Climate & Energy accelerators
Accelerators for Climate & Energy founders
Climate and energy has the highest share of non-dilutive money of any vertical in this directory, and that changes how you should read it. Eight of the 16 programs here fund founders without taking equity: the Department of Energy's lab-embedded fellowships (Chain Reaction Innovations at Argonne, Innovation Crossroads at Oak Ridge) pay a salary, around $115,000 a year in recent cohorts, plus benefits and research funding for two years of full-time work inside a national lab. Activate's two-year fellowship provides more than $300,000 in stipend and research support. NYSERDA's Venture For ClimateTech adds up to $50,000 non-dilutive, and Wells Fargo's IN2 program has funded startups at $250,000 per company with no equity taken.
The catch is that non-dilutive rarely means low-commitment. The lab fellowships require relocation, US citizenship or permanent residency, and a two-year full-time commitment. IN2 has no open application at all; you enter by nomination from its partner network. Cleantech Open charges a participation fee. And the equity programs in this vertical are all over the map: Evergreen Climate Innovations writes $200,000 to $300,000 checks as a Midwest-only impact investor, Halliburton Labs structures participation as an equity transaction without disclosing the numbers, and Austin Technology Incubator takes a small equity stake in exchange for membership rather than cash.
Every record here spells out which of these models you are actually signing up for, in plain English, from what the program itself publishes. Where a program does not publish its numbers, we say so rather than guessing. Check the status line and last-verified date before planning around any program, and use the calendar for the application windows we can support with sources.
Showing 19 of 19 programs
| Check size | Equity | Terms | Format | Next window | Signal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCEL (Advancing Climatetech and Clean Energy Leaders)climatetech / clean energy (all sectors) | up to $25,000 grant | Not publishedNon-dilutive grant up to $25,000 plus Greentown incubator membership, VentureWell curriculum, and BGS network. No equity taken. Runs in Somerville MA and Houston TX; equity_pct null because no equity component exists. | Non-dilutive | MA | Hybrid | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | VerifiedPossibly dormantWe could not confirm a recent or upcoming cohort. It may have paused or wound down. Verify before applying. |
| Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road)hard tech: energy, carbon capture, materials, sustainable infrastructure (16 verticals) | more than $300,000 over two years (living stipend, R&D, and expenses); $100,000 research funding per project | Not publishedTwo-year fellowship funding founders full-time; no equity and no fees (confirmed on FAQ). Fellowship page states 'More than $300K over two years to provide an annual living stipend, R&D, and other common living expenses'; FAQ separately states $100,000 in research funding per project. Exact annual stipend amount still not published. Communities: Berkeley, Boston, New York, Houston, Anywhere; relocation required except for Anywhere. Cohort 2027 applications open September 15, 2026; close date not yet posted. | Non-dilutive | CA | Hybrid | None confirmed | Aug 26, 2026 | Verified |
| Austin Technology Incubator - Energy & CleanTech / Mobilityenergy, cleantech, circular economy, mobility deep tech | Not publishedATI FAQ states: 'ATI requires a 2% equity stake in each company that is accepted to be an ATI member company.' This replaces the earlier unconfirmed membership-fee assumption; the model is equity for membership and services, with no cash investment. Average membership duration one to three years per FAQ. Rolling admissions confirmed on the apply page; open to companies with a working prototype or MVP, no UT affiliation required. | 2% | Mixed | TX | In person | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Chain Reaction Innovationsenergy and science hard tech | $115,000/year stipend for two years plus healthcare benefits | Not publishedApply page states: 'Stipend of $115k per year for two years plus healthcare benefits', resolving the previously null stipend figure, and confirms 'Neither Argonne nor DOE take an equity stake in the startup.' Cohort 2026 applications closed; site states applications for Cohort 2027 will open in September 2026, with no exact dates posted yet. US citizenship or lawful permanent residency required at time of application. | Non-dilutive | IL | In person | Oct 30, 2026 | Aug 26, 2026 | Verified |
| Cleantech Opencleantech (all sectors), national multi-region accelerator | Not publishedFee now primary-verified on the 2026 accelerator page: participation fee $2,600 early bird / $2,950 regular for up to two members, $1,875 for student-led companies; application fee $30 early bird / $80 regular. No equity taken. Up to $150,000 in total cash prizes and/or investment plus up to $50,000 in-kind; national grand prize delivered as a SAFE (0% discount, no interest, no valuation cap or board seat). 2026 applications ran Feb 1 - Apr 6, 2026 (closed); program May 31 - Aug 25, 2026, National Finals Oct 20-22, 2026 in Boston. | Not publishedFee now primary-verified on the 2026 accelerator page: participation fee $2,600 early bird / $2,950 regular for up to two members, $1,875 for student-led companies; application fee $30 early bird / $80 regular. No equity taken. Up to $150,000 in total cash prizes and/or investment plus up to $50,000 in-kind; national grand prize delivered as a SAFE (0% discount, no interest, no valuation cap or board seat). 2026 applications ran Feb 1 - Apr 6, 2026 (closed); program May 31 - Aug 25, 2026, National Finals Oct 20-22, 2026 in Boston. | Fee-based | CA | Hybrid | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Cox Cleantech Acceleratorcleantech / sustainability | $250,000 per company | Not publishedA 12-week in-person cleantech accelerator in Atlanta run by Cox Cleantech with gener8tor and the Georgia Cleantech Innovation Hub, investing $250,000 per company in a cohort of 5. The equity percentage is not published. Applications for the next program run August 9 to November 8 (the page does not print the year; the window was live when verified on 2026-08-26). | Equity for cash | GA | In person | Nov 8, 2026 | Aug 26, 2026 | Verified |
| Cox Cleantech Residencycleantech / sustainability | $10,000 stipend | Not publishedA 6-week program with a $10,000 stipend for 10 companies, positioned as a pathway into the Cox Cleantech Accelerator. Teams must be based in the Southeast US and no equity is taken. Recruitment for 2026 is complete; applications for the next cohort open in Spring 2027. | Non-dilutive | GA | In person | None confirmed | Aug 26, 2026 | Verified |
| Elemental Impact (formerly Elemental Excelerator)energy, industry, food/ag, nature, water, transportation | $500,000-$5,000,000 per project (Data Center Innovation Initiative only; Strategy and Project Track amounts not published) | Not publishedFunding-opportunities page now primary-verified: instruments are SAFE, D-SAFE, convertible note, or direct investment with milestone-linked payments. Strategy Track (pre-seed/seed, 3+ FTE, operating prototype, ~9 month engagement) and Project Track (Series A+) amounts not published; Data Center Innovation Initiative states $500K-$5M per project for up to 10 startups through 2027. Applications open year-round. | Mixed | HI | Hybrid | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Evergreen Climate Innovations (formerly Clean Energy Trust)Midwest climate tech seed investing | typically $200,000-$300,000 | Not publishedNonprofit impact investor (501vc Investment Fund), not a cohort accelerator. 501vc page now states typical investments of $200,000-$300,000 into pre-seed/seed climate startups in the 16-state Greater Midwest (IA, IL, IN, WI, MI, MN, KS, MO, OH, TN, KY, ND, SD, CO, NE, western PA). Fall 2026 cycle open, deadline Aug 17, 2026; fall and spring cycles each run an approximately five-month investment process. Instrument type not specified. Opportunities page also lists sponsor awards (U.S. Bank Foundation Cleantech Award, Nicor Gas Illinois Innovator Award), amounts not published. | Equity for cash | IL | Remote | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Halliburton Labsclean energy scaling / industrial energy hardware | Not publishedFAQ now primary-verified: 'Halliburton Labs executes an equity transaction including cash and in-kind support with Participant Companies', so terms_model updated from null to equity_cash; cash amounts and equity percentage still not disclosed, so those stay null. FAQ also states no demands for IP rights, rights of first refusal, or board/observer seats. Open application process with cohort selection typically two to three times per year; program built to last approximately 12 months. Relocation to Houston not required. | Not publishedFAQ now primary-verified: 'Halliburton Labs executes an equity transaction including cash and in-kind support with Participant Companies', so terms_model updated from null to equity_cash; cash amounts and equity percentage still not disclosed, so those stay null. FAQ also states no demands for IP rights, rights of first refusal, or board/observer seats. Open application process with cohort selection typically two to three times per year; program built to last approximately 12 months. Relocation to Houston not required. | Equity for cash | TX | In person | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Innovation Crossroadsenergy and advanced manufacturing hard tech | $115,000/yr living stipend (year one, Cohort 2026) plus health insurance stipend, professional development allowance, and ORNL R&D grant | Not publishedTwo-year lab-embedded fellowship funding founders full-time at ORNL; no equity. Cohort 2026 apply page posted a $115,000 year-one living stipend, health insurance stipend, and professional development allowance; the site FAQ separately lists an older ORISE base rate of approximately $80,000/yr plus allowances, so figures vary by cycle. Eligibility: doctorate or equivalent, US citizen or permanent resident, under $2M nongovernment funding in prior three years, relocation to Knoxville-Oak Ridge required. Cohort 2026 window ran Sep 9 - Nov 7, 2025; Cohort 2027 window not yet posted as of 2026-07-22. | Non-dilutive | TN | In person | Oct 30, 2026 | Aug 26, 2026 | Verified |
| Joules Acceleratorgrid technology / utility cleantech | Not publishedSite states 'All services are offered to startups at no charge.' No equity terms and no investment amount are published. 90-day program; Cohort 16 (8 companies) is the current cohort. Application is a downloadable one-page form emailed to the program with no posted deadline. Active: hosting FUTURE GRID 26 event July 27-28, 2026 in Charlotte. | Not publishedSite states 'All services are offered to startups at no charge.' No equity terms and no investment amount are published. 90-day program; Cohort 16 (8 companies) is the current cohort. Application is a downloadable one-page form emailed to the program with no posted deadline. Active: hosting FUTURE GRID 26 event July 27-28, 2026 in Charlotte. | Equity-free | NC | Hybrid | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| LACI Incubation Programclean energy, zero-emissions transportation, circular economy | Not publishedTerms model remains null: fee/equity structure for incubation is still not published anywhere on laincubator.org or the application portal as of 2026-07-22. Portal describes a first-four-months intensive curriculum phase followed by custom-roadmap execution; startups get office and lab space plus access to the LACI Debt Fund and Impact Fund. LACI works with 35-50 companies annually; a separate 18-month Market Access Program exists for commercial-growth-stage startups. No application deadlines posted. | Not publishedTerms model remains null: fee/equity structure for incubation is still not published anywhere on laincubator.org or the application portal as of 2026-07-22. Portal describes a first-four-months intensive curriculum phase followed by custom-roadmap execution; startups get office and lab space plus access to the LACI Debt Fund and Impact Fund. LACI works with 35-50 companies annually; a separate 18-month Market Access Program exists for commercial-growth-stage startups. No application deadlines posted. | Not publishedTerms model remains null: fee/equity structure for incubation is still not published anywhere on laincubator.org or the application portal as of 2026-07-22. Portal describes a first-four-months intensive curriculum phase followed by custom-roadmap execution; startups get office and lab space plus access to the LACI Debt Fund and Impact Fund. LACI works with 35-50 companies annually; a separate 18-month Market Access Program exists for commercial-growth-stage startups. No application deadlines posted. | CA | In person | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Rice Alliance Clean Energy Acceleratorenergy transition / clean energy | Not publishedFAQ states the CEA does not invest in companies and does not take equity; startups receive a non-dilutive company stipend whose amount is not published. Class 5 cohort of 12 startups is now announced on the program site (application status: closed); Rice's announcement release describes a 10-week program running July 8 to a Sept. 18 demo day. Class 6 window not yet posted as of 2026-07-22. | Not publishedFAQ states the CEA does not invest in companies and does not take equity; startups receive a non-dilutive company stipend whose amount is not published. Class 5 cohort of 12 startups is now announced on the program site (application status: closed); Rice's announcement release describes a 10-week program running July 8 to a Sept. 18 demo day. Class 6 window not yet posted as of 2026-07-22. | Non-dilutive | TX | Hybrid | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Scale For ClimateTechclimate hardware manufacturing scale-up | Not publishedProgram site states there is no cost to participate and no stake in equity involved; support is mentorship, technical training, and supplier and manufacturer connections. Per-company funding amounts are not published. Focus sectors verified as Buildings, Transportation, Grid, and Industry for growth-stage hardware innovators. Cohort 8 window not yet posted as of 2026-07-22; site application link is still the Cohort 7 form. | Not publishedProgram site states there is no cost to participate and no stake in equity involved; support is mentorship, technical training, and supplier and manufacturer connections. Per-company funding amounts are not published. Focus sectors verified as Buildings, Transportation, Grid, and Industry for growth-stage hardware innovators. Cohort 8 window not yet posted as of 2026-07-22; site application link is still the Cohort 7 form. | Non-dilutive | NY | Hybrid | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Third Derivative (D3)climate tech across all emissions sectors; industrial, cooling, batteries | Not publishedVirtual 18-month accelerator; admissions are rolling with multiple intakes per year and about a three-month application-to-decision process. Eligibility: minimum two full-time employees, working prototype (TRL 4+), for-profit, no basic science risk, global applicants welcome. Investment amounts and equity terms are not published and vary by cohort initiative, so amounts left null. Future Industries Partnership open call active as of July 2026 (Southeast Asia, India, Middle East focus); no deadline posted. | Not publishedVirtual 18-month accelerator; admissions are rolling with multiple intakes per year and about a three-month application-to-decision process. Eligibility: minimum two full-time employees, working prototype (TRL 4+), for-profit, no basic science risk, global applicants welcome. Investment amounts and equity terms are not published and vary by cohort initiative, so amounts left null. Future Industries Partnership open call active as of July 2026 (Southeast Asia, India, Middle East focus); no deadline posted. | Mixed | CO | Remote | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| U.S. Venture Sustainability Acceleratorenergy / mobility / decarbonization | $100,000 | Not publishedgener8tor and U.S. Venture invest $100,000 in each of five startups working on sustainability and mobility, over a 12-week in-person program in Appleton, Wisconsin (relocation required). The investment goes into the current round or an uncapped convertible note; the equity percentage is not published. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with no next-cohort window posted. | Equity for cash | WI | In person | None confirmed | Aug 26, 2026 | Verified |
| Venture For ClimateTechearly-stage climate tech (hardware-inclusive) | up to $50,000 non-dilutive | Not publishedProgram page states 'up to $50,000 in non-dilutive funding'; no equity taken. Six-month program in three phases (Cohort 6 ran April to October 2026), about 8-12 hours per week of founder time. Eligibility: TRL 4-7, legal entity not required, must address New York State climate goals in buildings, transportation, grid, or industry. Cohort 6 application window was Jan 5 - Feb 20, 2026; Cohort 7 window not yet posted as of 2026-07-22. | Non-dilutive | NY | Hybrid | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
| Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2)clean energy for built environment, housing, food-energy-water | $250,000 non-dilutive per startup (September 2025 resiliency cohort) | Not publishedFully non-dilutive; no equity. Startups enter by nomination from NREL's channel partner network (about 60 incubators, accelerators, and universities); no open application. September 2025 resiliency cohort startups each received $250,000 in non-dilutive funding plus NREL researcher collaboration. Correction to prior note: the $100K-$200K 2025 Strategic Awards went to channel partner organizations, not startups. $55M total program size confirmed. Scalable Tech Track (second cohort announced Dec 9, 2025) funds corporate and asset-owner pilot projects up to $250,000, a separate track from the startup cohorts. | Non-dilutive | CO | Hybrid | None confirmed | Jul 22, 2026 | Verified |
Guides for Climate & Energy founders
Plain-English mechanics for the terms these programs use.
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