Venture For ClimateTech Opens Application Period to Help Innovators Get Climate Tech Ideas Off the Ground
New program is now recruiting its first cohort of innovators to help them accelerate ideas for reducing greenhouse gases
Via GlobeNewswire
NEW YORK, Jan 14., 2021—Venture For ClimateTech has begun accepting applications for its first cohort. Venture for ClimateTech is a new global non-profit venture studio + accelerator providing innovators with the non-dilutive funding they need to de-risk their opportunity, as well as the tools, training, and talent to begin building and launching a company around their impactful climate tech solution. Participation in the free six-month program—which will be held virtually—entails a competitive selection process.
Innovators and founders who have an idea or technology that has the potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gases are encouraged to apply. Applicants can be located anywhere in the world and should be interested in benefiting the climate tech ecosystem, including in New York State. Particular segments of interest include hardware, software, or business model solutions for buildings, transportation, energy storage, grid, fintech, food and agtech. Solutions that reach, are designed by, and/or positively impact the communities most impacted by climate change also have strong appeal.
Interested parties are encouraged to attend informational webinars to find out more about the program to assess if it’s right for them. Get more information and register for the sessions here.
Session options and topics include:
- January 28, 2021, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST – Overview of Venture For ClimateTech, its benefits, and how to apply with Managing Director, Jacqueline Ros Amable.
- February 9, 2021, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST – How support and funding at the very early stage can accelerate businesses, with Venture For ClimateTech Sr. Manager, Chante Harris, and CEOs of climate tech companies who took advantage of similar programming.
- February 25, 2021, 7:00 PM EST – 8:00 PM EST – A Question and Answer session on the application process and program requirements with Managing Director, Jacqueline Ros Amable, and Devin Sandon, Operations.
The recruitment period closes on March 12, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST. Select applicants will be invited to participate in a Bootcamp For ClimateTech that will result in the final selection of 10 companies for Cohort 1. Participants in Cohort 1 will be announced on April 22, 2021.
Benefits of participating in the Venture For ClimateTech studio + accelerator include:
- Non-dilutive funding: Initial investment of $25k and up to $100k of an investment-matched grant
- Access to a network of mentors, EIR’s (Entrepreneurs in Residence), and strategic connections for paths to success
- Training and team building assistance with financial support for early hires
- Community growth and exposure through the larger climate tech ecosystem under the For ClimateTech umbrella
- Educational sessions related to investor readiness
- Brand and narrative building, and increased exposure to key stakeholders
- Introductions to additional programming
Apply to Venture For ClimateTech here.
For more information on For ClimateTech, including Venture For ClimateTech and Scale For ClimateTech, and to sign up to receive program updates and news, visit ForClimateTech.org.
About For ClimateTech
The For ClimateTech initiative, which includes Venture For ClimateTech and Scale For ClimateTech, is supported by the New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and is administered by non-profit entrepreneurship catalyst NextCorps and impact innovation company SecondMuse. The goal of For ClimateTech initiatives is to accelerate innovations likely to have substantial climate impacts for all, and limit greenhouse gas emissions to 40% of 1990 levels by 2030 as established by The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of New York State.
Venture For ClimateTech Leadership
Jacqueline Ros Amable, Managing Director – Amable is a former founder in the hardware space via Revolar. She is one of the first Latinas to raise millions from investors such as Foundry Group and Techstars. She previously covered the Americas region for Techstars, helping grow innovation ecosystems from Canada through Argentina.
Chante Harris, Sr. Manager – Harris is a go-to-market strategist who has helped numerous global climate related companies launch and grow in New York State. She is also the founder of the Women of Color Collective in Sustainability.
Devin Sandon, Operations – Sandon has spent the last five years scouting, coaching, and supporting early-stage climate innovators. He was part of the original NextCorps administered proof-of-concept program, Nexus-NY, that served founders at this business stage.
Media Contacts:
For more information, media, or digital content please reach out to our Marketing and Community Relations Specialist, Chris Carpenter, or media relations support, Shannon Wojcik.
Chris Carpenter
585-214-2424
chris.carpenter@nextcorps.org
Shannon Wojcik
585.831.6267
shannon@rkgcomms.com
Steve has more than 30 years of experience in the mechanical design, development, and global manufacturing of complex, electro-mechanical products. He has experience leading engineering teams and working with cross-functional teams including management, manufacturers, and customers. He maintains a deep knowledge of intellectual property and is named as inventor or co-inventor on 40 U.S. Patents. Most recently, Steve was the Manufacturing Lead for Maidbot. Steve has a B.S.M.E. from Rice University and a Masters Degree in the Management of Technology from Rensselaer Polytechnic University.
Stacey Weismiller is a veteran of both New York City Economic Development Corporation and General Electric. Her passion stretches from supply chain management to helping startups scale their teams, resources, and spaces.
Shelby is the Senior Community Manager for New York City programs including Scale For ClimateTech. Shelby supports startups with short and long-term goals, develops workshops and events relevant to their design and manufacturing needs, and identifies mentors and technical experts that can help them meet their go-to-market goals. Prior to joining SecondMuse, Shelby was the Business & Marketing Manager at Tomorrow Lab, a hardware design and engineering firm in NYC. During her six years there, Shelby helped the once scrappy startup to become a successful small business by running day-to-day operations, communications, and community outreach. Much of this outreach was directly related to cultivating a more inclusive and diverse community for women within the hardware space, which she still focuses her efforts on with Scale For ClimateTech.
Ken is the Director of Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, as well as its Hardware Entrepreneurship program. He is the Managing Director of Cornell’s eLab student accelerator program, teaches entrepreneurship at the Johnson School, instructs and coaches in several technology commercialization programs including NSF I-Corps, and is a Venture partner at Cayuga Venture Fund. Ken has held multiple senior business and technical positions for organizations such as Discovery communications, Reuters, Matrox, and the Toronto Stock Exchange. He has direct startup experience having co-founded a software business in Toronto and joining an early-stage online media business in New York; both of these startups concluded with successful exits. Most recently, Ken was the Senior Vice President of Digital Media at Discovery.
Quinn is a Program Manager for the SecondMuse team supporting Scale For ClimateTech teams from prototype to production. She discovered her passion for entrepreneurship while earning her B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from NYU. Prior to SecondMuse, Quinn worked at Female Founders Fund, NYU Future Labs, and started her own venture, Curtain Call. Quinn participated in the NYU Stern $300k Challenge and Real Startup Accelerator and led the planning of three InnoVention cohorts at NYU.
Brian is the senior research engineer for Sustainable Design at Rochester Institute of Technology, Golisano Institute for Sustainability. He has more than 25 years of industrial product design and development experience spanning from clean sheet concept-inception through fully-automated, high-speed production at domestic and international assembly plants; and holds 58 international patents (including 29 U.S. patents). He currently provides expertise and management on industrial and government sponsored research projects focused on improving the product life cycle, sustainable design, manufacturing, remanufacturing, and technology readiness.
Anthony is the Scale for ClimateTech Program Coordinator at NextCorps. In this position, he helps ClimateTech companies scale their products from validation to market implementation. Before his time at NextCorps, his travels led him to work in education, entrepreneurship, and small business development. During his free time, it is better spent traveling, being active, reading, and reflecting.
Rachael is a Senior Associate at SecondMuse. She started her career at General Motors in the vehicle engineering division during the automotive industries’ exciting shift to focus on Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, and Zero Congestion. She worked across the product development timeline from roles in the Cadillac Studio, CAE analysis, and Quality engineering at GM’s first assembly plant 100% devoted to Electric Vehicles. Rachael grew up next to one of the largest industrial parks on the east coast and is excited to help bring sustainable manufacturing back to her hometown with Scale for ClimateTech. She holds a S.B. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.