Innovate UK, the Urban Future Lab, and Greentown Labs announce the Year 5 cohort for their Global Incubator Programme

Powerful things happen when innovation, government, and academia join forces. For proof, look no further than the collaboration among the Urban Future Lab (UFL) at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Greentown Labs, and Innovate UK.

For the fifth year in a row, thanks to their joint initiative, a select group of UK-based startups will convene in Brooklyn for a six-month program aimed at providing them with the support and mentorship needed to fully explore the U.S. market. 

The initiative, Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Programme: Clean Growth Edition, is specifically designed to foster and assist the establishment of innovative climate technology companies demonstrating significant potential for international scalability into new markets.

Startups from previous years have already successfully expanded their operations into the U.S., capitalizing on the robust mentorship opportunities, connections to potential customers, and a targeted, strategic curriculum offered by the Global Incubator Programme, and this year’s cohort is poised to do the same. The latest group of participants spans a range of innovations from proptech to waste:

• OptimiseAI is transforming building energy management through its patented, virtualized Building Management technology, which harnesses the power of digital twins and Gen-AI. Delivering actionable insights for the reduction of energy and carbon emissions for non-domestic buildings (even for those with just a meter or an old BMS!).
   
• Olsights is a clean energy data visualization and app developer creating affordable web-based tools to allow quick decision-making for the energy transition challenge. They build trusted clean energy insights and visually interactive digital tools that enable developers and permitting authorities to quickly screen for viable development opportunities in Hydrogen, Carbon Capture  Utilisation & Storage, and their connection to the grid.  
   
• Kensa is revolutionizing heating and cooling for hard-to-decarbonize homes with the 21st-century alternative to the gas grid. As the UK’s market leader in ground-source heat pumps, they install boreholes in the road, letting consumers plug in Kensa’s unique microwave-sized heat pumps when they are ready. This 'Networked Heat Pumps' approach offers the cheapest, lowest carbon heating and cooling available, at the lowest energy system impact, and scales from homes in streets to apartment blocks to city districts.
   
• Trust Electric Heating, founded in 2017, is dedicated to addressing the 21st-century Net Zero challenges in energy consumption. They manufacture and install award-winning, patented and smart heating technologies that embody the pinnacle of British innovation. Their products are designed to offer optimal energy efficiency, providing significant savings on heating bills and enhancing comfort for end users. They offer bespoke customer service for both domestic and commercial customers. Their mission is to deliver the best value, education, reliability, and simplicity, ensuring that each product they offer supports their commitment to sustainability and customer satisfaction. Made in Britain, Trust Electric Heating solutions are designed and engineered to meet the needs of today's environmentally conscious and economically focused customers.
   
• ReVentas has developed a novel dissolution recycling process for waste plastic, able to remove all pigments and additives from post-consumer Polyethylene and Polypropylene, the two most common plastics in use, and produce a high-quality virgin-like replacement.  ReVentas’ technology and products will enable companies to more effectively use recycled plastic in high-value applications such as food and consumer packaging, automotive, agriculture and textiles, enabling companies to meet their sustainability targets and recycling obligations. By more effectively recycling their waste plastic, ReVentas aims to reduce their reliance on virgin plastics and decrease GHG emissions from their production, which contributes 4% to global emissions.  
   
• Camfridge's solid-state cooling technology cuts carbon and reduces the cost of refrigeration for commercial users.

We are excited to welcome this year’s cohort to New York City for their first intensive week, which will feature a customized curriculum designed to support them with market-entry in the US, including expert sessions on policy, marketing, communications, ecosystem trends, fundraising, and more. Featured speakers include:

• Chi Nguyen: Senior PM - Commercialization, NYSERDA
• Rachel Livsey: Senior Trade and Investment Officer, Future Mobility, UK Department of Trade and Business
• Minna Logemann:  Assistant Professor at CUNY Baruch, Department of Communication, to discuss the nuances in UK vs US Communication styles
• Jonathan Lan: Senior Advisor, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Together, UFL, Greentown Labs, and Innovate UK are ensuring that scalable climate solutions like these are deployed as widely as possible — advancing the clean economy, fostering international collaboration in addressing climate change, and promoting job creation. It’s a winning proposition for everyone involved.