Meet our Team
The TechBridge Program is led by the Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE in the United States. Fraunhofer has established itself as a leading industry-driven international laboratory accelerating the adoption of energy technologies through scientific research and engineering innovation. The core offering of TechBridge is applied, industry-focused projects performed for entrepreneurs by Fraunhofer with the express goal of de-risking novel technologies for the private sector. Projects may take the form of developing and testing prototypes, deploying field demonstrations, performing third-party validation, generating test data in an industry context, or manufacturability studies. These projects bring promising technologies closer to market and make them more attractive for private sector investment, industry adoption, and scale-up funding, ultimately leading to the accelerated success of high growth entrepreneurs and businesses.
With its approx. 1,200 employees Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is the largest solar research institute in Europe. The institute's work ranges from research into the scientific and technical fundamentals of solar energy use to the development of prototypes and the construction of demonstration systems. In addition to R&D activities in the areas of solar cells and systems, solar building architecture and energy-efficient building equipment, as well as optical components and systems, a central focus of the institute is on regenerative power generation in grid networks and grid-independent or coupled energy storage systems.
Greentown Labs is a community of bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating game-changing energy technologies that transform the way we live, work, and play. Located in Somerville, Mass., and founded in 2011, the Greentown Labs Global Center for Cleantech Innovation is the largest cleantech incubator in the United States, operating a 100,000 sq. ft. campus comprised of prototyping and wet lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, electronics lab, and a curated suite of programs and resources. Greentown Labs is home to more than 90 startups that collectively employ more than 1,000 people and have raised more than $350 million in funding. The incubators’ mission is to provide startups with the community, resources, and space they need to solve today’s biggest energy and environmental challenges.
Urban Future Lab provides unmatched access to strategic advisement, introductions to industry stakeholders, marketing and branding support, investor networks, and access to a community of like-minded founders. UFL is leading the way to a more sustainable world by connecting people, capital, and purpose to advance market-ready solutions to address climate change. Programs include ACRE, a business incubation program for pre-seed to series A startups, PowerBridgeNY, a proof-of-concept center commercializing research from local universities, and Clean Start, an advanced diploma from NYU for people seeking a transition into the cleantech sector. The UFL is part of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and is located in Downtown Brooklyn.
ACRE @ Urban Future Lab is New York City’s premier business incubator for cleantech and smart city startups. Housed at the Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, ACRE has been supporting market ready solutions to climate change since 2009, boasting a 90% survival rate of incubated startups which have now raised more than $380M from the private markets and employ more than 340 people. Incubated companies get access to a world renowned network of industry mentors and advisors, introductions to key customers and active investors, access to an in-house designer, a community of like-minded mission driven founders, and a suite of business support services and resources.
Sponsors
Shell and Toyota seek meaningful partnerships with startup companies that can be integrated into existing systems and processes within their business activities and which fit within the broader hydrogen value chain.
