Calling all founders with massive ideas: Applications for CDL 2021/22 Program Year are now open Applications are due July 30 for the nine-month program that starts this October

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is seeking applications from motivated venture founders in the process of building the world’s most promising science and technology startups who could benefit from mentorship, technical advice and the opportunity to raise capital.

The nonprofit organization’s mission is to accelerate the commercialization of science for the betterment of humankind. CDL runs a nine-month, objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and tech-based companies in 15 streams at nine sites across the globe.

More than 4,000 founders from over 1,700 companies have already participated in CDL since 2012, and CAD $8 billion in equity value has been created through the program. CDL does not charge any fees or take equity.

Five key elements help venture founders transform their projects into scalable, financeable companies:

• Objective-setting, which guides companies to focus on what’s most important to their business;
• Focused mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs who have founded, led, and sold significant tech companies;
• Technical advice from world-leading scientists, engineers, and economists;
• Hands-on support from top business students;
• Opportunities to raise capital, including from angels and venture capitalists in Europe and North America.

Saint-Gobain, MassCEC, and Greentown Labs recognize the significant role that healthy buildings will play in improving the sustainability of our built environment. The Healthy Buildings Challenge seeks startups with innovative technologies at the prototype stage and beyond that advance building sustainability and wellbeing for building occupants. Our world needs innovation that can optimize for the health of people and the health of the climate, together.

• A structured platform to explore potential partnerships with Saint-Gobain
• Support from Saint-Gobain leaders who will be matched with your team
• $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding
• Mentorship, networking opportunities, and partnership-focused programming
• Exclusive access to the Greentown Labs, Saint-Gobain, and MassCEC networks
• Desk space and membership within Greentown Labs for the duration of the program

The American-Made Challenges (AMC) has launched round 5 of the Solar Prize and is offering two tracks – hardware and software. These tracks will follow the same three-contest structure but compete for separate prizes. Participants have the chance to win millions in cash prizes, support vouchers, and other resources to help them advance in the competition and accelerate the development of their solutions.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has launched Phase 2 of the Solar Desalination Prize.

This competition strives to help achieve the goals of the Water Security Grand Challenge. SETO is seeking ideas that will accelerate the development of systems that use low-cost solar-thermal energy to produce clean water from very-high-salinity water, like water produced from oil and gas extraction. The clean water produced can be used in municipal, agricultural, and industrial applications.

Contest 1, Innovation, is open to the public. Quarterfinalists will be announced in September 2021 and receive $50,000 each. Contest winners will then continue to the next phases of the challenge and have the opportunity to win millions of dollars over the competition.

Shell UK has announced a new program for energy start-ups – Shell StartUp Engine UK – in partnership with Unreasonable Group (Unreasonable). The program focuses on scale and growth-stage start-ups that are best placed to accelerate a fair and just energy transition, improve access to energy and help consumers make smarter energy choices. CEOs of these start-ups will benefit from high-profile mentorship, access to potential investors and partners, and being part of the Shell and Unreasonable start-up communities.

If you have an idea that has the potential to have a significant positive impact across one or several of the SDGs while being financially successful, apply here to build your company with Satgana. Satgana’s goal is to co-create companies from scratch, alongside extraordinary entrepreneurs. It offers financial, operational, and organizational support for ventures.

Have a cleantech idea or startup that will change how we fight climate change and think the Beam Grant will help you take that next step?

Startups who are beginning to build momentum should apply now! If you have incorporated a startup and are in the process of translating your innovation into a first prototype, or demonstrating a physical proof of concept, and can demonstrate access to resources you need to make it to the next stage, you are a strong candidate for this mini-grant.

Are you a founder with a vision to create a real impact? A strong application will be able to describe an informed, well-reasoned rationale for emissions reductions.

Do you have a need for our support? Explain in your application how the  $1,000 award will allow you to advance development. The clearer the plan to use this, and the clearer the value of this support, the more compelling the case.

The GS Beyond Energy Innovation Challenge celebrates purpose-driven startups that address persistent and emerging energy transition problems. The winner of the challenge will receive a $100,000 cash prize, the top three semi-finalists will receive special consideration for a pilot project with GS Group and the top five startups will be invited to pitch energy industry leaders and investors in a virtual event. Presenting companies receive one-on-one mentorship and coaching from Energy Transition Ventures, GS Beyond, GS Futures, Investors, and industry experts as well as exposure to over $1 billion in venture capital.

The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has issued a $13 million solicitation for Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT). This funding opportunity seeks new energy projects that will aid federal facilities improve the efficiency of their operations and reduce their carbon footprint.

The competition is a competitive prize for early-stage cleantech startups to win $50K cash (non-dilutive) and admission to our incubator program. Finalists will be invited to pitch at our annual Urban Future Summit in front of an esteemed jury. This year’s judges will be investors from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Generation Investment Management, and Energy Impact Partners.

The For ClimateTech Global Innovation Challenge aims to rally innovators and partners towards building a global movement to source and develop the most impactful and equitable early-stage climate tech solutions across four sectors key to reducing global emissions: Energy, Buildings, Food & Agriculture, and Transportation.

With a final prize of $10,000 USD for each challenge winner, all applicants will receive resources to better understand and tap into the NY State climate tech ecosystem, while select applicants will be invited to meet with a mix of climate tech,
environmental, and industry leaders to receive immediate solution feedback, input, and additional resources. Challenge finalists will have the opportunity to participate in the V4C Bootcamp with a chance to then be selected for the 6-month
V4C Venture studio + accelerator program!

Note: Challenge finalists will automatically be considered as an applicant for the V4C program and invited to the V4C Bootcamp, entering them into further stages of the selection process for joining this year’s cohort. If you did not apply for the V4C Program but are selected as a finalist for the Challenge, we’ll ask that you fill out the additional application questions later on.

This four-year global competition invites innovators and teams from anywhere on the planet to create and demonstrate solutions that can pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or oceans ultimately scaling massively to gigaton levels, locking away CO2 permanently in an environmentally benign way. Solutions will be scientifically evaluated across multiple criteria such as; amount of CO2 removed, life cycle analysis of the removal process, energy efficiency, land footprint and sequestration capabilities. Any carbon negative solution is eligible: nature-based, direct air capture, oceans, mineralization, or anything else that sequesters CO2 permanently. More details to be announced on April 22, 2021.