Seth Godin headlines kickoff event +++ over 200 entrepreneurs and mentors attend National Academy, representing 91 startups in the 2022 program
Los Angeles, 6/7/2022 - Cleantech Open, the largest and longest-running cleantech accelerator in the world, has welcomed a new cohort of cleantech startups into its 2022 accelerator program.
The non-profit commenced this year’s curriculum with a three-day online symposium, the National Academy, from June 1-3. Seth Godin, the marketing expert, best-selling author, and entrepreneur headlined the event via Zoom on Thursday, June 2. He talked about the importance of clear, fact-based communications and marketing when fighting climate change, and introduced his latest project, The Carbon Almanac. This speaking engagement is part of a wider collaboration between The Carbon Almanac and Cleantech Open.
Ken Hayes, executive director of Cleantech Open, said: “We’re extremely grateful to have welcomed Seth as keynote speaker at our National Academy. The Carbon Almanac is an excellent new example of how to break down complex problems and technologies into digestible chunks of information and established facts, and that’s exactly what the world - including our cleantech founders - need to do if we want to save this planet.”
In addition, the event featured keynote speeches from Julie Blunden, Board Chair, New Energy Nexus; Thomas Debass, Managing Director of the Office of Global Partnerships, US Department of State; Katie MacDonald, Director of Technology to Market, NYSERDA; John Moon, Vice President, Climate-Aligned Philanthropy and Partnerships Lead, Institute for Sustainable Finance, Wells Fargo; as well as panel discussions and workshops with speakers from finance, legal, and marketing firms. It was attended by approx. 200 entrepreneurs, business mentors and Cleantech Open volunteers. See the full speaker lineup here.
“We’re excited to kick off the 2022 accelerator with a broad set of companies addressing various climate challenges, including energy generation, efficiency, distribution and storage; water, waste, agriculture, transportation; chemicals and advanced materials; and supporting software/AI solutions,” said Ken Hayes. “By offering sound business training and invaluable ecosystem connections to our 2022 cohort, we’re getting one step closer to achieving our mission of finding, funding, and fostering the most promising cleantech startups on the planet.”
The companies accepted into the 2022 Cleantech Open accelerator program are diverse in nature, both in terms of geographies, technology, and background:
- Technologies and solutions in the Energy category continue to dominate at 31%, while Agriculture/Water/Waste represents 20%, followed by Information & Communication Technologies (ICT; 19%), and Transportation (15%).
- 46% of companies are founded by BIPOC entrepreneurs, while 11% of founders are or identify as female.
- 72% of companies are hardware-focused.
- 17 companies are from outside of the US.
Find out more about all the participating companies here.
Julie Blunden, Board Chair, New Energy Nexus, said: “Congratulations to all the companies accepted into Cleantech Open, you are building something remarkable. Startups like you have the agility and focus to create change and inject new technologies, products, and services into markets with customers who want something better. Cleantech Open is a great learning opportunity to build and share your impact and inspire others.”
Cleantech Open’s six-month accelerator will remain virtual throughout 2022. During the program, startups will receive training through webinars and business clinics, gain insight from expert mentors, build connections with strategic investors, angel groups, and venture capital firms, and receive products and services from in-kind sponsors. The annual Global Forum will be held in person co-located with VERGE 22 in San Jose, CA October 24-27.
Cleantech Open is supported by national premier sponsor Wells Fargo, national in-kind sponsors HubSpot, opengrants.io, QuestionPro, Start Engine, and Sustainable Minds, as well as regional sponsors. See the full list of regional and in-kind sponsors here.
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