San Francisco, California (November 8, 2023) – Village Capital announced that Frontline Gig and WAJU Water were selected to receive investment capital as a part of Dream Climate Tech Launchpad fellowship program, an initiative focused on supporting Black and Latinx founders building climate solutions and making the green transition more accessible for all. The program was launched with support from Dream.Org, Wells Fargo, the San Francisco 49ers, and Salesforce Foundation.
More than 40 startups from 13 states applied to be a part of the accelerator. The final cohort was composed of 10 startups from eight states, with 70% of the cohort headquartered outside of the three states that traditionally have received the most VC investment (CA, MA, NY), 70% led by a female founder or C-suite member, and all are led by a Black or Latinx founder.
“By reducing barriers for Black and Brown entrepreneurs in the climate tech space, Dream.Org’s investment is helping ensure disadvantaged communities not only benefit from new green tech but are also a part of the work and wealth opportunities those solutions promise,“ said Kasheef Wyzard, National Tech Director at Dream.Org. “We are proud to support these innovators as they lead the way towards a more inclusive green economy.”
“This program brought together investors, entrepreneurs, policy leaders, and the Climate Tech ecosystem to better support our ten founders,” said Elizabeth Nguyen, Economic Opportunity Practice Lead at Village Capital. “These startups are building innovative solutions that not only have a sustainable business model and reduce emissions but also advance economic mobility and opportunity in all communities, especially low-income and communities of color. The two peer-selected companies, WAJU Water and Frontline Gig reflect that innovation and impact.”
The hybrid program consisted of a one-week intensive virtual workshop as well as three monthly virtual check-ins, and startups received access to Village Capital’s investment readiness curriculum, mentorship from stakeholders in the climate space, and on-demand coaching from an investment analyst.
The program culminated in an in-person Program Summit in San Jose, CA in late October at VERGE 23, the leading climate tech event accelerating solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time. During the final day of the Summit, Frontline Gig and WAJU Water were peer-selected to receive USD $25,000 in investment funding from Dream.Org. The 10 participating startups evaluated each other through an investor lens, using eight specific investment criteria that leverage Village Capital’s venture investment levels. In addition, each company also received USD $5,000 in non-dilutive capital for their participation and completion of the program.
The selected startups focus on the following:
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.