Greentown Labs, one of the largest cleantech incubators in North America, and Vineyard Wind, developer of the first utility-scale offshore wind energy generation facility in the United States, are now accepting applications for the Offshore Wind Challenge. Greentown Labs and Vineyard Wind are seeking submissions from startups that are innovating in marine mammal monitoring, either surrounding data collection and real-time transmission or data analysis.
The Offshore Wind Challenge is a six-month accelerator program housed at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Mass., and is focused on fast-tracking entrepreneurs with the mentors and business and technical resources they need to launch or scale successful ventures with direct support from Vineyard Wind. The Offshore Wind Challenge is for startups with a technology readiness level between three and six and a proof of concept that can be brought to a state of practice. The Challenge will be supported by experts from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the New England Aquarium.
Vineyard Wind is developing the first utility-scale offshore wind project which will eliminate 1.68 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Vineyard Wind is committed to protecting North Atlantic right whales and other marine species off the northeastern United States during all phases of the project’s development and operations.
Startups selected to participate in the program will benefit from mentorship, networking opportunities, educational workshops, and partnership-focused programming through Greentown Launch, a six-month partnership acceleration program for startups provided by Greentown Labs. Within this framework, the Offshore Wind Challenge will help startups explore potential partnership outcomes with Vineyard Wind. Furthermore, participants will receive membership, including desk space, at Greentown Labs for the duration of the program.
Applications for the Offshore Wind Challenge are due by May 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Interested innovators and entrepreneurs can learn more about the call for applications by visiting the website. Applicants are encouraged to attend the program kickoff event at Greentown Labs’ headquarters in Somerville, Mass. on July 22.