Cascadia Cleantech Accelerator

Cascadia CleanTech Accelerator is a business accelerator program powered by the CleanTech Alliance and VertueLab. The mostly virtual 15-week program delivers mentorship, curriculum, connections and funding opportunities designed specifically for early-stage cleantech startups.

Each Cascadia CleanTech startup receives:

• Mentorship.  Match with cleantech industry mentors who have expertise tailored to your business needs. Mentors help with business planning, intellectual property protection, marketing, financing and more.  
• Connections that make a difference. The CleanTech Alliance and VertueLab networks provide access to businesses, utilities, service providers and investors from across the region.
• Hands-on business and financing workshops. The workshops assist with business model creation, product development, market development and funding strategies.
• Customer discovery assistance. Get help connecting with potential partners and customers to hone your minimally viable product and go-to-market strategy.
• Visibility for your company and brand. Established CleanTech Alliance and VertueLab industry events, programs and marketing outreach provide top-level visibility with a targeted audience.
• Compete for non-dilutive funding. Accelerator teams will compete for cash (three prizes for a total of at least $10,000), and in-kind prizes. Alumni are also eligible for future funding opportunities associated with the program.
• Specialized cleantech skill-building. The curriculum is designed uniquely for cleantech companies, with lessons on cleantech funding pathways, manufacturing, and planning and marketing sustainability.
• Robust Modules. Curriculum modules include, Business Model Canvas, Sustainability, Introduction to Manufacturing, Financial Projects and Exit Strategy, Go-To-Market Strategy, HR Legal Compliance and Team Building, as well as, Pitch Deck Preparation and Practice. If your start up will be producing a physical product or is exploring impact funders and quantifying your environmental impact, this curriculum is for you.

The Cascadia CleanTech Accelerator program begins in late May and continues through mid September. There is no application fee. Participation fees have been dropped to $500 per team in response to possible event modifications due to COVID-19 (the fees & events will be revisited frequently as COVID-19 guidelines occur and there are option for installment payments) and include:

• Full accelerator program participation for all members of your company.
• Two passes to the CleanTech Showcase in June (currently planned for in-person; but pending due to updates in COVID-19 guidelines).
• Two passes to VertueLab annual conference in September.
• Membership to the CleanTech Alliance for the duration of the accelerator plus the following calendar year ($475 value).

The Cascadia CleanTech Accelerator is a perfect opportunity to accelerate your business without giving up any equity or ownership. Because it’s non-dilutive, startups can take part as a standalone offering or as an add-on with other business accelerators or incubators.

Eligibility Requirements

Cascadia CleanTech Accelerator is designed for early-stage startup companies in the clean technology market. To participate, companies must:

• Be an incorporated company (or in the process of incorporating).
• Have a cleantech product or service, or be interested in serving the cleantech market.
• Have raised no more than $1 million in funding.

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