Meet the fall cohort of Village Capital’s climate accelerator

This fall, DC-based startup support organization Village Capital is bringing together a group of founders working on different tech-based solutions to pressing climate issues.

From across the country, 10 founders were just selected for Village Capital’s Climate Justice for Migrants and Communities of Color program, in partnership with World Education Services’ (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund. As communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change, Village Capital wanted to create a program for climate-based startups developing tools to prepare for, respond to, recover and slow down the impact of climate-related disasters.

Throughout the four-month program, the startup founders will take part in virtual and in-person workshops and create a “milestone achievement plan.” They’ll also get connected to mentors, strategic partners, investors, customers and fellow founders and receive one-on-one consultations with an investment analyst. All the startups with receive a $20,000 grant, and the top two startups — selected by their peers — will get a $100,000 investment from the WES Mariam Assefa Fund to build their company.

Companies were picked for the cohort based on business models, potential for scalability and impact on migrant and BIPOC communities. The selected founders are from six states, with 50% led by women, 80% headed by BIPOC founders and executives and 70% by migrant leaders. According to Village Capital, over 50 startups from 19 states applied to participate.

“I am deeply inspired by the 10 selected startups for this year’s cohort,” said Elizabeth Nguyen, economic opportunity practice lead at Village Capital, in a statement. “From designing and launching new products such as a smart home battery and refrigeration solutions to leveraging data and technology to improve the accessibility and affordability of renewable energy, I am thrilled to support their entrepreneurial journeys as they continue to advance climate justice in the US.”

Here are the selected startups from the DC area:

• Map-Collective: The DC-based data and analytics company helps with supply chain traceability and decarbonization by simplifying emissions mapping, biodiversity mapping and planning for energy hubs and circular economy transitions.
• Poly Platform: The Arlington, Virginia startup built a smart city platform for the digitalization of government departments. The goal is to boost accessibility for residents while amplifying city official voices.

And the other selectees:

• Blip Energy: A Chicago, Illinois-based smart energy platform for building a better energy grid
• Climatize: A Santa Cruz, California company that connects investors with community solar infrastructure projects
• Future: Another Chicago startup that automates utility incentive programs.
• JustAir: Based in Detroit, Michigan, built a tool for localized air quality insights.
• Kazadi Enterprises: From Batavia, Illinois, this company uses environmental heat as an energy source for refrigeration, lowering electrical power needs.
• Logista: The Upland, California company uses data to predict logistics needs during disasters.
• Parachute: Also from Chicago, this company built a financial risk management product for data science, meteorology and insurance.
• Quioveo Energy: The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania company built a tech problem to increase the use of renewable energy.