NREL’s Camp Cleantech To Empower Startups for Success

July 23, 2024 | By Jeffrey Wolf | Contact media relations
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One of the biggest hurdles for many climate-tech startups is they do not know what they do not know. A new event from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Camp Cleantech aims to give startups the tools and lessons to overcome the surprises that await them on the journey to the market.

Camp Cleantech logo

Camp Cleantech is a first-of-a-kind event designed for cleantech and climate-tech startups to learn how to solve their immediate needs and work on the next steps in their journey. Startups will get the expertise of 15 top-tier accelerators and incubators in one place at one time.

"We aim to increase awareness for startups as they move through each phase of product development, from prototype to production," said Mark Michalski, a manufacturing expert in residence at startup accelerator FORGE. "We educate them on the unknowns they might face and emphasize the critical points when they need to focus on these aspects of their journey.”

FORGE is a member of the NREL Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center’s (IEC’s) Channel Partner network, which identifies and refers startups to IEC programs such as the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) and the Shell GameChanger Accelerator™ Powered by NREL.

FORGE and 15 other members of the Channel Partner network will teach workshops during Camp Cleantech, set for Aug. 12–14 in Denver, Colorado, where attendees will come together at CSU Spur for a two-day experience of workshops and camp-inspired community building activities.

Startups are one of the best engines to get more climate technologies into the market where they can make an impact in the transition to a clean energy future.

The major sponsor of Camp Cleantech is Wells Fargo, expanding on the company’s efforts begun with the IN2program.

“Their continual commitment to accelerating cleantech and climate technologies allows us to pair the convening power of NREL with their assistance,” IEC Director Trish Cozart said. “And that is where the magic happens.”

FORGE, based in Massachusetts and Connecticut, is a nonprofit that accelerates the path to market for physical innovations through product development, manufacturing, and supply-chain-focused education and connections. Since it began in 2015, FORGE has aided more than 800 emerging hard-tech companies with their manufacturing readiness, about 40% of which focus on climate tech.

“We are so excited to be part of Camp Cleantech because it’s such a great opportunity to bring us all together,” said Sophie Cestari, FORGE program manager. “I think it’s going to be invaluable for both the Channel Partners and the startups.”

Representing FORGE, Michalski will teach a workshop on planning for scaling manufacturing. He will help startups understand that their needs will change rapidly as they grow and scale their products. Knowing these challenges early prepares them better for when they arise.

People sit at tables watching a speaker with a microphone. Another man is in the background.

Mark Michalski talks to startups at one of FORGE’s educational events. Image from FORGE

"They shouldn't stress about the details right now. We want them to understand that they will eventually need this knowledge and to prepare," he said. "Armed with this awareness, they can avoid potential costly pitfalls when it becomes a reality."

The Channel Partners running the workshops come from all over the country, and bringing these different instructors together in one place is a huge help to startups.

“Each incubator or accelerator has their own expertise stemming from their region, history, and tech area, and to pull them all together is unique,” Cozart said. “They’re the best of the best, and Camp Cleantech is the place to catch ‘em all. Attendees can glean the insights they need at the time they need it—it meets them where they’re at.”

Another workshop host is the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), which helps Los Angeles-area startups with pilot development, investor pitching, business road maps, and more.

“Entrepreneurs need a wide variety of resources to get across the finish line, so it’s important to convene those resources in one spot,” said Hyder Shuja, senior manager of the LACI Debt Fund. “Having that all in one place, especially face to face, is incredibly valuable.”

LACI’s workshop at Camp Cleantech will coach entrepreneurs on how to apply for a loan, perhaps instead of traditional equity funding. When a venture capital firm invests, an entrepreneur could lose their majority ownership share but is not usually required make return on the investment. With a loan, they can retain ownership and control but must repay the money over time.

“The challenge lies less with startups being reluctant to take out a loan and more so with helping them see and develop a feasible pathway to repayment,” Shuja said. “Our workshop will address a gap in the marketplace when it comes to this type of knowledge and encourage startups to explore loans as an avenue for growth.”

Other workshops set for the event include:

  • "Best Practices for Working with Corporates" presented by Greentown Labs
  • "Getting Pilot Ready" presented by Grid Catalyst
  • "Square Partnerships Model: Deploying Climate Technology with Community in Mind" presented by Elemental Excelerator
  • And more.

The strength of the Channel Partner network comes from its depth and breadth across the country. Each member understands its local ecosystem better than others and is best positioned to make an impact in its locality.

“Entrepreneurs come from all 50 states, so we need organizations from all 50 states to support them,” Shuja said. “While there are competitors in the network, and people looking to work on the same projects with the same money, we are ultimately looking forward to having a greater impact by acting in unison.”

NREL’s commitment to transforming energy means it is crucial to bring these organizations together to help startups.

“NREL has a very special way of bringing together a lot of groups in ways that others can’t,” Cestari said. “Never have I seen such an interesting and diverse group all in one place with one goal.”

Learn more about Camp Cleantech and how to attend.

Tags: Entrepreneurs