Cleantech Open Northeast Accelerator Program Hosts First In-Person Regional Finals Since 2019

Somerville, MA --September 20, 2022 -- Featuring some of the most innovative climate economy startups from the Northeast, Canada and around the world, Cleantech Open Northeast (CTONE) will be hosting its 2022 Regional Finals Awards and Showcase 29th at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA. CTONE is the Northeast division of Cleantech Open, the world’s largest cleantech accelerator. More than thirty startups from this year’s cohort will take part in the showcase, and six finalists will pitch publicly and compete for $60,000 in cash prizes. The finalists will be selected during the private Regional Semi-Finals on September 28th, hosted by Foley Hoag at their offices in Boston’s Seaport.

Beth Zonis, Senior Director, Cleantech Open Northeast commented: “After two years of virtual regional finals events, we can’t wait to celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s cohort! We are looking forward to bringing together diverse stakeholders from across the local cleantech innovation ecosystem and to let them inspire us with hope for the future of the environment.”

The 2022 Cleantech Open Northeast alumni cohort provides solutions across energy efficiency, generation, distribution and storage as well as green building, transportation, smart cities, agriculture, water, waste, chemicals and advanced materials, and information and communications technologies. The companies come from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island and also represent international locations including Canada, Germany, India, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Johannes Bochdalofsky, CEO of SeaH4, a startup in the 2022 cohort, stated: “No matter what comes from the pitching competition, the knowledge we acquired throughout the mentoring sessions, webinars, workshops, and everything else, along with our association with CTO as soon-to-be alumni, already has us feeling like winners.”

More than 45 expert judges – mostly from around the Northeast, and including some from as far away as California and Texas – will assess thirty-two teams and select the six finalists. They will review the startups’ deliverables for the Cleantech Open accelerator and listen to the investor pitch presentations during the private semi-finals on September 28th. The six finalists will pitch to a judging panel of top cleantech and business leaders, including Aly Bryan of Closed Loop Partners, Hilary Flynn of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), David Miller of Clean Energy Ventures, Bala Nagarajan of NextEra Energy, Carlos Nouel of National Grid, and Ryan Taylor of Azolla Ventures. Joe Curtantone, President of NECEC; Hillary Flynn, Managing Director of Investments at MassCEC; and Ken Hayes, Executive Director of Cleantech Open, will also deliver keynote speeches during the regional finals event.

Cleantech Open Northeast is supported largely by Regional Premier Sponsors MassCEC and NYSERDA. Gold Sponsors are National Grid and Sire Foundation. Silver Sponsors are the Canadian Consulate in New York, Foley Hoag, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Schneider Electric, and Sunstein. Bronze Sponsors are AGC, Citi, Chubb, Constellation Technology Ventures, Technip Energies, and Xylem. In 2022, Cleantech Open Northeast added several new additional sponsors: Citi, National Grid, NextCorps Scale for ClimateTech, Technip Energies, and Xylem; and new in-kind sponsors: Genome Foundry at Concordia University and Temple University Small Business Development Center.

Register here to attend the 2022 Cleantech Open Northeast finals.

About Cleantech Open Northeast

Cleantech Open Northeast is the Northeast region of Cleantech Open and is managed by NECEC as the on-the-ground affiliate. Cleantech Open is the world’s oldest and largest cleantech accelerator and is dedicated to providing entrepreneurs and technologists with the resources needed to launch a successful cleantech company. Its mission is to find, fund, and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. Cleantech Open provides the infrastructure, expertise, and strategic relationships that turn clever ideas into successful global cleantech companies. Fueled by a network of more than 2,000 volunteers, Cleantech Open unites the public and private sectors in a shared vision for making America’s cleantech sector a thriving economic engine. Between 2005 and 2022, Cleantech Open Northeast has trained more than 550 early-stage clean technology startups through its annual business accelerator. 71% of Cleantech Open Northeast alumni are still in business or have had a successful exit. Cleantech Open Northeast alumni have raised more than $1.05 billion, created more than 3,100 clean economy jobs, and generated more than $486 million in revenue. For more information, visit cleantechopen.org

About NECEC

NECEC leads the just, equitable, and rapid transition to a clean energy future and a diverse climate economy. NECEC is the only organization in the Northeast that covers all of the clean energy market segments, representing the business perspectives of investors and clean energy companies across every stage of development. NECEC members span the broad spectrum of the clean energy industry, including clean transportation, energy efficiency, wind, solar, energy storage, microgrids, fuel cells, clean buildings and advanced “smart” technologies. For more information, visit www.necec.org.