Apply by June 19, 2023 for session dates: July 6, July 10, July 17, and 31 from 9:30am - 12:30pm ET online.

An info session will be held June 9.

This 4-week Cleantech Propelus I-Corps program will be a collaboration between the Cleantech Open Northeast and the Northeast I-Corps Hub. Together, we support research teams and aspiring startups with cleantech innovations to advance those technologies forward so we can solve our greatest environmental and energy challenges.

Applicants are expected to be focusing on an innovation or idea that generally relates to clean technologies including Agriculture, Water, Waste, Carbon Capture, Chemicals or Advanced Materials, Energy Generation, Energy Efficiency, Transportation, etc. If your innovation doesn't fall into one of these categories, you may submit an application to the traditional Propelus cohort. Check our Events page for more details and upcoming program dates.

Through this program, we provide training and grants to support team-based customer research aimed at investigating the viability and societal impact of scientific and technological discoveries.

This four-session program helps researchers explore the customer perspective to inform how a clean technology discovery or innovation can become the basis of a successful startup or venture. 

To apply to attend the Cleantech I-Corps Regional Program, researchers must form a team of at least two people involved with the scientific or technological discovery. The team must include:

• an entrepreneurial lead (often a postdoctoral researcher, graduate student or undergraduate) and
• a technical lead (usually a faculty member)

Benefits

Training: Four sessions introducing the Lean LaunchPad methodology which focuses on customer discovery research to evaluate the potential of your idea to solve problems and provide value. View a sample course agenda.

Funding: Grants of up to $3,000 are provided to each selected team and can be used to fund expenses related to customer discovery research, including conferences and marketing tools. 

Resources: Selected teams will receive mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs and innovators. Teams may also utilize many other programs offered by the Hub-affiliated institutions.

Follow-on opportunities: Upon completion, teams are eligible for the national NSF I-Corps Teams program which provides an intensive 7-week training course and a $50,000 grant.