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 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.

Shimizu Corporation is an architectural, civil engineering and
general contracting Japanese firm with more than 210 years of
history. They are looking for solutions in plastic waste management,
battery storage for renewable energy, hydrogen generation from
water, carbon offset, emission trading and reduction of Co2, and
insect-tech

Meet the Buyer events offer interesting opportunities for your company to get in touch with the leading enterprises in a variety of business sectors. The event is invite-only and will give you the chance to have an individual one-to-one meeting with key decision-makers. Join the event, establish valuable collaborations, pitch your products and services, and discuss business partnerships that can fast-forward your company’s growth.

Shimizu Corporation has set an investment allowance with a maximum cap of 10 billion yen（US$94 million）to invest in venture firms and venture funds in Japan and overseas. The areas targeted are venture firms engaged in AI, robotics, drones, BIM and CIM, sensors, project management, new materials, smart cities, environment and energy, and new business domains.

Shimizu can also offer:
o Collaboration opportunities mainly in Japan and the Southeast Asia region
o Develop PoC projects with the start-ups
o Potentially utilizing the existing methods and technologies from architectural/civil
engineering domains
o Provide test-bed opportunities in Japan and other countries
o R&D to pilot projects co-working for new business establishment
o Potentially partnering towards commercial stages

If you have any questions, please contact Camila Vila by sending her an email to camila.vila@cambridgecleantech.org.uk.

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.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is working to bring sustainable, affordable housing to communities throughout California.

The Next EPIC Challenge: Reimagining Affordable Mixed-Use Development in a Carbon-Constrained Future is a competition challenging multi-disciplinary project teams to design and build a mixed-use development – using cutting-edge technologies and advanced construction practices – that’s affordable, equitable, emissions-free, and resilient to climate change impacts and extreme weather events. For more information, click here and join the CEC virtually on Thursday, January 21 for a pre-application workshop.

Additionally, on Thursday, January 28, 2021, join the first Empower Innovation Event, focused on connecting diverse stakeholders to accelerate building sustainable, affordable housing in California’s communities. The goal is to help local governments, community leaders, developers, and clean energy technology innovators meet and learn from each other, starting conversations that may lead to further opportunities for collaboration. Register today. 

If you have any questions or want to learn more about how to get involved in the Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge Program, please reach out to Hannah Schanzer (Hannah.Schanzer@Energy.ca.gov).

The Solar Energy Technologies Office is seeking applicants for the FY21 Systems Integration and Hardware Incubator funding program. The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent is January 11, 2021, by 5 pm ET. The goal is to advance solar hardware and systems integration, including the creation of a consortium dedicated to developing control technologies for a modernized electric grid. Be sure to register for the webinar on January 6, 2021, at 1 p.m. ET. SETO staff will go over all the topic areas in this funding opportunity and answer questions.

The Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI’s) Incubatenergy Labs—a program that connects leading startup companies with electric power utilities from around the world—invites startup companies to apply for the opportunity to propose innovative solutions to the most challenging issues facing the electric power industry. Selected applicants will be invited to participate in the 2021 Incubatenergy Labs Demo Day Challenge.

Startups must apply online to pitch their proposal to a group of electric power utilities in March 2021. Startups that deliver successful pitches at this event will go on to work with EPRI and electric power utility experts to scope and execute a paid pilot research and demonstration project within the service area of a participating utility next summer. This collaborative approach increases the value of the projects for all participants by expanding the reach of the startups and providing valuable investment information for the utilities. Applications can be submitted until January 14, 2021.

The Diageo Sustainable Solutions program is calling upon innovators to share their ideas and solutions for growing brands and businesses sustainably.

Diageo Sustainable Solutions will invest time and experience, resources and assets where relevant, and fully fund proof of concept pilots that are selected from the breakthrough innovations. Innovations in energy, water, packaging, and agriculture will be prioritized.

The short online application is due December 16, 2020, and a shortlist of applicants will be determined by December 22, 2020. A virtual pitch day will be hosted in January 2021 and successful pilot proposals will be chosen by the end of January 2021. Up to a 6-month pilot of collaboration will be available to develop ideas and demonstrate a proof of concept within the supply chain.

Each pilot will be sponsored by a Diageo Business Unit lead, with a dedicated Technical support team (from Diageo and supply chain partners). Successful pilots will be considered for scaling within the Diageo Supply Chain.

The Department of Energy (DOE) American-Made Challenge is seeking innovators, visionaries, and enthusiasts from across a variety of industries to propose innovative solutions that will encourage the development of new ideas to cut the costs, timelines, and risks associated with hydropower development.

The key challenges that the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is seeking to address are listed below:

• Geotechnical Site Assessment: Activities performed to obtain information needed to design and construct a hydropower foundation system
• Foundation Design: Process of using information from the site assessment to perform analyses and develop a cost-effective foundation system that meets the project design criteria
• Foundation Construction: Activities performed by the contractor, from mobilization through project commissioning, to fully develop the foundation system.

Furthermore, the prize seeks solutions that are low head (less than 30 feet, new stream-reach development (NSD), and applicable to soil foundations. Please note that superstructures, including dams, are excluded from the prize scope.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs encourage U.S. small businesses to engage in high-risk, innovative research, and technology development with the potential for future commercialization. The program is administered by the Energy Department’s Office of Science and awards projects in technology areas across the entire department. It is part of the larger SBIR program across the federal government, which is administered by the Small Business Administration. Learn more about these programs’ past awards in solar energy.

SBIR/STTR Phase I awards are up to $200,000 for six months to one year. For help with the application process, visit this webpage on how to apply for a funding opportunity announcement (FOA).

Watch the CEBN webinar recording about the solar innovation funding opportunities here.

The L.A. New Mobility Challenge is a major global startup competition focused on innovative, zero-emission solutions for the challenges of urban mobility. The fourth edition of the Challenge invites startups and early-stage companies from around the world to address two critical issues in the urban mobility landscape: Solutions for Transporting Goods in Urban Environments, and Solutions for Transporting People in Urban Environments.

Interested companies should apply by October 30, and semi-finalists will be invited to pitch their concepts to our esteemed judges at CoMotion LA LIVE: November 17-19.

To be eligible, companies must be less than five years old, have revenue of less than $5 million, and have a product in pilot, beta or prototype stage.

The Grand Prize Winner receives:

• A trip to present at SparkLabs Korea DemoDay16 in 2021, the largest accelerator demo day in the world. Over 2,500 people attend these half-day events twice a year. (Includes 1 economy fare ticket and a 3-night five-star hotel stay.)
• Three month mentoring from 2-3 of SparkLabs Partners or Venture Partners.
• The right to join Urban Movement Labs as a partner, alongside mobility luminaries like Lyft, Waymo, Verizon, and Avis Budget Group.
• Access to UML’s team of experts, resources, and data.
• The opportunity to network with other partner companies and organizations.
• The right to an accelerated incubator, including previewing applicable technology to UML stakeholders for potential deployment in an LA Urban Proving Ground.
• Promotion to the greater UML community.
• Intros to key stakeholders at the UK’s Department for Transport’s Future of Transportation Strategy Team or other team, as relevant.
• Intro to the Connected Places Catapult, Zenzic and UK testbeds.
• Connection to relevant universities such as Warwick and Cranfield.
• Support from London & Partners, including access to Transport for London.
• Socially-distanced in-person gathering to celebrate winners (potentially at British Consul General’s Residence or British Consulate).
• Recognition by UK senior leadership.
• Conversations with and case studies from similar companies that have set up in the UK.
• Intro to Satellite Applications Catapult, Innovate UK, or CCAV, as relevant.
• Possibility to connect with opportunities and offers in other regions of the UK including Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
• Promotion of winning company in CoMotion NEWS.
• Exposure to the LACI team and opportunity to apply for its world-class startup incubation programs.
• LACI to make introductions to three curated investors.