Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space Announce Third Cohort for ACCEL, an Accelerator for BIPOC-led Climatetech Startups

The recurring, year-long program welcomes eight startups led by underrepresented founders

SOMERVILLE, Mass. and HOUSTON, Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space (BGS) today announce eight startup participants for the Advancing Climatetech and Clean Energy Leaders Program (ACCEL), an accelerator that bolsters BIPOC-led startups as they develop critical climatetech solutions by offering access to funding, networking connections, resources, and opportunities that structural inequities put out of reach.

ACCEL combines startup acceleration with a curated curriculum, incubation at Greentown, and extensive mentorship from Greentown and BGS's networks of industry experts. The recurring, year-long program focuses on product and technology development, market development, fundraising, and management and team development. The selected founding teams will each receive $25k in non-dilutive grant funding to support their startup's growth.

After a highly competitive selection and deliberation process that saw more than 140 applicants, a cohort of eight cutting-edge startups was selected. These early-stage startups are working on innovations ranging from metal-air batteries to potato-starch-based bioplastics. The ACCEL cohort will participate in a public kickoff event on March 6 at Greentown's Boston location; learn more and register here.

• Andros Innovations (Cambridge, Mass.) has developed a revolutionary reactor that produces ammonia more cheaply, cleanly, and safely than traditional methods do. Its founder is Laron Burrows.
• Carbonext (Houston, Texas) is leveraging a proprietary, off-the-shelf 3D-graphene technology to develop integrated solutions with carbon-coated silicon anodes to address current challenges in the graphite ecosystem, as well as lithium-battery anodes. Its founder is Olanrewaju Tanimola.
• FAST Metals (Worcester, Mass.) has developed a hydrometallurgical-recovery process capable of extracting iron, aluminum, scandium, titanium, and other rare-earth elements from industrial tailings such as bauxite residue—also known as red mud—which is produced as a waste byproduct in the primary extraction of aluminum. Its founders are Sumedh Gostu and Anthony Staley.
• Inductive Robotics (Austin, Texas) deploys autonomous robots that deliver EV charging directly to parked vehicles in commercial parking facilities, using a subscription-based model. Its founders are Madhav Ayyagari and David Alspaugh.
• PLASENE (Houston, Texas) offers an innovative platform that converts plastic waste into liquid fuel and low-carbon hydrogen by leveraging proprietary catalysts and modular, scalable, pre-engineered units. Its founders are Sohel Shaikh, Alper Gulludag, and Romolo Raciti.
• Respire Energy (Boston, Mass.) is redefining energy storage with a safe, low-cost, and long-duration metal-air battery designed for microgrids. Built with non-flammable and earth-abundant materials, it delivers eight-plus hours of reliable energy storage and backup power. Its founders are Dave Hsu, Xiaowei Teng, and Candy Wong.
• Tato Labs (Brooklyn, N.Y.) is developing scalable, innovative, bioplastic products and packaging solutions that leverage potato starch, protect and preserve the natural ecosystem, and minimize plastic waste. Its founders are Mecca McDonald and Mia Dunn.
• Thola (Portland, Maine) provides an on-demand marketplace for commercial-building sustainability and safety management, with a mission to decarbonize old buildings. Its founders are Nneile Nkholise and Lerato Takana.

The first two years of ACCEL supported more than a dozen early-stage climatetech startups, supplying $325k in grant funding, hosting more than 50 workshop sessions, and engaging 20 expert mentors. The Year 1 and 2 startups' accomplishments include conducting seven pilot projects, winning awards, and mobilizing over $18M in capital through raises, customers, and grants. Further results from the first two years of ACCEL can be found here and here.

ACCEL is supported by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy and climatetech sector across the Commonwealth; Equinor, an international energy company committed to developing renewable and low-carbon energy solutions; the Growth Capital Division of MassDevelopment, which drives economic growth through access to alternative funding, resources, and individualized services to identify and structure solutions tailored to each small business in Massachusetts; Microsoft, a global technology company working to accelerate progress toward a more sustainable future by reducing its environmental footprint, and providing solutions that help its customers do the same; and the Barr Foundation, a Boston-based foundation with a regional focus, working with partners to elevate the arts, advance solutions for climate change, and connect all students to success in high school and beyond.

"Together with organizations like Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space, we're making Massachusetts the global leader in climatetech," said MassCEC's Managing Director of Workforce Development Jennifer Applebaum. "Our economy and communities are stronger when we invest in entrepreneurs. ACCEL is an important part of our collective work to ensure that all climatetech startups have the resources they need to grow business and accelerate their groundbreaking climate solutions."

ACCEL builds on elements of Greentown's successful incubator programming and its Greentown Go accelerator programs, along with BGS's expertise in company building and supporting underserved communities. The curriculum for ACCEL is led by VentureWell, a nonprofit with deep expertise in venture development in the climatetech space that funds and trains innovators to create successful, socially beneficial businesses.

"The startups selected for the third ACCEL cohort represent a phenomenal range of energy and climatetech innovations, which underscores our belief that everyone and many solutions must play a role in our community's collective decarbonization efforts," said Greentown's CEO Georgina Campbell Flatter. "We're proud to welcome these entrepreneurs to our community and eager to see all they'll achieve throughout the program and beyond!"

"We are excited about the growth of the ACCEL program over the last two years and the impact that many of our alumni cohort members are already making in the climatetech space!" said BGS's Co-founder, President, and Executive Director Kerry Bowie. "We need all hands on deck in this climate change fight, and we are excited to advance the growth trajectories of the eight new companies that we are welcoming into our third cohort!"

"Founders thrive when they have the right support system at the right time," said VentureWell's Vice President of Ventures Christina Tamer. "Through the powerful collaboration of ACCEL, we're providing the training and resources to help these startups transform bold ideas into real, lasting solutions for people and the planet."

About Greentown Labs
Greentown Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accelerating climatetech innovation and commercialization by empowering entrepreneurs and enabling collaboration. As the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America—with locations in Somerville, Mass. and Houston, Texas—Greentown convenes the climatetech ecosystem to provide entrepreneurs the community, connections, labs, and resources they need to thrive. Greentown is home to more than 200 startups and has supported more than 575 since its founding in 2011; these startups have collectively created more than 13,500 jobs and raised more than $8.2 billion in funding. For more information, visit www.greentownlabs.com or follow Greentown on LinkedIn.

About Greentown Browning the Green Space
Browning the Green Space (BGS) is a nonprofit coalition of leaders and organizations, primarily in the New England region, that share the passion to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in clean energy and climatetech. BGS seeks to facilitate a just energy transition by putting Black and Brown communities first and enabling systems-change at the intersection of social, environmental, and economic justice. BGS is powering a just energy transition by creating jobs, building wealth, and reducing the energy burden in Black and Brown communities. By removing barriers and expanding access, BGS seeks to close the racial wealth gap while combating climate change. BGS is focused on a comprehensive approach to addressing DEI across key clean energy and climate tech areas through five connected but distinct focus areas: Careers, Companies, Capital, Contracts, and Communities.

Greentown Labs Media Contact
Julia Travaglini
Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications
[email protected]

Browning the Green Space Media Contact
Alisha Harrington
Interim Managing Director
[email protected] 

SOURCE Greentown Labs