Cleantech Open Hosts Marquee Global Forum Showcase & Awards on East Coast for First Time

Six startups from across the country competed for a $25,000 National Grand Prize 

From left to right: Beth Zonis, Senior Director of Cleantech Open Northeast at ACT; Malia Chavinson, Founder & CEO of Naiad Technologies; Ben Linde, Technical Lead of Naiad Technologies; and Jessica Greenwald, Executive Director of Cleantech Open. (Courtesy of Edward Feather Productions). 

Somerville, Mass. – October 26, 2026 – Cleantech Open, the world’s largest and longest-running clean technology accelerator, hosted its first East Coast-based Global Forum Showcase and Awards on October 22nd at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Mass., the largest climate tech incubator in North America. 

Gathering 64 startups nationwide, the event celebrated cutting-edge innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transformative power of cleantech solutions.

At the event, Cleantech Open proudly announced the winners of its 2026 U.S. National Finals, including: 

• U.S. National Winner & People’s Choice Award: Naiad Technologies, a Providence, RI, based startup that develops scalable buoy systems with built-in biochemical filtration technology that removes phosphorus from bodies of water to mitigate toxic algae blooms and protect aquatic ecosystems.
• U.S. National Runner-Up: Ouros Materials, a materials technology startup based in Piscataway, NJ, that utilizes captured carbon dioxide and low-temperature processing to develop fire-resistant and low-cost composite building panels designed to decarbonize the construction industry.

After completing Cleantech Open’s five-month accelerator program, gaining world-class mentorship, training, and investor connections, 53 graduating startups competed in regional programs across the U.S. From this group, six standout teams advanced to the National Finals at the Global Forum, including Cyclone Instruments, based in Chicago, IL; Evidion Energy, based in Cambridge, MA; Licube, based in Houston, TX; Naiad Technologies, based in Providence, RI; Ouros Materials, based in Piscataway, NJ; and Perennial Polymers, based in Willmington, DE.

“This is the 21st year of the Cleantech Open Global Forum, and in those two decades we’ve had over 4,300 startups participate in Cleantech Open, collectively raising more than $3 billion,” said Jessica Greenwald, Executive Director of Cleantech Open. “We want to support and nurture those early-stage startups in technology validation, customer discovery, and go-to-market strategies — all of which are foundational pieces to success. It excites me to see how we can impact these young startups who are later going to have an impact on all of our lives when it comes to tackling our climate’s challenges.” 

This year’s Global Forum featured keynote addresses, an Investor & Partner Connect, Cleantech Open expo, awards ceremony, and networking session, all of which showcased the unique innovative strategies across today’s cleanteach innovation ecosystem.   

“Cleantech Open creates a buzz of opportunity for founders and teams taking on the biggest challenges facing society, especially those at the nexus of climate, energy, and emissions,” said Ben Downing, CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “Massachusetts is the solutions factory for the rest of the world, and the more that we can produce solutions, the better equipped we are to take on the biggest challenges that are a part of transitioning to an abundant, affordable carbon-free future.” 

The speakers included Georgina Campbell Flatter, Chief Executive Officer of Greentown Labs; Ben Downing, CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center; Travis Bradford, Senior Lecturer at Columbia University & Founder/President of the Prometheus Institute; and Elise Strobach, CEO, Founder, and Inventor at AeroShield Materials Inc. (AeroShield Materials is the 2019 Cleantech Open National Grand Prize Winner.) The final judges were Christina Chang, Executive in Residence at The Engine; Richard Fontes, Chief Product Officer at Topo Finance; Dr. Cvic Innocent, General Partner and Managing Partner of Frankenbuild Ventures; and David Miller, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clean Energy Ventures. 

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Group photo including leaders from Cleantech Open and ACT, the judging panel, and startup finalists. (Courtesy of Edward Feather Productions). 

“If I could give one piece of advice to today’s innovators, it’s that the money is there,” said Dr. Cvic Innocent, Cleantech Open Finals Judge and General Partner of Frankenbuild Ventures. “...Convince people to support your efforts because your innovations are meant to last generations."

David Levine, Lead Mentor and Co-Chair of the Recruiting Committee in the Northeast, was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to Cleantech Open. Additionally, seven industry leaders received the 2026 Mentor of the Year Awards, including Tammy Flemming, Metro Ambassador, Cleantech Open; Chuck Digate, CEO of Carbon Zero Capital Advisors; Mark Higgins, Managing Partner, Tangarora Ventures; Tom Kinneman, Executive in Residence and Board Member of InnoVenture Labs; Lisa Dufresne, Investment Manager at GC Ventures; Michael Holman, Principal at HRTO; and James De Vellis, Patent Lawyer and Partner at Foley & Lardner LLP.  

Read about all of the graduates of the 2026 Cleantech Open National cohort here. 

See the Finals website here. 

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Sponsors and Partners

Cleantech Open extends its gratitude to the 2026 National Sponsors — Cleantech Open Northeast, the Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT), Shell GCxN, National Laboratories of the Rockies (NLR, ) and the MOFO Foundation — for their ongoing support in enabling this year’s Global Forum. Their partnership continues to strengthen the innovation pipeline and empower cleantech entrepreneurs to scale solutions that address the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

About Cleantech Open

Cleantech Open is the world’s largest and longest-running cleantech accelerator. Over the past two decades, it has supported more than 4,000 entrepreneurs across the United States and globally through mentorship, training, and connections to investors and corporate partners. Cleantech Open alumni have collectively raised more than $4 billion in funding and created thousands of jobs in the clean economy.

To learn more about Cleantech Open visit www.cleantechopen.org and the 2026 Global Forum Showcase & Awards website.