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NYC gets a VC-backed climate-tech accelerator

Megan Hernbroth
Illustration of the Statue of Liberty holding cash instead of a torch.

Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios

Venture capital and city services are coming together to launch New York City's latest climate tech accelerator: the International ClimateTech Center.

Why it matters: There is only so much public funding for climate technology, so urban centers are teaming up with deep-pocketed venture investors to help early-stage climate tech companies get off the ground.

Details: The International ClimateTech Center is backed by Jerusalem Venture Partners, an Israeli venture capital firm, with support from Mini's Urban-X, a startup program backed by the automaker, and the city of New York.

  • It accepted eight startups into its inaugural cohort from roughly 250 applicants, JVP founder Erel Margalit told Axios. It anticipates increasing the cohort size to roughly 35 over the coming years.
  • Margalit is particularly interested in companies that utilize cybersecurity software to protect renewable energy infrastructure, as well as biotech applications for agriculture and food production.

Yes, but: Startups are not guaranteed funding from JVP upon completing the program, unlike other accelerator groups, Margalit says.

What they're saying: "This is the model we have built in the north of Israel, where local Arab and Jewish companies work together," Margalit says.

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