The Urban Future Lab is pleased to announce, for the eighth consecutive year, the Urban Future Prize Competition, which seeks to find the brightest climatetech startups and, through the generous support of The New York Community Trust, MUFG Bank, and NYU Tandon School of Engineering, award two winners with $50,000 cash prizes. These awardees will also receive admission into the ACRE Incubator, New York’s longest-running and most successful climatetech program.
New this year, we will be running a prize track explicitly focused on climate adaptation and resilience, the Future Resilience Prize. Most funding to date has gone to address climate mitigation (e.g. decreasing emissions), but very little funding has gone to innovations that support the adaptation side of the climate crisis. According to UN estimates, the climate adaptation financing gap is as high as $366B annually. With the Future Resilience Prize, we hope to spotlight innovative climate adaptation and resilience solutions, catalyze more private investment into this space, and ensure a positive impact on vulnerable communities most adversely impacted by climate change.
Benefits
- Two non-dilutive prizes of $50K each will be awarded to two companies that embody the drive and mission needed to address the greatest challenge of our time.
- Acceptance and membership into New York City’s premier climate-tech incubator, with incubator-specific benefits and unmatched startup support.
- Ecosystem recognition, media opportunities, and access to introductions to key partners in the public and private sectors.
Requirements
Applicants should be early-stage startups generating revenue that have raised under $5M and are able to clearly articulate the potential sustainability impact from their core product or service.
Companies may be internationally based, however, we ask winners to maintain at least one full-time startup employee and one desk at our incubator in New York City. Founders derive the most value from being physically present when industry, investor office hours or events occur.
Selection Process
Timeline
5/1/2024: Applications due
3/6/2024: Competition launch
14/8/2024: Finalists announced
24/10/2024: Urban future summit
Method of Application
Click Here to Apply
For More Information,
Application Deadlin: May 1, 2025.
