Author: Erick

Blog – Meet 14 Small Businesses in Los Angeles that are Making Environmental, Social and Economic Impact

Welcome to the 14 small businesses accepted into Cohort 2 of the Founders Business Accelerator! Selected from over 100 impressive applicants, the second cohort is comprised of some of the most dynamic and innovative companies from Los Angeles across variety of sectors—from transportation technologies to evocative artwork and community services. 

In California, 99.8 percent of all businesses are small businesses*, so by helping them succeed we spur economic growth and job creation. When our neighborhood entrepreneurs make positive environmental, social and economic impact, they can hire employees from their communities, promote sustainable supply chains and direct money towards neighborhood development. 

 “Small businesses are the beating heart of our economy—job creators that share Los Angeles’ innovative spirit with the world,” said Mayor Garcetti regarding the FBA program. “Working together with LACI, we’re ensuring small business owners have the tools they need to reach new markets, grow their bottom-line and thrive.” 

Getting to know the companies in Cohort 1 and 2 of FBA showed us that new kinds of businesses are flourishing as neighborhoods across Los Angeles evolve. These founders are tackling social issues and bringing services such as healthy food shops and restaurants, exercise spaces and new mobility options.   

The number of new businesses offering lifestyle services like markets, cafes and fitness studios in traditionally underserved communities is growing, including Cohort 1 business Hank’s Minimart in Crenshaw and Cohort 2 businesses Truman House Tavern, the first gastropub in San Fernando, and South LA Cafe in South Central LA, as well as exercise studios FitCulture Studios and Crenshaw Yoga and Dance of Cohort 2. 

The businesses focused on tackling Los Angeles’s traffic problems are solving for wider mobility issues, with Cohort 1 Ride On! Bike Shop/Co-Op and Cohort 2 FarmHub cafe and bike rental promote biking. There are also a number of services to expand EV adoption, including Cohort 2 companies ChargerHelp! and ZROCar. 

“I am looking forward to getting to know the founders in Cohort 2 over the next four weeks as they work with coaches to increase their financial savvy and perfect their business models,” said Matt Petersen, LACI CEO. “Seeing the drive and creativity of the founders in FBA makes me so excited about the social, economic and environmental impact that these small businesses are making in LA.”

Learn more about Cohort 2!  

The Founders Business Accelerator is one of the many ways LACI is unlocking innovation—we have a suite of programs to help startups grow, access capital and build networks.

Prompted by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the strong support of Council Members Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Monica Rodriguez, the FBA program is part of a city-wide initiative for cultivating a more equitable economy for all Angelenos. FBA Cohort 2 businesses are spread across 11 City Council districts, several of which are among the most economically disadvantaged in the region.

*Defined as businesses with less than 100 employees.

 

APC Fellowship Students Gain EVSE Repair Skills and a Bright Future

On a bright Thursday morning in February, students gathered around the slim EV charger as Jesse Montras gently opened the case, ran his hands over the cool metal and named off the parts—computer board, transformer, import block, GCF block. As the instructor and the other 29 students hung on his words, Jesse felt the people around him on edge, anticipating each word as he named part after part. 

As he completed the quiz and the instructor moved on, Jesse thought back to how far he had come to be in the machine shop that day. In Jesse’s words, he “deviated from a young age”, and ended up incarcerated. He never thought he would graduate from high school, but while in prison he earned his GED and started working towards university credits in business at Palos Verdes college. After graduating from the APC Fellowship, Jesse plans to work to install EV charging stations and pursue his dream of building his own EVSE installation firm and grow with his own employees as the industry grows.

“My mentality has shifted,” said Jesse. “Once I got my GED I thought I would be satisfied to just get any job, but when this opportunity came up I realized that there was more for me—to better myself, leave a legacy, leave my past behind and move forward.” 

Jesse is part of the Advanced Prototyping Center Fellowship Technical Boot Camp, a three-week training program where 30 students learn EVSE Light Repair and Troubleshoot Training—EV charging station repair and maintenance. When he graduates, Jesse will have earned industry-recognised skills including NFPA 70E Certification, EVSE Technical Knowledge and EVSE Industry On-Site Visits, plus benefitting from career coaching, teambuilding, effective communication courses and project-based learning. 

Once he completes the three-week course, Jesse could be selected to join just 15 students who spend a further three months in the program and receive technical support from professional trainers. Cohort 1, which graduated in September 2019, 86% of participants were successfully placed at the end of the three-month Career Technical Support program. 

The APC Fellowship Program is a multi-tiered workforce training pipeline program to provide promising candidates with technical training, interpersonal skills, and industry-recognized certifications to help them succeed. The program brings un- or under-employeed people from underrepresented groups an entree into the green economy with practical hands on training on EVSE Light Repair and Troubleshoot Training to support our Zero Emissions Mobility Pilot Program, which is part of the Transportation Electrification Partnership.

Through the APC Fellowship Program, students like Jesse can reach their potential and together we can ensure that everyone in Los Angeles can participate in and benefit from the green economy. Special thanks to our corporate partners the Bently Foundation, GoBiz, California Workforce Development Board and Wells Fargo, who support the APC Fellowship program.

Press Release – LA Regional Partnership Sets Nation’s Most Ambitious Zero Emissions Transportation Targets to Achieve a 25% Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Air Pollution by Time World Arrives for 2028 Olympics

The Transportation Electrification Partnership commits to developing policies and pilots in 2020 to achieve bold new targets for EVs, charging infrastructure, mode shift and zero emissions trucks

LOS ANGELES, November 26, 2019 — The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and its partners have released the Zero Emissions 2028 Roadmap 2.0, an ambitious plan to accelerate the deployment of zero-emissions electric cars, buses and trucks, and charging stations across the LA region. Achieving the roadmap’s targets and call to action will result in cleaner air for Los Angeles residents and dramatically reduce the region’s transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions, going 25 percent beyond existing commitments tied to California state law and the Paris Climate Accord.

“We can’t turn the tide on the climate crisis until we work across sectors and city limits to put the brakes on dangerous pollution and kick our zero emissions transportation future into high gear,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Our Roadmap 2.0 charts a course toward a healthier region with a cleaner transit network — and draws up a blueprint for cities worldwide to follow, so all of us can invest in the smart policies and green energy that will strengthen our families’ well-being and quality of life for generations to come.”

The Roadmap 2.0 outlines exactly how this vision can become a reality for the LA region, embodying a strong commitment from public and private members of the Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP). Together, the partners commit to work together in the coming year to develop policies, put in place pilots, and seek other strategies to achieve the targets in the Roadmap.

“The Zero Emissions 2028 Roadmap: 2.0 report doubles down on the bold steps we must take to accelerate clean air and climate action in Los Angeles and across the state,” says Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Mary D. Nichols. “Together, we can serve as a model for California, the nation, and the world by building a state of the art transportation system that moves people and goods cleanly, efficiently and sustainably throughout the region.”

“Clean air is a critical issue for all of us, especially the communities that have shouldered the burden of our transportation system and the harmful air pollution that it creates,” says Supervisor Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. “The County of LA is proud to be in Leadership Group of the Transportation Electrification Partnership and I look forward to working with LACI and know that–with this 2028 Roadmap 2.0 as a guide–together we will forge the future of transportation for the health and welfare of all those in our communities.”

For the second edition of the Zero Emissions 2028 Roadmap, the TEP partners have committed to working individually and collectively towards the 25 percent goal through a three-pronged call to action to ensure:

  1. Electric vehicles account for 30 percent of all light-duty passenger vehicles on the road and at least 80 percent of all vehicles sold;
  2. 20 percent of all trips in single occupancy vehicles shift to zero emissions public transport, bikes or other active transportation options;
  3. All public investments into surface vehicles and related infrastructure for goods movement will advance zero emissions solutions and that the I-710 is the first zero emissions goods movement corridor in the nation.

“The bold targets we set together in the Zero Emissions Roadmap 2.0 are key to ensuring that we address the largest source of California’s GHGs and the region’s greatest source of air pollution: how we move ourselves and goods around the region,” stated Matt Petersen, LACI President and CEO. “The Transportation Electrification Partnership brings together the sectors we need to go further, faster together–we invite everyone to join us in achieving our ambitious targets and call to action.”

In all of this work, the TEP partners prioritize equity for disadvantaged communities that both lack access to last mile/first mile solutions as well as disproportionately suffer from health impacts, including asthma and heart attacks, associated with dirty, fossil-fueled transportation. In response, TEP and LACI recently announced mobility pilot projects and investment of $500,000 across four different disadvantaged communities across the LA region in neighborhoods that lack adequate mobility options— Pacoima, San Pedro, Long Beach and Huntington Park—with LACI startups to deliver EV car sharing and micromobility options.

The initiative was announced at La Kretz Innovation Campus in Downtown Los Angeles and the launch featured innovative technologies which will be integral to achieving the ambitious targets laid-out in the plan, including the Audi e-tron, BMW i3, Proterra Catalyst Battery Electric Bus, a BYD electric transit bus, Nissan New Mobility Concept (Twizy), an Envoy car-share vehicle, a BlueLA car-share vehicle, a Mobi EV Charger and a LADOT bus.

 

About TEP

The Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP), formed by LACI in May 2018, is an unprecedented multi-year partnership among local, regional, and state stakeholders to accelerate progress towards transportation electrification and zero emissions goods movement in the Greater L.A. region in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. TEP released the Zero Emissions 2028 Roadmap in September 2018 focusing on actions needed to achieve the shared goal of 25 percent additional reductions in GHGs and air pollution. The TEP Leadership Group includes the Mayor of L.A., County of Los Angeles, CARB, LADWP, SCE, Metro, and LACI.

 

About LACI

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), a private nonprofit organization, is creating an inclusive green economy by unlocking innovation (through working with startups to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies), transforming markets (through partnerships in transportation, energy and sustainable cities) and enhancing communities (through workforce development, pilots and other programs). Founded as an economic development initiative by the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water & Power (LADWP), LACI is recognized as one of the most innovative business incubators in the world by UBI. In the past seven years, LACI has helped 78 portfolio companies raise $221M in funding, $220M in revenue, create 1,750 jobs, and deliver more than $393M in long term economic value. Learn more at laci.org

 

Contact

Sarah Bryce
424.362.9462
sarah@laci.org

Press Release – LACI Launches Pilot Projects to Improve Air and First/Last Mile Zero Emissions Mobility Solutions in Underserved Los Angeles Communities

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator will deploy up to $500,000 in investments, grants and technical assistance for zero emissions technology pilots in San Pedro, Pacoima, Long Beach and Huntington Park

Los Angeles, November 12, 2019. The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) announced the recipients of the Zero Emissions Mobility and Community Pilot Project Fund today. LACI will work with community partners including community based organizations and technology providers in San Pedro, Pacoima, Long Beach and Huntington Park to scope, build, operate and provide ongoing maintenance and technical assistance for zero emissions mobility pilot projects costing up to $100,000 in each community.

The community partners and projects are: 

  • Pacoima Beautiful will work with LACI to build an EV car share program with startup companies Envoy and Pick My Solar, to test membership levels, payment models and barriers to entry for EV adoption.  
  • Huntington Park-based Communities for a Better Environment will build a Mobility Hub with a solar-powered e-bike share and bike fix station.  
  • Long Beach Conservation Corps is building the first zero emission e-cargo mobility zone to allow Conservation Corps crews to access and maintain conservation and environmental projects along the lower LA river. Startup company Perch Mobility and a zero emissions cargo bike company will be used for a zero emissions delivery zone along the LA River.  
  • Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) Rancho San Pedro is building an EV car share pilot project in San Pedro with startup company Envoy.  

“While zero emissions first/last mile solutions are being deployed across the region, they are often not being deployed equitably to underserved communities that need them most,” says Matt Petersen, CEO of LACI. “Zero emission mobility pilot projects are a key element of LACI’s Transportation Electrification Partnership and will help bring the benefits of the green economy to neighborhoods that may lack zero emissions mobility, yet are burdened with poor air quality from various sources. The path to a zero emissions future includes addressing community needs as well as key technology, business model and educational challenges.” 

“For too long families in Pacoima have suffered from the burdens of pollution and poor air quality that cause too many missed school days and trips to the emergency room,”  says Veronica Padilla, Executive Director of Pacoima Beautiful. “Zero emissions transportation solutions exist today to help solve these problems and our community is poised to take advantage of them. We can’t wait to begin developing and deploying our EV car share program with our partners at LACI.” 

“My kids are growing up in San Pedro, which is just one of the many reasons I am committed to action to ensure clean air,” says Joe Buscaino, Council Member from the 15th District. Los Angeles must create the infrastructure for zero emissions transportation and public transit to ease traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions—and all communities must be engaged. I commend LACI for spearheading these pilots as a first step.” 

“Offering zero emissions transportation solutions at our public housing in San Pedro can provide a low-cost, reliable and efficient solution for our residents who don’t have access to their own vehicles,” says Jenny Scanlin, Chief Development Officer of HACLA. “Offering an on-demand EV transportation option is also a game-changer for a community greatly impacted by historical environmental pollutants.” 

“Families in Huntington Park and neighboring cities at the front-line of pollution deserve to benefit from the innovative solutions of the emerging clean green economy,” says Bahram Fazeli, Director of Research and Policy, Communities for a Better Environment.  “Setting up a zero emissions mobility hub and charging stations in partnership with LACI will help our community test and pilot creative solutions that can be replicated across the city—and enhance clean mobility access throughout southeast LA communities.”

“Fighting climate change through zero-emission policies has to be part of the strategy for building strong and healthy communities,” said Mayor Robert Garcia, City of Long Beach.  “These efforts must build on the work we are doing at our ports under the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan Update.”

“With the development of our Lower Los Angeles River (LLAR) resource center, our participants will provide river stewardship services from South Gate to the Port of Long Beach,” says Dan Knapp, Executive Director and CEO, Conservation Corps of Long Beach. “Deploying zero emissions first/last mile solutions with LACI as part of our workforce development project gets us ahead and will help us lead in transportation electrification while serving our corps members and their communities.”

“Protecting and improving the quality of life for all LA County residents means protecting and improving the air we breathe, and I applaud the community organizations working to deploy these zero emissions pilot projects,” says Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, California’s 53rd Assembly District. “Thanks to the leadership of LACI, working together we can embrace zero emissions technology and give voice to residents who have been burdened by air pollution for too long.” 

The Zero Emissions Mobility and Community Pilot Project Fund was announced by Mayor Garcetti in May 2019 to help meet the goals of LA’s Green New Deal by delivering creative solutions to cut air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, spur innovation and make good on the commitment to environmental justice in every community.

Piloting zero emissions mobility solutions that help meet the needs of disadvantaged communities while reducing air pollution is key to meeting the targets in the Transportation Electrification Partnership 2028 Roadmap 2.0—to be released on November 26th—which sets ambitious regional goals for passenger electric vehicles, mode shift and infrastructure investments. The Transportation Electrification Partnership is an unprecedented multi-year partnership among local, regional and state stakeholders to accelerate transportation electrification and zero emissions goods movement in the Greater LA region by 2028. 

Watch the Video

 

About LACI

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), a private nonprofit organization, is creating an inclusive green economy by unlocking innovation (through working with startups to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies), transforming markets (through partnerships in transportation, energy and sustainable cities) and enhancing communities (through workforce development, pilots and other programs). Founded as an economic development initiative by the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water & Power (LADWP), LACI is recognized as one of the most innovative business incubators in the world by UBI. In the past seven years, LACI has helped 78 portfolio companies raise $221M in funding, $220M in revenue, create 1,750 jobs, and deliver more than $393M in long term economic value. Learn more at laci.org

 

Contact

Sarah Bryce

424.362.9462

sarah@laci.org

New report: Cities could slash GHG emissions by an additional 35% through startup and corporation innovation, while helping create a $5 trillion market for cleantech solutions

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and C40 Cities, with support from PwC, call for enhanced city collaboration with startup entrepreneurs and corporate innovators to accelerate climate action and help secure a 1.5°C future

 MADRID, December 09, 2019—Cities that accelerate climate action by supporting cleantech startups and corporate innovation could supercharge urgent global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis. That’s the conclusion of a new report released today at the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, by C40 Cities and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), with research support from PwC. The report’s recommendations and call to action offer cities a pathway to use innovation hubs or “melting pots” that better empower entrepreneurs to help secure a 1.5°C future.

 In their new report, Cleantech Cities: Accelerating Climate Action Through Startups and Corporate Innovation, C40, LACI and PwC estimate the potential of new technologies and disruptive innovation in cities by 2030 could surpass 1.3 GtCO2e in greenhouse gas reductions from buildings, transport and waste each year. That’s roughly a 35 percent enhancement to a 2°C emissions reduction pathway, with more immediate impact. Urban climate innovation is also estimated to create just over $5 trillion in new global investment opportunities by 2030, plus inclusive opportunities for job growth, public health improvements, and other co-benefits.

 Cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Singapore, and Vancouver, are already bright spots in the global effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, city governments are leading with bold policies and by removing barriers to climate innovation for startups and corporations. However, some cities struggle to get ahead of innovation and are often poorly equipped to foster new entrepreneurial solutions that would accelerate climate action. 

 Innovative businesses and cleantech startups possess huge potential to act on climate change by leveraging private-sector skills and investment that cities need. The rapid rise and commercialization of e-scooters as a last-mile mobility solution is just one example of ultra-high growth start-up innovation that can help reduce emissions. For every company like Bird or Lime, there is a pipeline of many more entrepreneurs and emerging technologies that are stuck navigating an uncertain ecosystem of support.

 To unlock the full potential of urban innovation and significantly accelerate climate action, C40, LACI and PwC are calling for closer coordination between all members of urban innovation ecosystems, including city governments, startups & corporate innovators, intermediaries (such as tech incubators and accelerators), academia, investors, citizens and communities. The report’s authors interviewed a range of city officials, innovators and ecosystem actors to inform three key recommendations that would drive innovation in advanced mobility solutions, intelligent energy systems, and more conscious consumption:

  1. Cities should invite, shape, and direct startup and corporate innovation to accelerate climate action. 
  2. Startups need guidance to help them find incubators or partners that work closely with cities and can help facilitate connections across the urban innovation ecosystem.
  3. A new platform and global partnership should be forged to help cities better work with startup and corporate innovation to accelerate climate action

The report also highlights 28 tools and instrumentsranging across tech clusters, startup support services, finance, market access, and pilot projectsthat enable innovation and scaling of urban climate innovation.

“Cities are where the future happens first. Throughout history they have been centres of innovation and accelerators of progress to tackle the greatest challenges facing humanity,” said Mark Watts, Executive Director, C40 Cities. “Today, there is no greater challenge we face than the growing climate crisis. Cities are major contributors to the emissions that are causing climate breakdown, but they are also where the solutions are being developed, tested and scaled up. By creating supportive policies and partnerships for those innovators and start-ups within their cities, C40 mayors can help drive even faster action towards securing the future we want.”

“As the City of L.A.’s first Chief Sustainability Officer and now working with startup entrepreneurs at LACI, I know firsthand how innovation can help cut carbon, improve people’s lives, and address inequity in every part of a city,” said Matt Petersen, CEO, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), and board chair of Climate Mayors. “Given the scope of the climate crisis, we’re calling on city leaders around the world to both set bold policy goals and empower cleantech startup entrepreneurs and corporate innovators. Taken together, these measures can help mayors realize an additional 35 percent reduction in GHGs and $5 trillion in economic potential.”

“We were struck by the speed at which high-growth businesses can accelerate climate action at city-level,” said Dan Dowling, Director, Cities & Urbanisation, PwC. “City governments are an essential catalyst in this and can play a leading role by unlocking barriers in the climate innovation and investment ecosystem so that action can be rapidly scaled in partnership with the private sector.” 

 

 

About C40 

C40 Cities connects 94 of the world’s greatest cities to take bold climate action, leading the way towards a healthier and more sustainable future. Representing 700+ million citizens and one quarter of the global economy, mayors of C40 cities are committed to delivering on the most ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement at the local level, as well as to cleaning the air we breathe. The current chair of C40’s steering committee is Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles; and three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board. C40’s work is made possible by our three strategic funders: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and Realdania.

 About LACI 

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), a private nonprofit organization, is creating an inclusive green economy by unlocking innovation (through working with startups to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies), transforming markets (through partnerships in transportation, energy and sustainable cities) and enhancing communities (through workforce development, pilots and other programs). Founded as an economic development initiative by the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water & Power (LADWP), LACI is recognized as one of the most innovative business incubators in the world by UBI. In the past seven years, LACI has helped 108 startups raise $221M in funding, $220M in revenue, create 1,750 jobs, and deliver more than $393M in long term economic value. Learn more at laci.org

 About PwC

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 157 countries with over 276,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.

Our 800-strong global Sustainability and Climate Change practice facilitates leading action on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals. Our Cities & Urbanisation team supports both city and national governments to help address the challenges of rapid urbanisation and create more competitive, resilient and inclusive cities.

PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

© 2019 PwC. All rights reserved.

Press Release – Climate Solutions Startup Competition to Showcase California’s Innovation Ecosystem

Applications Open for California Climate Cup — Putting the Call for a Green New Deal into Action

LOS ANGELES (April 15, 2019) The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and New Energy Nexus are seeking solutions and entrepreneurs to accelerate climate action in California and around the world. Applications for the California Climate Cup startup competition will be accepted until May 15, 2019. The grand prize winner will receive $25,000 in non-dilutive award money and priceless exposure to California’s business and policy ecosystem.

In its second year, the California Climate Cup debuted at the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit, where innovative startups from around the world pitched their technology and ideas for innovation to decision-makers across the world.

“Winning the first ever California Climate Cup was a great experience because it gave me unparalleled visibility with corporates, funders and state agencies. California has created an amazing innovation ecosystem and it is a thrill for me that Solstice’s IoT software is one of the game-changing climate solutions that is building the inclusive green economy,” said Ugwem I. Eneyo, co-founder and CEO, Solstice Energy Solutions.

“As the fifth largest economy in the world, California has visionary leaders who have put policies in place to shift markets and unleash innovation from entrepreneurs,” said Matt Petersen, President and CEO of LACI. “These market signals ensure California remains a global leader and innovator in driving progressive environmental initiatives forward while growing our economy. The entrepreneurs who compete for the California Climate Cup are putting the Green New Deal into action and serving as an example to other regions.”

“California is a world leader in a lot of ways—including experiencing the impacts of climate change,” said Danny Kennedy, CEO of New Energy Nexus. “The good news is we are also demonstrating the solutions, especially in LA. The California Climate Cup is a great platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their most innovative climate change solutions and technologies to California’s policy and business leadership. We will shine a light on the startups that will bring us the clean mobility and electricity we need and speed them on their way to commercial success.”

The California Climate Cup will showcase inspiring ideas from startups across three cities over three days.

  • June 25 – Los Angeles. Nine semi-finalists (three per category) will pitch their ideas to a panel of distinguished judges at La Kretz Innovation Campus in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Category winners will be announced.
  • June 26 – San Francisco. Semi-finalists will network with and pitch to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and VCs.
  • June 27 – Sacramento. Semi-finalists will pitch to policymakers in California’s capital. Overall winner will be announced at the State Capitol to an audience of policymakers and agency officials.

We are seeking applicants who have a solution that is deployable in California and potentially scalable across the world. Companies must be less than five years old, with less than $5M in revenue, and have a product in pilot, beta, or prototype stage. We are looking for companies that are answering the call for a Green New Deal—competition categories address the greatest climate resilience and carbon reduction needs in critical sectors and winning companies will be working to specifically address SB100 or the goals of the Transportation Electrification Partnership.

 

 

Clean & Smart Grid

• Renewable energy

• Energy storage

• Digital and physical (wildfire) grid security

• Grid load optimization & efficient technology bundling

• Transactive energy

Energy/Transportation Nexus

• EV charging and energy storage infrastructure

• Charging solutions for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and fleets

• Demand response, smart charging, charge management (V2G, V2H)

Zero Emissions Transportation

• Goods movement and urban logistics

• People movement, urban mobility and access

• First and last mile

 

The California Climate Cup application deadline is May 15, 2019.  For more information and to apply visit laci.org/climatecup.

 

About LACI

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), a private nonprofit organization, is creating an inclusive green economy by unlocking innovation (working with startups to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies), transforming markets (through partnerships in transportation, energy and sustainable cities) and enhancing communities (through workforce development, pilots and other programs). Founded as an economic development initiative by the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water & Power (LADWP), LACI is recognized as one of the most innovative business incubators in the world by UBI. In the past seven years, LACI has helped 78 portfolio companies raise $221M in funding, $220M in revenue, create 1,750 jobs, and deliver more than $393M in long term economic value. Learn more at laci.org.

 

About New Energy Nexus

New Energy Nexus (NEX) is a global organization that supports the next wave of entrepreneurs with funds, programs, and connections that reflect emerging trends in the clean energy economy. Since 2004, New Energy Nexus (formerly known as the California Clean Energy Fund) has leveraged $1.5 billion in investment, invested in more than 100 clean energy enterprises, and launched industry leading centers for collaboration. Our network includes more than 100 incubators and accelerators, funders and development organizations from 29 countries around the world. We have offices in California, Shanghai, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.

 

Media Contact:

Sarah Bryce

media@alaincubator.org