Deadline: 23-Dec-22
Do you need funding your community historically hasn’t had access to? Do you need facilities and resources to build your product? Do you need mentors who share your lived experiences to help develop your roadmap to success? Advancing Climatetech and Clean Energy Leaders (ACCEL) is for you.
Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space (BGS) are requesting applications from innovative startups with founding and executive teams that are primarily made up of BIPOC leaders who are developing climate solutions for sectors including electricity, transportation, buildings, manufacturing, and agriculture.
Greentown Labs and BGS recognize that the climatetech industry must change the status quo to put founders of color in the position to lead technology-driven companies that address climate change, support the development of diverse workforces, and fiercely advocate for the deployment of clean technologies in underserved communities.
Scope
- The ACCEL program will launch in February 2023. The startup cohort will receive six months of acceleration, incubation, and mentorship, followed by an additional six months of mentorship.
- Browning the Green Space will lead market and team development programming based on the lean startup model and customer discovery process. BGS will additionally provide workshops tailored to the experiences of underrepresented founders, including mental health, self care, and environmental justice.
- VentureWell will serve as a thought partner in the program design and will deliver its national, established investment-readiness training program (known as ASPIRE) to better prepare early stage innovators for investment.
Benefits
- Program Benefits for Startups:
- Work alongside a cohort of exceptional BIPOC founders to build and scale your startup
- Experience a structured curriculum of workshops led by experts that will cover a range of topics, including customer discovery, optimizing team performance, design thinking and prototyping, growth hacking, startup finance, storytelling and pitching, mental health & self care, and more
- Receive $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding (Note: there is no equity or financial obligation for invited companies to participate; it is a no-cost program)
- Receive mentorship from Greentown Labs and BGS’s networks of mentors and startup experts
- Receive desk space and membership within Greentown Labs for the duration of the program and gain exclusive access to events, utilize spaces, and build meaningful relationships with key climatetech shareholders
- Receive BGS membership to unlock opportunities to learn, connect, and engage with practitioners in the clean energy sector on a just energy transition for Black and Brown communities.
What they’re Looking For
- Greentown Labs and BGS understand that they have a responsibility to empower and support marginalized communities that have suffered the environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or government regulations. The ACCEL Program is all about supporting BIPOC founders as they develop climatetech solutions. They aim to build critical support infrastructure and leverage their collective networks, systems, and partners to accelerate the development and distribution of solutions by a diverse group of founders.
- Solving the climate crisis presents an incredible economic opportunity where they can create an equitable, inclusive clean energy transition for generations to come.
- They’re looking for startups ranging from those that have developed a concept to those that have a minimum viable product built. Startups will focus on product and technology development, market development, capital raising, and management & team development throughout the accelerator, all while having access to Greentown Labs’ incubators and world-class mentors from both Greentown Labs and BGS’s networks.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be available for virtual and/or in-person interviews after the application deadline, if selected for further rounds.
- Disclose the status of any intellectual property (IP) relevant to your submission. Do not submit confidential information in the application process. Awardees will enter into non-disclosure agreements in order to protect their intellectual property throughout the ACCEL program.
- Applicants may apply from anywhere in the world, with priority consideration given to applicants residing in Massachusetts and Houston.
- If you are selected as an ACCEL program participant, a CEO/founder of your company will be required to attend all program events in order to enjoy full program benefits. Events will take place on-site in Boston and Houston, virtually, or a combination of both. A tentative timeline is as follows:
- Kickoff Event: February 23, 2023 (Location: Boston)
- Workshops: February-September 2023 (Locations: TBD)
- Final Showcase: September 12, 2023 (Location: TBD)
- Greentown is committed to increasing diversity, maintaining an inclusive community culture, and creating a more sustainable planet for all. They welcome applications from founders and teams of all backgrounds, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or whether or not they have a disability.
For more information, visit ACCEL.