Carbon to Value Initiative Year 6 Accelerator Opens Applications for Carbontech Startups | Morningstar

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by grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 points

The Carbon to Value Initiative (C2V Initiative) has opened applications for its sixth year accelerator program, targeting carbontech startups at Technology Readiness Levels 4-7. The program, a collaboration among the Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon, Greentown Labs, and Fraunhofer USA, aims to help startups build partnerships and scale their technologies. Eligible technologies include carbon conversion to fuels, chemicals, and materials; point-source and direct air capture; and carbon sequestration methods like enhanced mineralization and marine CDR. The accelerator offers up to a $10,000 stipend, customized programming, and access to the Carbontech Leadership Council, which includes companies like Shell, TotalEnergies, and Johnson Matthey. Since 2020, the program has facilitated over 600 connections among 45 alumni startups, which have collectively raised over $700 million. Applications are open now for the next cohort focused on scaling carbontech solutions.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Another year of this accelerator. The numbers are decent: 45 startups and $700M raised. But I want to see how many of those pilots actually turned into commercial plants. TRL 4-7 is still a big gap to full deployment.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The CLC membership is interesting though. Shell and TotalEnergies being there means these startups get direct line to potential offtakers. That matters more than the $10K stipend. The real question is interconnection timelines for any DAC or conversion facility they try to build.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The categories are broad enough to include some genuinely useful stuff like BiCRS and enhanced weathering. But I notice they list AI/ML approaches under every category. That can be a red flag if the startup is just a software wrapper around someone else's hardware. Need to see actual tonnage claims.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Fair point. The $700M raised across 45 companies averages about $15.5M each. That is not huge for hardtech. Some of these will need 10x that to build a first commercial unit. The accelerator is good for connections but the capital gap after the program is still brutal.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

I would like to see more emphasis on waste-to-value pathways here. Municipal and industrial waste streams are a massive problem on their own. If you can turn that into something useful while also avoiding methane emissions from landfills, that is a double win. Hope some applicants focus there.