SOUTHFIELD—Lawrence Technological University’s Centrepolis Accelerator has been named one of 15 national winners of a Channel Partner Strategic Award from the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²), a $50 million clean technology program funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and co-administered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
This year, IN² distributed $767,000 across 15 organizations in the Channel Partner network, equipping them to host workshops at Camp Cleantech, Aug. 12-14 at CSU Spur, a Colorado State University learning center in Denver, Colo.
Camp Cleantech is designed to immerse climate-tech startups in an environment ripe with knowledge-sharing and collaborative opportunities. The event aims to equip attendees with tools and insights necessary for navigating the complexities of startup life while providing access to ecosystem leaders, premier partners, incubators, and accelerators.
“We are celebrating this year’s Strategic Award winners and looking forward to Camp Cleantech,” said Robyn Luhning, chief sustainability officer at Wells Fargo. “As the real economy demands more lower-carbon solutions, Wells Fargo continues to support the scaling of new solutions for a successful shift to a low-carbon economy.”
The workshops at Camp Cleantech will cover a range of topics critical to entrepreneurial success, including community and corporate partnerships, financing strategies, organizational development, product design and manufacturing, pilot and demonstration readiness, and crafting compelling value propositions. These sessions are designed to equip climate-tech startups with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Under the program, Centrepolis will present workshops on the topics of “Designing Your Product for Manufacturability” and “How to Partner with Underserved Communities to Develop Clean Energy Projects and Manufacturing Operations.”
”We are honored with the national recognition from the Wells Fargo Foundation and NREL as a best in class climatech accelerator,” said Centrepolis Accelerator CEO Dan Radomski. “The support allows us to develop unique content to support clean energy hardtech companies as well as provide opportunities for our clients to benefit from attending Camp Cleantech.”
In line with IN²’s broader goals, this year’s awards also emphasize fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the cleantech ecosystem. Workshops will explore effective team building through both internal and external lenses, ensuring that startups are well-equipped to build inclusive, resilient, and high-performing organizations.
“The significance of this year’s awards goes beyond the recognition of innovation; it embodies a concerted effort to elevate collaboration and engagement across the board,” said Sarah Derdowski, IN² program director at NREL. “Through Camp Cleantech, we’re setting a new standard in how we gather, inspire, and propel our community forward.”
The selection process for this year’s awards was informed by comprehensive surveys and insights across the Channel Partner network, highlighting the ecosystem’s most pressing needs and areas for development. The awards prioritize projects that offer unique expertise and address key themes such as financing resources, pilots and demonstrations with corporate or industry partners, and strategies for overcoming barriers to innovation.
A portion of the awards, totaling $435,000, is dedicated to a select few recipients receiving additional follow-on funding to enhance and expand their workshop content and insights towards entrepreneurs in their local networks.
IN² launched the Channel Partner awards program in 2017 to nurture the Channel Partner ecosystem, which includes more than 60 cleantech and agtech business incubators, accelerators, universities, and industry experts. Since its inception, the Channel Partner Awards program has distributed more than $8 million, supporting 79 Strategic Awards and 232 Ecosystem or Connector Awards. The nationwide program engages thousands of entrepreneurs, students, investors, mentors, and industry experts.
IN² invites climate-tech startups to register for Camp Cleantech starting May 1. For more information visit the Camp Cleantech website.
