Kick off Year 3 of our accelerator program for BIPOC-led startups!

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Join us to celebrate the kickoff of Year 3 of ACCEL, an accelerator program from Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space (BGS) designed to support BIPOC-led climatetech startups. At this event, hear from innovative startups that are developing climate solutions for sectors including agriculture, buildings, electricity, manufacturing, resilience and adaptation, and transportation. 

The third iteration of ACCEL follows two successful program years. The Year 2 cohort featured seven startups working on innovations as diverse as yeast-centered water treatment, vertical-axis offshore wind turbines, and algae- and cellulose-based fashion beads. Their accomplishments during the accelerator included conducting successful pilots, earning acceptances into additional accelerators, securing capital, winning awards, and more.

Take this opportunity to network, celebrate, and build community around this incredible program and meet the eight startups in the Year 3 cohort! 

• Andros Innovations (Cambridge, MA) has developed a revolutionary reactor that produces ammonia more cheaply, cleanly, and safely than traditional methods do. Its founder is Laron Burrows.
• Carbonext (Houston, TX) is leveraging a proprietary, off-the-shelf 3D-graphene technology to develop integrated solutions with carbon-coated silicon anodes to address current challenges in the graphite ecosystem, as well as lithium-battery anodes. Its founder is Olanrewaju Tanimola.
• FAST Metals (Worcester, MA) has developed a hydrometallurgical-recovery process capable of extracting iron, aluminum, scandium, titanium, and other rare-earth elements from industrial tailings such as bauxite residue—also known as red mud—which is produced as a waste byproduct in the primary extraction of aluminum. Its founders are Sumedh Gostu and Anthony Staley. 
• Inductive Robotics (Austin, TX) deploys autonomous robots that deliver EV charging directly to parked vehicles in commercial parking facilities, using a subscription-based model. Its founders are Madhav Ayyagari and David Alspaugh.
• PLASENE (Houston, TX) offers an innovative platform that converts plastic waste into liquid fuel and low-carbon hydrogen by leveraging proprietary catalysts and modular, scalable, pre-engineered units. Its founders are Sohel Shaikh, Alper Gulludag, and Romolo Raciti. 
• Respire Energy (Boston, MA) is redefining energy storage with a safe, low-cost, and long-duration metal-air battery designed for microgrids. Built with non-flammable and earth-abundant materials, it delivers eight-plus hours of reliable energy storage and backup power. Its founders are Dave Hsu, Xiaowei Teng, and Candy Wong.
• Tato Labs (Brooklyn, NY) is developing scalable, innovative, bioplastic products and packaging solutions that leverage potato starch, protect and preserve the natural ecosystem, and minimize plastic waste. Its founder is Mecca McDonald.
• Thola (Portland, ME) provides an on-demand marketplace for commercial-building sustainability and safety management, with a mission to decarbonize old buildings. Its founders are Nneile Nkholise and Lerato Takana.

Want to engage with the cohort throughout the accelerator? We welcome conversation on how you can support! For more information, please reach out to ACCEL Program Manager Rachel Cerato.

Agenda

in ET:

• 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. Check-in + Networking
• 6:00 to 6:05 p.m. Opening Remarks from Joubin Hatamzadeh, Chief Operating Officer at Greentown Labs
• 6:05 to 6:10 p.m. Remarks from Raija Vaisanen, Deputy Managing Director of Workforce Development at MassCEC
• 6:10 to 6:50 p.m. Raising Capital for Underrepresented Startups Panel
  • Jose LaSalle, CEO and Co-Founder at florrent
  • Jennifer Le Blond, Managing Director Emerging Climatetech at Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
  • Daniel Acheampong, General Partner and Co-founder at Visible Hands VC
  • Moderated by Kerry Bowie, Co-Founder, Executive Director, and President at Browning the Green Space
• 6:50 to 7:15 p.m. Startup Introductions
  • Andros Innovations 
  • Carbonext 
  • FAST Metals 
  • Inductive Robotics 
  • PLASENE 
  • Respire Energy 
  • Tato Labs 
  • Thola 
• 7:15 to 7:20 p.m. Closing Remarks
• 7:20 to 8:00 p.m. Startup Showcase + Networking

About ACCEL

ACCEL is a year-long program that combines acceleration with a curated curriculum, incubation through a Greentown membership, and extensive mentorship from Greentown and BGS’s networks of industry experts. The program is designed to bolster BIPOC-led startups as they develop critical climatetech solutions by offering access to funding, networking connections, resources, and opportunities that structural inequities put out of reach. Learn more about ACCEL here.

About Browning the Green Space

Browning the Green Space is a coalition of leaders and organizations, primarily in the New England region, that share the passion to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) in clean energy. Their goal is to increase the participation and leadership of Black and Brown people and of women (collectively, “underrepresented groups”) in the clean energy space and beyond (e.g., wasted food, water, agtech) in the Northeast. Learn more about Browning the Green Space here.

ACCEL's Funders and Curriculum + Resources Partner

Register Now

If you have questions or need to request accommodation, please reach out to Greentown Labs’ Events Manager, Kelly Wilson (kwilson@greentownlabs.com).

Venue Information

Parking is incredibly limited at Greentown Labs and we encourage attendees to consider taking advantage of public transportation. We’re a short walk from the recently opened Union Square station, as well as 1 mile away from both the Harvard and Porter MBTA stations. Union Square in Somerville is also easily accessible via the #86 and #91 MBTA buses. We offer bike parking on-site and the closest Bluebikes stations are at Dane St., Conway Park and Union Square.