2023 program kicks off with two in-person National Academy events

Los Angeles, Calif. - June 2, 2023 - Cleantech Open, the world's largest and longest-running cleantech business accelerator, has accepted a new cohort of 100 cleantech startups into its 2023 accelerator program. The non-profit will commence this year’s curriculum with two regional in-person events - the National Academy West at the University of California (USC) Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif., from June 2-4, and the National Academy East at The Engine in Cambridge, Mass., from June 6-7.

Ken Hayes, executive director of Cleantech Open, said: “We’re excited to celebrate the launch of this year’s accelerator in person with over 100 entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, industry experts and volunteers in Los Angeles and Cambridge. As we emerge from the pandemic, we’ve assembled a fantastic program combining the best of in-person events and online programming.”

The events will feature keynote speakers, including: 

- Kerry Bowie, General Partner, Malaika Ventures and Co-Founder, President and Executive Director of Browning the Green Space (BGS)

- Mick Dalrymple, Chief Sustainability Officer, University of Southern California (USC)

- Susan Hunt Stevens - Founder and CEO of WeSpire

- Danny Kennedy, Chief Energy Officer, New Energy Nexus

- Shalaya Morissette, Chief, Minority Business and Workforce Division, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at U.S. Department of Energy

During these multi-day events, the early-stage startup entrepreneurs will attend panel discussions and participate in workshops with experts from finance, legal, and marketing firms and network with peers and industry representatives.

“This year’s accelerator cohort boasts 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 entrepreneurs, we’re fulfilling our mission of finding, funding, and fostering the most promising cleantech startups on the planet.”

Once again, Cleantech Open accepted a diverse group of companies into its accelerator program:

- Technologies and solutions in the Energy category continue to dominate at 49%, while Agriculture/Water/Waste represents 15%, Chemicals & Advanced Materials 11%, Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) 12% and Transportation 5% of all accepted companies. 

- 70% of teams have at least one BIPOC member, while 26% consider themselves Minority-Business Enterprises.

- 49% of companies have at least one team member who identifies as female or non-binary, while 20% consider themselves Women-Business Enterprises.

- Geographically, the startups come from 21 US states and four countries outside of the United States, representing 68 cities.

Find out more about all the participating companies here.

Cleantech Open offers a comprehensive twelve-week accelerator program, followed by a couple of months of additional mentoring to prepare for the regional finals events and the Global Forum. This year it will be held mostly virtually, with key in-person events, including the Academies, the Northeast Regional Finals, and the Global Forum. The entrepreneurs will also be able to attend local networking events in selected metropolitan areas across North America. 

The program provides entrepreneurs access to a network of peers, allowing them to collaborate and learn from each other's experiences. Through this comprehensive support system and connections with strategic investors, angel groups, and venture capital firms, founders acquire the skills, resources and relationships they need to launch and grow their business ventures successfully. Overall, the program is designed to nurture and accelerate the growth of innovative cleantech startups and help them achieve long-term success.

The accelerator program will culminate at Cleantech Open’s annual flagship event, the Global Forum, held in person at VERGE 23 in San Jose, Calif., from October 23-26.

Cleantech Open is supported by premier national sponsor Wells Fargo and national sponsor Breakthrough Energy, national in-kind sponsors HubSpot, opengrants.io, QuestionPro, Start Engine, Sustainable Minds, and several regional sponsors. See the complete list of regional and in-kind sponsors here.