Micron Ventures is doing our part, investing in earth-friendly and sustainability-oriented technologies such as Taranis, Aqua Membranes, and Multiscale Technologies. But there’s more to be done, and we’re doing it...in new ways to speed up adoption of sustainable tech.
Startups for Sustainability kicked off in 2021
One of these ways is the first Startups for Sustainability pitch event. The idea for this unique program was simple: Bring together the world’s largest semiconductor companies to create a unified, large-market opportunity to drive startup innovators focused on our industry. We collaborated with the venture teams from Intel, ASML, Applied Materials, LAM, Samsung, Tokyo Electron, Merck KGaA and KLA, as well as with venture capital partner Breakthrough Energy Ventures, to identify shared needs and accelerate knowledge transfer across the industry.
- From corporations to startups: What are the market needs? How can startups best enter and ramp in semiconductor operations?
- From startups to corporations: How can our innovation work best in your operations? How can manufactures adapt to accommodate early-stage innovation in their facilities?
- Among the manufactures: What is working in our startup engagements? Are there gaps we can address together?
Finalists were then selected, representing the top teams out of hundreds who demonstrated that they are bold, aggressive, focused, early-stage teams taking on major industrial challenges in three areas:
- Clean energy and energy efficiency
- Water recapture and reuse
- Sustainable materials innovation and process emissions reductions

Here’s our take on semiconductor sustainability
Semiconductor manufacturing is one of the more resource-intensive human processes on the planet, but it’s also one of the most valuable and one whose influence is growing daily. Processors, memory, storage and connectivity are the backbone of our modern and future digital lives, powering everything from computers and smartphones to NFTs, cryptocurrencies and the metaverse (whatever that is!)
Even as we scale to meet today’s needs, we know we must push every boundary to scale sustainably to preserve the needs of tomorrow.
Everyone needs to do their part to tackle the sustainability challenge, and Micron is all in. By acting collectively, collaboratively and rapidly, Micron is committed to operating our processes and factories with greater water and energy efficiency while eliminating material waste and direct emissions when and where possible.
We’ll get there. And we are proud to use our position in the industry and work with peers to stimulate the best and brightest startups to solve real, high-impact challenges. Climate change presents big challenges for all of us. But these nine finalists give us great hope; they confirm that startup innovation is an essential element in the sustainability transition we’re making.
I’m thrilled at the results of this inaugural event. Together with our friends across the semiconductor ecosystem, we intend to run this program annually until we accomplish and exceed our sustainability goals and rebuild semiconductor operations in a way that ensures future, sustainable growth for all.