Applications are now open for ClimateLaunchpad, the world’s biggest cleantech and green business ideas competition.
Aimed at researchers, students and new startups and anyone else with an innovative business idea, ClimateLaunchpad is set up to help aspiring entrepreneurs grow their ideas into global businesses.
Run in over 50 countries worldwide, ClimateLaunchpad is responsible for more than 6,700 ideas that have resulted in the creation of more than 8,000 jobs within 1,900 new companies.
In Australia, the competition is run by Climate-KIC Australia, a knowledge and innovation community that aims to catalyse systemic climate action through innovation.
“We see ClimateLaunchpad as a key component of our portfolio,” said Chris Lee, CEO of Climate-KIC Australia. “An entrepreneurship ecosystem that puts climate at the centre of economic activity is the real opportunity space for the transformative change that we need to address climate change.”
Lee encourages anybody with a green business idea to apply. “Even if your idea is still on the back of an envelope, you’ll get all the skills you need to turn it into a fully-fledged start-up through ClimateLaunchpad.”
Structured as a series of pitch competitions, the program also provides intensive training and coaching led by trainers with broad international real-world experience.
Applications are open until April 22.
After four years of running the program, last year was Australia’s most successful ClimateLaunchpad to date, with all three Aussie finalists making it through the South-East Asian Finals to the Global Grand Final, and two teams named in the top-16 global prize winners. Victorian team Elevenstore also came home with the Theme Prize for Mobility and €5,000.
Organisers plan to run the program in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, and all events will either be fully online or a hybrid delivery, so aspiring founders are encouraged to apply no matter where they’re based.
For the 2021 program, ClimateLaunchpad is partnering once again with the Future Battery Industries CRC (FBICRC), with five dedicated placements in the program being reserved to help commercialise breakthrough battery technology ideas.
“Building on the success of the FBICRC sponsored teams from 2020, we are pleased to be sponsoring five battery technology places this year,” said Stedman Ellis, CEO of the FBRCIC. “ClimateLaunchpad is a natural fit for us, as it helps build capability and nurture the commercialisation of early-stage battery innovations, enabling the growth of battery industries to power Australia.”
Five placements will also be reserved for clean energy ideas, thanks to a new sponsorship from the Reliable Affordable Clean Energy CRC (RACE for 2030).
“We’re excited to partner with ClimateLaunchpad because we are committed to catalyse innovation to achieve reliable affordable clean energy (RACE) and support Australian start-ups in this space to flourish,” said Jon Jutsen, CEO of RACE for 2030.
ClimateLaunchpad is partially funded by a grant from the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources AusIndustry Entrepreneurs’ Programme.
The competition is an initiative of EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s climate innovation initiative and Climate-KIC Australia’s European partner organisation.
In the four previous editions held in Australia, over 120 start-ups have been able to grow their business ideas and develop an investor-ready pitch deck after passing through ClimateLaunchpad. Some of the alumni of the program are now at the forefront of climate-forward enterprises in Australia, including Capricorn Power, Sunovate, Australasian Circular Textile Association, Coreo and Matter.
“ClimateLauchpad was a complete gamechanger for us, enabling us to commence our seed funding round with a really promising outlook” – Cesira Leigh, Founder of Sunovate (2018 ClimateLaunchpad Australia winner).
Frans Nauta, ClimateLaunchpad founder: “A business school in disguise, that is how former participants refer to our competition. We transform people with green tech ideas into successful entrepreneurs. Climate change is solvable. Not with single cure, we need – and there will be – thousands of big and small cures. Green start-ups lead the charge in fixing this.”
Information about ClimateLaunchpad, how to enter the competition and updates are available at www.climate-kic.org.au/clp21
About ClimateLaunchpad
ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest and most successful cleantech and green business ideas competition. Running in over 50 countries, its mission is to unlock the global potential for cleantech to address climate change, and helps to fast-track ideas into businesses. Climate-KIC Australia runs the program in Australia to provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs, students and researchers to connect to a global network of investors, accelerators and market opportunities.
The program is run in collaboration with EIT Climate-KIC, the EU’s major climate innovation initiative.
About Climate-KIC Australia
Climate-KIC Australia is a knowledge and innovation community that aims to inspire and enable climate action by being a catalyst for systemic change, through innovation. Born out of a collaboration with EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s largest public-private partnership focused on climate change, Climate-KIC Australia specialises in supporting on-the-ground innovation to catalyse system change. We establish links between research, business, entrepreneurs, investors and government to drive transformational projects that unlock change at the speed and scale the climate challenge needs.
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.