ClimateLaunchpad is looking for innovative ideas help tackle climate change from the Geelong Region.

8 March 2023, Geelong – Applications are now open for ClimateLaunchpad, the world’s biggest cleantech and green business ideas competition.

Aimed at innovators, founders, researchers and anyone else with an innovative green business idea, ClimateLaunchpad is set up to help aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs grow their ideas into global businesses.

For the first time, organisers have partnered with the City of Greater Geelong to attract breakthrough clean technology ideas from the Geelong region into the program. Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan said the program aligned with Council’s vision of supporting innovative and sustainable practices.

“Geelong’s transformation to a Clever and Creative city will be driven by entrepreneurs that pursue environmentally responsible ideas.

Council wants to assist businesses to embrace clean technologies, and deliver reductions in carbon emissions, to progress our goal of being a net-zero community.

Building the green business pipeline in the region will be vital in creating new economic opportunities and helping us address the challenge of a changing climate” said Mayor Trent Sullivan.

Now in its eighth year, 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 globally.

In Australia, the program is run by Climate-KIC Australia, a national not-for-profit organisation focused on enabling climate action through system-level innovation.

“We see enormous potential in the Geelong region for uncovering really impactful climate startups,” said Chris Lee, CEO of Climate-KIC Australia. “With its thriving innovation and education ecosystems, its leadership on sustainability and renewables, we see Geelong as uniquely positioned with the skills and creativity to build thriving startups for a net-zero economy.”

The program isn’t just for established start-ups. Lee encourages anybody with a green business idea to apply. “Even if your idea is still on the back of an napkin, 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. The short program and competition is unique in the space, as it is completely free of charge and doesn’t take any equity or intellectual property from participants.

Applications for the ClimateLaunchpad program will be accepted until April 26.

Heading into its seventh year in Australia, the competition is an initiative of EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s climate innovation initiative and Climate-KIC Australia’s European partner organisation.

In the six previous editions held in Australia, over 200 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 local cleantech gurus Capricorn Power, as well as Sunovate, Economical Energy, Coreo and Emmi.

“ClimateLaunchpad 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 through the ClimateLaunchpad 2023 portal.

–ENDS–