NYC-ACRE’s Micah Kotch Named an Ecomagination Sustainable Innovator

Micah Kotch, director of incubator initiatives at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) and director of the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy (NYC-ACRE), has been named one of 11 Sustainable Innovators by Ecomagination, the division of GE committed to developing solutions to environmental challenges while driving economic growth. 

Chosen from dozens of professionals working to create a sustainable future in cities across the country, Kotch was recognized for knowing “what it takes to bring an idea from conception to production in the clean energy and efficiency space” and for his dedication to “helping other entrepreneurs and startup companies make their sustainable innovations a lucrative reality.”

Kotch will discuss today, January 25, the successes, challenges and sectors to watch in cleantech entrepreneurship on Green Room Live, an online web forum hosted by Ecomagination and streamed live at 12:30 p.m. Viewers are invited to participate by submitting questions through Twitter at #grlive or on the Ecomagination Facebook page.  

“We are proud to see a national spotlight cast on Micah's leadership and the remarkable progress of the NYC ACRE startup companies," said NYU-Poly President Jerry M. Hultin. 

"NYC ACRE is a vital component of our cooperation with the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency to foster entrepreneurship and increase sustainability, and it provides a model for how cities around the world can harness the power of innovative startups to improve both the economy and our planet.” "

Kotch has led NYC ACRE since 2009, when the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) and the New York City Investment Fund joined with NYU-Poly to create a business incubator dedicated to cleantech and renewable energy companies as well as an accelerator for the sector in the city. NYC-ACRE companies receive low-cost office space, guidance on business development and networking opportunities within New York's venture community. Startup companies are housed at NYU-Poly's Varick Street Incubator, which is operated in collaboration with the New York City Economic Development Corporation. In addition, NYC ACRE provides networking services including the Clean Energy Event speaker series to develop a cleantech and renewable energy cluster in New York City.

Since its founding, NYC-ACRE has been home to 10 companies that have raised more than $15 million in funding, created 100 jobs and brought six products to market. Four of those companies have "graduated" from the incubator and are now self-sustaining businesses. Among them is Rentricity, whose clean-power technology is also featured on Ecomagination’s site. Among NYC ACRE’s companies is SyntheZyme, founded by NYU-Poly Professor Richard Gross to develop bio-friendly alternatives to plastics, pesticides and other petroleum-based products.

About NYC ACRE at NYU-Poly

NYC ACRE at NYU-Poly is New York City’s first cleantech incubator, seeded by a four-year, $1.5 million grant from NYSERDA and operated by Polytechnic Institute of New York University in collaboration with the New York City Investment Fund. NYC ACRE is growing an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, international companies and innovative local businesses that provide solutions to climate and energy issues. NYC ACRE works with its partners to create a robust cleantech cluster in New York City, helping create jobs and transitioning New York to a low-carbon future. Its startup companies work from offices in the Varick Street Incubator, operated by NYU-Poly in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation. For more information, visit www.nycacre.com and engineering.nyu.edu.

About Polytechnic Institute of New York University

Polytechnic Institute of New York University (formerly Polytechnic University), an affiliate of New York University, is a comprehensive school of engineering, applied sciences, technology and research, and is rooted in a 158-year tradition of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship: i2e. The institution, founded in 1854, is the nation’s second-oldest private engineering school. In addition to its main campus in New York City at MetroTech Center in downtown Brooklyn, it also offers programs at sites throughout the region and around the globe. Globally, NYU-Poly has programs in Israel, China and is an integral part of NYU's campus in Abu Dhabi. For more information, visit engineering.nyu.edu.