Cleantech Open Northeast Announces 2024 Cohort

SOMERVILLE, MA, June 6, 2024 - Cleantech Open Northeast (CTONE), the northeast region of the nation’s largest cleantech startup accelerator, has welcomed 43 startups across the Northeast into its 2024 cohort, NECEC announced today. Selected from a pool of 70 applicants, this year’s cohort is diverse and extremely driven to commercialize high-impact solutions to improve the environment and combat climate change.

"Welcoming the new cohort to Cleantech Open Northeast is one of the highlights of our year at the Northeast Clean Energy Council," said NECEC President Joe Curtatone. "It feels like we are witnessing the future unfold before our eyes. These innovators and their groundbreaking ideas will redefine the climate economy in the coming years. I'm truly inspired by the incredible diversity of projects and founders within CTONE's cohort and their unwavering commitment to protecting our planet for future generations."

Beth Zonis, Senior Director of Cleantech Open Northeast, NECEC, stated: “The entrepreneurs in the 2024 Cleantech Open Northeast cohort are very aware of the urgency of their work in the fight against climate change and of the need to make this a just and inclusive transition. They have already begun the hard work to develop and prepare their cleantech startups for commercialization.”

CTONE's six-month accelerator began this week with its first in-person East Coast Academy in New York since 2018. The Academy took place at Amazon in New York City. Throughout the accelerator program, startups will have access to training through webinars and business clinics, gain insights from expert mentors, build connections with strategic investors, angel groups, and venture capital firms, and compete for cash prizes. They will also receive products and services from in-kind sponsors.

“Innovation and entrepreneurship are essential elements in our clean energy transformation,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. “But entrepreneurs can’t do it alone. They need a strong community around them offering support, mentorship, and investment. That’s why MassCEC is proud to support Cleantech Open Northeast. Thanks to Cleantech Open, we get a glimpse of our clean energy future even as we help to create it.” 

On September 30, the accelerator program will culminate in the Cleantech Open Northeast Regional Semi-Finals and Investor Connect (private events in Boston to be hosted by Foley Hoag). On October 1, the Finals Showcase and Awards Celebration will be hosted by Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA; this event will be open to the public. During these events, startups will showcase their ventures before a panel of judges that select four regional winners, each of whom will receive a $10,000 cash prize. In addition, three winners of $10,000 cash prizes in specialty areas. Thanks to the continued support from the Sire Foundation, Cleantech Open Northeast will once again offer a 2024 Carbon Sequestration/CCUS Prize and a 2024 Cleantech Open Ag/Food/Land Use Prize. Thanks to the generosity of Xylem, there is also a 2024 Cleantech Open Water Prize. These prizes are for startups that complete the annual accelerator. The regional winners and finalists will progress to compete for the National Grand Prize at the Cleantech Open Global Forum at VERGE in San Jose, CA, in October.

The 2024 cohort includes startups from almost every state in the region: 10 from Massachusetts, seven from New Jersey, six from New York, five from Virginia, three from Maryland, three from New Hampshire, three from Pennsylvania, two from Vermont, two from Canada, one from Maine, and one from Rhode Island. Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia are the most represented states. 

Ventures participating in the 2024 cohort represent a range of cleantech sectors, including eight in Green Building, seven in Energy Generation, six in Energy Distribution & Storage, six in Transportation, five in Water, four in Information & Communications Technology, three in Chemicals & Advanced Materials, two in Energy Efficiency, one in Agriculture, and one in Waste. So, the categories most represented are Green Building, Energy Generation, Energy Distribution & Storage, and Transportation. 

A full list of participating companies is available here. 

In 2024, Cleantech Open Northeast updated the curriculum with new content on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Belonging, and Accessibility (DEIJBA). This will be made available to Cleantech Open startups across the entire country. Regarding diversity, 70% of the startups have a female or non-binary founder, and 56% have a founder from an underserved community. Overall, 72% of the startups in this year’s cohort are led by at least one founder who’s female, non-binary, or from an underserved community. 

Cleantech Open Northeast is grateful for the continued support of Regional Premier Sponsor MassCEC and the Platinum-level sponsorship of NYSERDA. In 2024, Cleantech Open Northeast added Dartmouth College as a new Platinum sponsor, as the team helped to set up a new climate impact accelerator called Greenshot. The continuing Gold Sponsorship of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology (NJ CSIT) are building the cleantech innovation community in New Jersey. In addition, Cleantech Open Northeast won a Department of Energy DAC EPIC Pre-Commercialization Prize for Incubators. In late 2024, Cleantech Open Northeast will be running an 8-week Director Air Capture Academy (DAC Academy) for five startups. For DAC startups, this complements the Cleantech Open, so relevant startups are invited to participate in both programs. 

About Cleantech Open Northeast

Cleantech Open Northeast is the Northeast region of Cleantech Open and is managed by NECEC as the on-the-ground affiliate. Cleantech Open is the world’s oldest and largest cleantech accelerator and is dedicated to providing entrepreneurs and technologists with the resources needed to launch a successful cleantech company. Its mission is to find, fund, and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. Cleantech Open provides the infrastructure, expertise, and strategic relationships that turn clever ideas into successful global cleantech companies. Fueled by a network of more than 1,000 volunteers, Cleantech Open unites the public and private sectors in a shared vision for making America’s cleantech sector a thriving economic engine. Between 2005 and 2023, Cleantech Open Northeast has trained 601 early-stage clean technology startups through its annual business accelerator. 74% of Cleantech Open Northeast alumni are still active or have had a successful exit. Cleantech Open Northeast alumni have raised more than $1.47 billion, created more than 4,400 clean economy jobs, and generated more than $697 million in revenue. For more information, visit cleantechopen.org

About NECEC

NECEC leads the just, equitable, and rapid transition to a clean energy future and a diverse climate economy. NECEC is the only organization in the Northeast that covers all of the clean energy market segments, representing the business perspectives of investors and clean energy companies across every stage of development. NECEC members span the broad spectrum of the clean energy industry, including clean transportation, energy efficiency, wind, solar, energy storage, microgrids, fuel cells, clean buildings, and advanced “smart” technologies. For more information, visit www.necec.org.