Accelr8 Climate Ventures Grant

About this grant

Accelr8 Climate Ventures is an investment firm that accelerates the transition to a decarbonized and resilient economy by investing in catalytic innovations across sustainable materials, food and agriculture, heating and cooling, GHG removal, and built environment sectors. The firm systematically maps market needs, solutions, and system dynamics to develop high-conviction investment theses on industrial end markets. Accelr8 partners closely with founders from early company formation to help them develop products and organizations that win by meticulously shortening feedback cycles, prioritizing strategies, meeting milestones, developing effective organizations, and navigating complex capital structures. The firm backs solutions that solve acute problems for industrial customers and governments by being cheaper, better, and faster, with demonstrable potential for significant, quantifiable GHG reduction and climate resilience within 20 years. Accelr8 provides strategic and active partnership from the earliest stages, preferring to lead pre-seed and seed rounds with hands-on support focused on delivering milestones and developing world-class talent and organizations.

Eligibility

The firm primarily invests in North American-based teams building companies with transformative technology and great execution. Accelr8 looks for founders who are problem solvers obsessing over customer problems and rapid adoption, relentless builders who thrive on creating products and closing deals, visionary leaders with clear and compelling vision, and adaptive learners who fail fast and build world-class companies. Companies must have technology proven at TRL 3-4 or higher with a clear path to scalable deployment driven by market pull, possess compelling unit economics validated by robust techno-economic analysis, and be led by a committed team with essential technical and commercial expertise.

How it's scored

Accelr8 evaluates companies on four main dimensions: impact (demonstrable potential for significant, quantifiable GHG reduction and climate resilience within 20 years), feasibility (technology proven at TRL 3-4+ with clear path to scalable, probable deployment), economics (compelling unit economics with capital-efficient models and global economic potential), and formidable team leadership with essential technical and commercial expertise. The firm also assesses founder characteristics including problem-solving obsession, relentless building approach, visionary leadership, and adaptive learning capability.

Key requirements

• ✓Pre-seed or seed stage company
• ✓Focus on catalytic climate innovations in industrial decarbonization, sustainable materials, food & agriculture, heating & cooling, GHG removal, or built environment
• ✓North American-based team

Recent past awardees

Knowing who's won the last rounds tells you whether you're in the strike zone.

• Andes
• Beyond the Dome
• BlocPower
• Boston Materials
• Brimstone
• Calion Technologies
• Elo
• Equii

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for Accelr8 Climate Ventures?

Eligibility covers organisations in NORTH-AMERICA; startup. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Industrial decarbonisation funding helps heavy industry cut emissions through electrification, fuel switching, process change and efficiency. Support is often capital-intensive and tied to a specific site, with feasibility studies leading to larger deployment calls. Applicants need emissions baselines, engineering studies and a plan to keep production running during the change.