Scale For ClimateTech provides immersive training on manufacturing and business planning, along with a team dedicated to making manufacturing easier — from mentors and experts in the field and product and packaging designers, to manufacturers, suppliers, and investors. Companies are coached by their peers, a community of technical experts, customized accountability teams, and a network of partners. There is no cost to participate or stake in equity involved. 

Scale For ClimateTech is funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and administered by two organizations — NextCorps in Rochester, New York, and SecondMuse in NYC.

NYSERDA

NYSERDA, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and support to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. A public benefit corporation, NYSERDA has been advancing energy solutions and working to protect the environment since 1975.

SecondMuse

SecondMuse is an impact and innovation company that builds resilient economies by supporting entrepreneurs and the ecosystems around them. They do this by designing, developing, and implementing a mix of innovation programming and investing capital. Over the last decade, they’ve designed and implemented programs on seven continents with 600+ organizations such as NASA, The World Bank, and Nike.

NextCorps

NextCorps provides a suite of services, including technology commercialization support for very early-stage opportunities, business incubation for high-growth potential startups, and growth services for manufacturing companies seeking to improve their top- and bottom-line performance.

ClimateTech is a rapidly emerging industry in which data-driven products are developed to enable communities, companies, and governments to understand their risk and exposure to the effects of climate change and take action to adapt and become resilient.

The Scale For ClimateTech program makes it easier for innovators to bring ClimateTech products to market. ClimateTech describes any process, product, or service that reduces harmful environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy, energy storage, transportation, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities including integrating smart technology into homes, buildings, cities, and grids.

Examples of ClimateTech include (but are not limited to) sustainable energy sources, such as renewable, solar, geothermal, and biomass energy; battery fuel cells; wind and hydro power. It also includes technologies that improve conventional energy production processes to reduce or optimize the use of natural resources, such as greenhouse gas emission control, and innovations in financing, insurance, the use of natural systems to sequester carbon, or other related technologies and business models that reduce carbon and other pollutants.

Scale For ClimateTech is a competitive, cohort-based program that involves a mix of virtual learning and self-paced instruction. Up to 10 teams are selected for each cohort. 

To qualify, you must have:  

• A willingness to learn and share, honor time commitments, and be a part of the cohort
• A team in place with a dedicated member to commit to regular programming, with your technical lead involved with CEO buy-in
• A works-like and/or looks-like ClimateTech* prototype that has a hardware component (see next question for information on viable prototypes)
• Operations based in New York State or, if not based in NY, the ability to help achieve the State’s clean energy and emissions-reduction goals
• Meaningful impact on reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions in New York State
• Funding in place to contribute to manufacturing your product

Applications for 2020 are currently closed. Please sign up for our mailing list for program notifications and opportunities.

*Climate technology is defined as innovation that supports decarbonization of the economy through hardware, hardware-enabled software, technology-enabled services, hardware-enabled data analytics, or processes that broadly reduce energy consumption, increase resource efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and/or enable the transition to a sustainable and decarbonized economy.

The prototype for your ClimateTech hardware must be based on customer discovery, meaning that there’s evidence that there is market need/opportunity, and the offering can be profitable. The prototype needs to “work-like/look-like” the envisioned product, and be at Technology Readiness Level 3 or above.

To assess the TRL level of your offering, use NYSERDA’s TRL Calculator.

You must have financial resources sufficient to sustain your company and begin the process for manufacturing readiness. For many ClimateTech companies, this may be $100,000 or more in accessible funds.

No. While Scale For ClimateTech hopes to increase local manufacturing, we know that supply chains are spread across the country and beyond. There are no production requirements to join the program. However, participating companies must demonstrate a benefit to New York State. Examples of what this could include are listed below; however, NYSERDA will make the final determination on whether or not a non-New York company meets this “demonstrated benefit in New York State” requirement:

• Working with NYSERDA-supported Technology to Market assets and resources, such as Clean Energy Incubators, Proof-of-Concept Centers, Cleantech Accelerators, Manufacturing Corps, Entrepreneurs-In-Residence Program, 76West, Co-Investment Fund, etc. 
• Contributing to some aspect of clean energy projects in New York State, such as financing, installation, monitoring, servicing, etc.
• Having some portion of a company’s workforce, such as research and development, manufacturing, and/or sales, based in New York State
• Sourcing supply chain partners, vendors, investors, and/or service providers in New York State
• Demonstrating clear alignment with the State’s nation-leading climate policy roadmap and technology deployment priorities

Scale For ClimateTech helps growth-stage ClimateTech innovators develop a faster and less expensive path to market than they will experience on their own. As a selected business, you will receive one-on-one attention to help you navigate and make critical decisions throughout the manufacturing process. 

Scale For ClimateTech’s support includes but is not limited to:

• Access to a robust team of technical experts, tools, and materials to guide you
• Access to vetted suppliers and manufacturers
• Coaching to make meaningful connections with potential partners
• Access to the NYSERDA network of programs and resources, along with other available programming 
• Opportunities to showcase what you are doing to interested investors and potential corporate partners
• Subsidies to support development of your product and contributions toward manufacturing runs on an as-needed basis

Applications for 2020 are currently closed. Please sign up for our mailing list for program notifications and opportunities.

Interested ClimateTech innovators must complete a program application. The Scale For ClimateTech program team will review applications and schedule a brief call to learn more about your team and the technology to assess if there is an optimal fit for participation.

Applications are currently closed. Please sign up for our mailing list for program notifications and opportunities.

During the program, participants will receive immersive training on manufacturing and business planning to gain an understanding of the overall manufacturing process, and the stages that will lead to manufacturing maturity for your ClimateTech solution.

You’ll follow a process for creating a manufacturing capability for your hardware, using a Manufacturing Management Standard called Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRLs). Developed by the Department of Defense, MRLs are patterned after Technology Readiness Levels, a methodology for estimating the maturity of technology elements. You’ll use this approach to thoroughly assess, manage, and mitigate risks in nine levels to anticipate and resolve issues. These areas include: Technology & the Industrial Base, Design, Materials, Cost & Funding, Process Capability & Control, Quality Management, Manufacturing Personnel, Facilities, and Manufacturing Planning.

In moving through these topics, our mentors will work with you to ensure you’ve answered critical questions to achieve a higher MRL. These include:

After years of working with hardware innovators and hundreds upon hundreds of conversations with founders, it’s clear: manufacturing is confusing, difficult, expensive, time consuming, painful, and sometimes even a fatal endeavor for businesses. Miscalculations, faulty designs, and bad decisions can put a company under and prevent innovation from getting to market. Our program is designed to provide the founder-centered programming and support needed to accelerate market breakthrough technologies. Companies discover what they don’t know in order to prepare and navigate manufacturing to speed the commercialization of products, and their impact on solving climate issues.