Day 1 | Tuesday 28 April
Eliot Whittington, CISL's Chief Systems Change Officer, will speak on a panel
From forests and wetlands to oceans, nature underpins the stability, resilience, and prosperity of the global economy. Yet ongoing ecosystem degradation is driving rising risks across supply chains, business operations, and financial systems.
Technology plays a critical role in enabling businesses and financial institutions to measure and manage their nature-related impacts. In doing so, companies can move beyond risk mitigation to unlock new investment opportunities, transforming environmental challenges into long-term business value.
- How can companies move beyond risk mitigation to actively generate nature-positive revenue streams?
- Which technologies, such as AI, satellite data, and blockchain, are proving most effective for measuring and managing nature-related risks?
- How can policy alignment accelerate the deployment of nature-focused finance at scale?
The Capital Challenge: Financing Frontier Climate Solutions - Day 2 | Wednesday 29 April
James Cole, CISL's Chief Innovation Officer is speaking on the Main Stage
Despite global investment in clean technologies reaching $2.1 trillion, 90% of this capital went towards mature technologies, leaving emerging technologies—such as carbon removal, green hydrogen, and advanced materials—underfunded and struggling to scale. Unlocking capital for early-stage innovation requires bold policymaking, investor confidence, and corporate adoption.
- How can policymakers and investors de-risk first-of-a-kind technologies to attract private capital?
- What role should corporate buyers and venture funds play in building demand signals for emerging solutions?
- Which financing models—such as blended finance or catalytic public investment—hold the most promise?
