Carbon to Value Initiative (C2V) Accelerator

The Carbon to Value (C2V) Initiative is a six-month accelerator for carbontech startups, run by the Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon, Greentown Labs and Fraunhofer USA. Startups work with its Carbontech Leadership Council (CLC), an invitation-only group of corporate, non-profit and government leaders, to de-risk their path to commercialization.

Year 6 seeks startups at technology readiness levels 4 to 7 in carbon conversion to fuels, chemicals and materials; carbon capture (point source, DAC, direct ocean capture and gas separation); carbon removal and sequestration (marine CDR, BiCRS and biochar, mineralization and rock weathering); MRV hardware; and AI-enabled approaches tied to these pathways. EOR, standalone software and carbon marketplaces are out of scope.

In its first five years, supported by NYSERDA, C2V received more than 630 applications and backed 45 startups that raised over USD 700M in follow-on funding and formed 600+ business relationships. Events run in person in Boston, New York and Houston and online; in-person attendance is mandatory.

• Carbontech startups at TRL 4 to 7 (validated in a lab environment).
• Actively investigating product-market fit and seeking partnerships.
• From anywhere in the world; no minimum or maximum funding raised.
• Must attend in-person events in Boston, New York and Houston.
• Out of scope: EOR, standalone software, carbon marketplaces, credits, registries, financing and insurance.

Apply under the Year 6 Request for Applications. Applications are evaluated on novelty and feasibility, potential climate benefit, impact on the carbontech market and the startup's readiness to use the program. Applications for Year 6 are closed.

• Six months of programming with the Carbontech Leadership Council.
• An in-depth corporate advisor program and collaboration opportunities with CLC members.
• Networks and resources of Urban Future Lab, Greentown Labs and Fraunhofer USA, plus experienced mentors.
• Up to USD 10,000 discretionary stipend per startup.

• Years 1 to 5: 45 startups supported.
• Year 6: six-month accelerator; applications closed. The detailed schedule is in the Request for Applications.

Cohorts 1 to 5 (45 startups) raised over USD 700M in follow-on funding and formed 600+ business relationships. Testimonials come from CarbonFree (Year 1), ecoLocked (Year 2) and Capro-X.