ROCHESTER, N.Y., February 11, 2025 – Venture For ClimateTech announced the availability of funding and business support for climate tech startups today. The accelerator is accepting applications for its fifth cohort, offering valuable resources to promising companies.
Participating companies will receive support and services in addition to up to $50,000 in non-dilutive funding. The comprehensive program, administered by NextCorps and backed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), provides one-on-one mentoring, access to investors, and educational programming. This preparation is designed to assist entrepreneurs in securing their first customer contracts, executing pilot runs, and fostering business growth.
“We’ve found that the quicker we can position these teams to a scalable or commercialized place, the higher their chances are for follow-on investment—both private and public—and for long-term success,” stated Jack Baron, Managing Director of Venture For ClimateTech. “We receive hundreds of applications each year from innovators with promising climate technologies. Our program has, on average, raised our teams’ preparedness by two Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) to a position where the current investment market is more apt to provide initial investment. If we’re to meet our climate goals on the state and federal level, we need companies and technologies such as these to scale as quickly as possible.”
Innovators and founders with technologies or ideas capable of substantially cutting greenhouse gas emissions are encouraged to apply by March 7, 2025. Though the program is virtual, applicants can apply from anywhere in the world, provided they have technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the state of New York’s energy transition. The cohort program is structured in three phases, sequentially taking place over five months, with the aim to attract customers, investors, and opportunities for product demonstrations. The program culminates in an investor pitch day, the For Climate Innovation Showcase, which will be held during Climate Week NYC in September 2025.
Chris Thomas, CEO of RTRN Bioworks, Inc. and a member of Cohort 4, provided anecdotal evidence of the program’s efficacy. “There are so many benefits that came with this opportunity: the connections to investors, the enhancement of our pitch materials, and the ability to more eloquently describe what we are doing to interested parties,” Thomas said. Thomas further explained the significance of the Venture For ClimateTech community: “There are people from this program who I know I’m going to be talking to for years because of how instrumental they will be and have been in the past few months.”
Launched in 2021 and supported by NYSERDA, Venture For ClimateTech aims to accelerate New York State’s equitable energy transition by helping climate tech solutions become commercial ventures. The program acts as a crucial foundation for companies who wish to launch commercial pilots, join later-stage accelerators, or participate in fellowships with respected organizations. Stephen Bravo, NYSERDA Director of Commercialization, said, “The Venture For ClimateTech program creates a path for companies to bring innovative climate and clean energy technologies to the forefront of the industry. NYSERDA is proud to support the skill building and business knowledge companies need to commercialize products, attract future investment, and grow cutting-edge solutions that accelerate New York State’s clean energy transition.”
With hands-on mentorship, a well-established investor network, and a core curriculum that aims to educate, Venture For ClimateTech supplies critical support to participating companies. Impressively, since 2021, the 58 companies that have participated in the Venture For ClimateTech cohorts have collectively secured over $98 million in follow-on funding. This impressive figure demonstrates that innovative ideas and teams with the right backing can draw notable investment interest, even at an early stage.
Some notable companies have also successfully come through the program. For example, in 2022 Holocene participated in Venture For ClimateTech. In 2024, this firm entered a historic $10 million agreement with Google that includes the delivery of 100,000 carbon removal credits by the early 2030s. Active Surfaces, which was a participant in the 2023 cohort, opened its new manufacturing facility in 2024 to produce its ultra-thin flexible solar film. Voltpost, a company founded by a 2021 cohort participant, is now rolling out EV charging lampposts across the country.
Companies interested in receiving more information about the program are encouraged to attend one of several informational webinars.
Informational webinars:
- Open Q&A with Venture For ClimateTech Alumni February 18, 2025, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET Register here
- Open Q&A Venture For ClimateTech March 4, 2025, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET Register here
For further information and to register, visit the Venture For ClimateTech website here.
Media Contacts:
For all information including media inquiries, contact:
Shannon Wojcik 585-831-6267 shannon@rkgcomms.com
