10 Startups Selected for the Dream Climate Tech Launchpad Program

Washington, DC, August 8th, 2023 – Village Capital, in partnership with Dream.Org, and with additional support from the San Francisco 49ers, and Wells Fargo, announced that 10 startups from the US have been selected to take part in the Dream Climate Tech Launchpad fellowship program.

The open call focused on startups creating and expanding access to solutions in the following areas: built environment, food systems, EV infrastructure, circular economy, and carbon tech. This milestone-based program is focused on supporting Black and Latinx founders building climate solutions and making the green transition more accessible for all.

More than 40 startups from 13 states applied to be a part of the accelerator. The final cohort is composed of 10 startups from eight states, with 70% of the cohort headquartered outside of major tech hubs (MA, NY, CA), 70% led by a female founder or C-suite member, and 100% led by a Black or Latinx founder.

Here are the 10 innovative startups helping to decarbonize the economy and create positive environmental impact within communities in the US:

• DrinKicks (Houston, TX) is a sneaker themed consumer packaged goods company focusing on repurposing food waste and recycled materials into sustainable goods such as shoes, sports equipment, and clothing all while educating consumers on the power of the circular economy. 
• ECGO (Cumming, GA) is a recycling solutions company that creates tech-based solutions to help universities, municipalities, and corporate offices reach their zero-waste goals.
• Eco Rescue (San Marcos, TX) provides a waste to resource, breeding Black Soldier fly larvae on food waste.
• Edenic Energy (Portsmouth, VA) makes outdated buildings better in underserved communities through an Internet of Things infrastructure network to save wasted energy and operation cost.
• Frontline Gig (Baltimore, MD) is a workforce development platform that connects hourly blue-collar talent to green workforce programs and full-time work.
• Generation Conscious (New York, NY) makes sustainable detergent more affordable and convenient by eliminating 500k tons of plastic per year.
• Kadeya (Chicago, IL) has developed a patent-pending kiosk that washes, sanitizes, inspects, and refills bottles to eliminate the need for single use beverage containers, starting with industrial workers most in need of low-cost, high-quality, convenient hydration.
• Olokun Minerals (Los Angeles, CA) extracts valuable metals and minerals from salty, mineral-rich wastewater streams and creates products that can be used in concrete to build infrastructure, fertilizers for agriculture, and batteries for electronics and vehicles.
• Rebundle (St. Louis, MO) is the first US-made plant-based hair extensions brand, revolutionizing hair extensions with more comfort and less waste.
• WAJU Water (Richmond, CA) is a BIPOC-owned beverage company revolutionizing hydration by sustainably upcycling water from fruit, merging exceptional taste and nutrient-rich benefits in an eco-friendly beverage that caters to the health of both consumers and the planet.

From August to October 2023, the selected startups will participate in a one-week intensive workshop, three monthly check-ins, and one in-person summit, as well as receive mentorship from potential strategic partners, investors, customers, and other founders in the US. Startups will also connect one-on-one with an investment analyst for feedback and support. The top two startups will be selected by their peers to receive USD $25,000 each in investments from Dream.Org to further scale their solutions. In addition, each company will be receiving USD $5,000 in non-dilutive capital for participation and completion of the program. 

For more information, reach out to Sofía Cándano at Village Capital (sofia.candano@vilcap.com).

About Village Capital 

Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage companies to maximize business and impact growth.

Village Capital has operated in the US since 2009 by running over 45 accelerator programs. VilCap has supported more than 897 startups from over 43 states and 23 entrepreneur support organizations (ESO) working in sectors such as financial health, health equity, justice tech, and sustainability. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital.

About the Dream.Org

At Dream.Org, we bring people together across racial, social, and partisan lines. Through our Justice, Tech, and Green For All programs we are working towards an America with fewer people behind bars, less pollution, and greater opportunities for underserved communities. Learn more at Dream.Org.