Supporting Black and Latinx entrepreneurs building solutions to advance environmental justice
Dream Climate Tech Launchpad 2024 is the second iteration of our climate-focused, milestone-based, and investment-readiness program in partnership with Dream.org with the support of Salesforce. This year’s program will support Black and Latinx-led climate tech startups building solutions related to energy, the built environment, and electronic transportation and infrastructure.
These solutions will help decarbonize our global economy and create a localized impact for communities of color that have been historically excluded from the clean energy transition.
Airbuild Inc (San Diego, CA) decarbonizes cities with a carbon-negative solution for sustainability and compliance.
The US has seen significant climate tech innovation in recent years, yet even some of the more mature technologies, such as solar, energy-efficient retrofits, and electric vehicles, often remain inaccessible to low-income communities and communities of color. These populations have long faced environmental injustices that have resulted in generational inequities, negatively affecting economic, social, and health outcomes.
Current macroeconomic trends in climate tech indicate opportunities for Black and Latinx founders with lived experience to create solutions for environmental justice in local communities. Recent federal investments, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund prioritize clean technology projects in communities of color, aiming to boost economic growth through the creation of clean jobs, improve public health, and lower energy costs.
Through our Dream Climate Tech Launchpad 2024 program, Village Capital, in partnership with Dream.Org and with the support of Salesforce, seeks to support startups leveraging these opportunities to ensure a green transition for all.
Village Capital is looking for 10 Black or Latinx-led startups focused on addressing the following areas:
Energy: Solutions that increase accessibility to solar energy, energy storage, and grid management. Examples include community solar, solar financing, agrivoltaics, thermal, battery storage, energy storage optimization software, real-time monitoring, and enhanced renewable energy integration.
Built Environment: Solutions that decarbonize heating and cooling in buildings, energy efficiency technologies, and innovative construction methods. Examples include efficient heat pumps, efficient lighting, improved insulation, intelligent building efficiency solutions, clean construction materials, modular construction, 3D printing, and software that helps manage building projects.
Electric Transportation and Infrastructure: Solutions that improve EV infrastructure, EV battery technology, and models that promote affordable access to EV. Examples include increasing access to charging stations, EV charging efficiency software, vehicle-to-grid (V2G), efficient battery technologies, wireless charges, alternative production and recycling methods for batteries, and EV financing solutions.
Owned and operated by Black or Latinx Founders.
Legal incorporation as a for-profit entity.
Scalable solution that tackles one of the above mentioned areas, specifically impacting low-to-moderate income communities and communities of color in the US.
Headquartered and with operations in the United States.
Market-based solution that tackles the challenges above.
Have a minimum viable product (MVP), and raised less than USD 1.5M in equity.
Have at least one full-time founder based in the US.
Have meaningful customer or business validation (not limited to revenue, it can also be successful pilots, number of users, and/or strategic partnerships).
Startups selected for the program will receive:
Upon completion of the program, each startup will receive USD 5K as a non-dilutive, equity-free grant from Dream.Org. Two (2) companies from the cohort will be selected by their peers to receive additional investment capital of USD 25K each from Dream.Org to further scale their solutions.
Opportunities to network and receive mentorship from investors, strategic partners, founders, and business leaders.
The curriculum has an emphasis on fundraising, business development, and opportunities to build deeper connections within the cohort. The program is structured to include one intensive workshop, followed by four monthly virtual check-ins and one in-person Summit, allowing for the cohort to engage with each other, receive training, and share updates on their milestones.
One-on-one coaching with an investment analyst focused on building a financial model, identifying unit economics, and using financial metrics to drive both their business and investor diligence.
Exposure on Village Capital’s website and other collateral communications.
Scale your business faster by identifying the right capital for you and planning your next milestones for growth.
Head of Business Development, Future
General Partner/Co-Founder, Malaika Ventures
Founder and CEO, WAJU Water
Senior Associate, Powerhouse Ventures
Senior Policy Advisor, Elemental Excelerator
Green for All Climate Investments Director, Dream.org
CFO, Volt Energy Utility
Co-Founder & CEO, BEAM Collaborative
Virtual Workshop 1: June 10-14, 2024
Monthly Check-In: July 17-18, 2024
Monthly Check-In: August 21-22, 2024
Monthly Check-In: September 18-19, 2024
Monthly Check-In: October 16-17, 2024
In-Person Program Summit (Pittsburgh, PA) : October 30-November 1, 2024
Washington, DC (March 24, 2024) – Village Capital, in partnership with Dream.Org and with the support of Salesforce, is launching a call for applications for the second iteration of the Dream Climate Tech Launchpad: Black & Latinx-Led Climate Tech Solutions accelerator.
Washington, DC (August 8th, 2023) – Learn more about the ten Black and LatinX-led startups from the US that have been selected to take part in the Dream Climate Tech Launchpad 2023 fellowship program.
Washington, DC (May 15, 2023) – Village Capital and Dream.Org launched Dream Climate Tech Launchpad, a milestone-based fellowship program for Black & Latinx-led startups innovating in the climate tech space and working to ensure a green transition for all.
