Urban Future Lab

As 2025 ramps up at work, I’m reflecting on some key takeaways from representing the #C2VInitiative and Greentown Labs at #Deploy24 in DC this past December. 💸 “Innovation Without Deployment Is a Tragedy” Vanessa Z Chan reminded us that the energy transition needs both innovation and scaled deployment. Public and philanthropic funding will be key to unlocking the $23T in private capital needed for large scale deployment. 🧠 Capability Gap  Beyond the large capital need, entrepreneurs transitioning from the innovation stage to the deployment stage face a major gap in skillset – switching from “build fast and break stuff, to build stuff that won’t break,” as Rob Day of Spring Lane Capital put it. The energy transition depends not only on technology and capital but also on experienced teams capable of scaling innovations sustainably. This is a key risk management component for attracting large capital. This capability gap, which was also outlined in a recent Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations | U.S. Department of Energy report, is something we at the #C2VInitiative have observed through our four years of running our program, as many of our alumni are now entering the scale-up stage as the general carbontech/carbon removal sector matures. It was validating to hear this theme resonating across many different panels and discussions throughout #Deploy24, and we are excited to explore how the #C2VInitiative can help bridge this gap for the carbontech world in the years to come. The #C2VInitiative is a partnership among the Urban Future Lab, Greentown Labs, and Fraunhofer USA Inc., creating a first-of-its-kind collaborative ecosystem for #carbontech startups and leading corporations, with the end goal of making carbontech cost-effective and achieving its deployment at scale. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/e5SfMyZY. 

⚡ Looking to pivot into the #cleanenergy space? The New York University Clean Start Program, offered in collaboration between NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs and the Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, is designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this growing field. This three-course program is taught by practitioner faculty and is perfect for #professionals and #career changers eager to make a positive impact. 💚 𝗘𝗻𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://lnkd.in/e797_92N 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗨𝗠 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 ✦ 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆: Gain foundational knowledge of the cleantech landscape, as well as electricity generation, distribution, and transition. ✦ 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Understand and contextualize data in the realm of emerging tech, grid modernization, and decarbonization. ✦ 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 | 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲: Work directly with a New York City-based clean energy company that is aligned with your interests.

We’re proud to spotlight the marketing partners powering our mission at #AdaptUnbound USA 🌎 Their support and expertise are fueling our mission to scale solutions and drive engagement for the innovations shaping adaptation and resilience 🌿 Access the best in the industry - secure your ticket now. Super Early Bird ends on the 31st January ⏳https://lnkd.in/e4WnsYAT Our 2025 Marketing Partners 🤝 Tailwind Urban Future Lab Climate Draft Keep Cool XPRIZE Climate Proof Together, we’re shaping the conversations that matter and forging the path toward sustainable growth and collaboration. #AdaptUnbound #ScalingInnovation #ClimateSummit #PartnersInProgress #SustainableFuture #NewYork #MarketingPartner

📣 EARN YOUR NYU CERTIFICATE IN CLEAN ENERGY THIS 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣: https://lnkd.in/endVp4Me ⚡ The NYU Clean Start Program, offered in collaboration between NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs and the Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, is designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in this growing field. 🎓 This #professionaldevelopment program can be completed virtually in just two semesters and provides individuals with #skills required for #careers in #climate as well as working experience with a #cleanenergy company. It delivers a practical application of knowledge and expertise that leverages real-world simulations, project scenarios, and case studies for an engaging learning experience.

Last week, we celebrated 15 years of NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s Future Labs at public records featuring several speakers who extolled the impact the network has had on #NewYorkCity. Since 2009, the Future Labs have supported over 400 startups, with an impressive 93% success rate, and have helped raise $4.6 billion while creating nearly 10,000 jobs. 🎉 Learn more about our history of innovation and impact: https://lnkd.in/e2pkZEX3 💌 Subscribe to our newsletter for an insider's look into some of our 2024 wins and upcoming events + opportunities: https://lnkd.in/eVGJ8FDM As the Future Labs continue to evolve, we strive to make a lasting impact on New York City's economy and the future of emerging industries.

Super Early-Bird Tickets for #AdaptUnboundUSA 2025 are LIVE! 🗽Join us in NYC on May 14-15 to unlock the capital & partnerships needed to build a more resilient climate future. Secure your spot now and save up to $500. Prepare, Prevent, Respond and Recover 👇 https://lnkd.in/e_xxZU_y What's included in your ticket? 🎫 🟣 Two full days of immersive sessions 🟣 Curated networking 🟣 Interactive main stage content 🟣 Access to the networking app pre- & post-summit 🟣 Post-summit recordings 🟣 ...and more! Meet our 2025 Advisory Board 💡 Elias Habbar-Baylac (Cisco) | Franco A. (Capgemini) | Julia Kumari Drapkin (ISeeChange) | Katherine Cunningham (The Ad Hoc Group) | Katie MacDonald (Tailwind) | Laura Fox (Streetlife Ventures) | Mary Claire Morris (Siemens Financial Services) | Ria Perrault (MaRS Discovery District) | Sadie Frank (ENES) | Steph Jones (Urban Future Lab) | Tom Ferguson (Burnt Island Ventures) | Vasundhara Jolly (The World Bank Group) | Shelly Bogetich (True Flood Risk) | Brian Smoliak (Weathervane) | Ira Feldman (Adaptation Leader) | Reed Shapiro, MBA (Native, a Public Benefit Corporation) | Michael Jacobs (IBM) | Paula Pagniez (Howden) What's on the agenda for adaptation and resilience? 🎤 🟣 Water Resilience: Solutions aiding flood prevention and drought response 🟣 Closing the Investment Gap: Bridging the gap between portfolio and climate risk 🟣 Industry Success, Post-Biden: State of adaptation under the Trump administration 🟣 Food Security & Farmers’ Adaptation: How farmers can adapt to ensure food security 🟣 Insurance Costs and Affordability: New models in response to increasing climate risks 🟣 Extreme Heat & Wildfires: The latest tech to deal with a hotter world 🟣...and more! Don't miss the chance to learn, connect, and lead. Secure your super early-bird tickets today! #AdaptUnboundUSA #Adaptation #Resilience #SustainabilitySummit #BusinessLeadership #ClimatePolicy #Investment #ClimateFinance #ClimateSolutions #UnboundSummits #ClimateAction #ClimateChange

🎮 New York City Economic Development Corporation and NYU Tandon School of Engineering Launch Applications for New Digital Game Design Incubator: https://lnkd.in/ec6tt4uk ⚡ The Game Design Future Lab (GDFL) taps into New York City’s growing digital game development industry and aims to enable developer growth and success. 💜 Selected GDFL companies will benefit from the Future Labs’ strong 15-year track record of mentoring start-ups across various sectors, with a 93 percent success rate after founding. Participants will also receive tailored mentorship and workshops specific to their startup’s goals, as well as connections to the incubator’s Advisory Board and Mentors, NYU faculty, engineering expertise, and office hours with field experts. While based out of NYU Future Labs with dedicated desk space in Brooklyn, startups will also receive benefits and resources such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Hubspot.

Worried about tense family conversations about climate issues over the holidays, given the election and more? Our recent demo night has some good facts and talking points for you, no matter the political leanings around the dinner table 🍽️ 🏡 🌪️ There were $450B+ in damages to the homes in the US last year due to severe storms, with the vast majority of damage to middle- and lower-income households. And, the relationship between individuals and insurance companies has never been more tense (notable for another insurance sector in NYC the last week). Faura helps households know how to best prepare their homes to minimize damages, from clearing vegetation and tree branches to materials to fortify roofs, windows, and more. $1 invested now can save homeowners up to $15 in the future. ⚡EVs reduce cost of car ownership and can act as back-up batteries for homes, adding resiliency to power outages (not increasingly common across the US). But, installing the 1.2M curb-side EV chargers that we need across the US has been stymied by the expense - each trench costs $100K on average, and the average cost of chargers installed today in NYC is $200K. Voltpost flips that script - installing chargers at 10% of the cost through lampposts, and upgrading existing infrastructure in cities with added benefits like 5G (so great for your wifi speeds too :). 🏗️ The price of electricity went up 6% last year alone, and we need cheap baseload power. But, expanding our current approaches (gas, coal) is bad for our families’ health both near- and long-term - leading to respiratory illnesses, heart problems, and even cancer. Nuclear fusion provides a great alternative with no waste product (an upgrade from its cousin, fission), and Thea Energy is creating a practical approach to commercialize this power source in the next 10 years. 🏢 Insulation has a difficult past, including the continued prevalence of toxic asbestos in our walls, leading to even worse family health issues like lung cancer. NANOPLUME offers an alternative - a super thin bio-based material that is good for health, wealth (better insulates heat, so bills are lower), and your home’s overall square footage (outdoor wall insulation can be inches rather than feet).  Thanks to our terrific founders for presenting Valkyrie Holmes, Jeff Prosserman, Theresa Hoffmann, and Brian Berzin (who may have set the highest bar for future creativity, with donuts as part of the demo). And, to the ongoing Streetlife Ventures, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Urban Future Lab collaboration with Lisbeth Kaufman, Craig Wilson, Evan Korth, and of course Sonam Velani.

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 In the latest episode of Nasdaq Trade Talks hosted by Global Markets Reporter Jill Malandrino, Frederic Clerc (Interim Managing Director at the Urban Future Lab by NYU Tandon School of Engineering and Director at #C2VInitiative) discussed the future of #climatetech and how we can scale solutions for real-world impact alongside Martin Keighley (CEO at CarbonFree, a C2V Initiative alumni), and Bill Lese (Braemar Energy Ventures). Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/ed7fPKBT 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: 💡 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀: Many climate solutions need industry partnerships to scale. Integrating startups with established corporations is critical for success, as seen with CarbonFree's collaboration with US Steel and other major firms. 💰 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹-𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: Climatetech solutions are capital-intensive and require time to bring to market—sometimes up to 10 years. Unlike software solutions, these projects need real infrastructure, skilled labor, and substantial investment to scale. 🏛️ 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀: Policy changes, driven by new administrations and varying state-level regulations, can impact climate tech projects. However, pragmatism is increasing, and a shift toward market-driven solutions may help scale technologies faster. 🔄 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: In some industries, like steel, hybrid solutions (mixing old and new technologies) may be necessary for a smoother transition, avoiding large-scale infrastructure shifts and focusing on decarbonizing existing assets. 🌱 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁: Just like electric vehicles (EVs) transitioned with hybrid models to ease the shift, climatetech solutions can be adapted to fit specific market needs, balancing innovation with practical implementation. The focus is on solutions that deliver both environmental and economic value. 🛠️ 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Building the right skill sets is crucial for scaling climatetech. Collaborations between academia, industry, and trade unions will help create a workforce capable of supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy.

AIR COMPANY, a Brooklyn-based startup that uses water and carbon dioxide to make vodka and to power automobiles, was recently highlighted in the December 2nd issue of The New Yorker. AIR COMPANY researchers have joined with Miguel Modestino, director of NYU Tandon's Sustainable Engineering Initiative (SEI), to develop new applications for its AIRMADE™ technology that uses a process similar to photosynthesis to convert CO2 into high-performance fuels and chemicals. The relationship between AIR COMPANY and Modestino, who also serves as NYU Tandon’s Donald F. Othmer Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, emerged when AIR COMPANY joined the Urban Future Lab (UFL) – NYU Tandon’s cleantech incubator and innovation hub – in 2019. Click the link to learn more about AIR COMPANY and to hear their origin story from their co-founders Gregory Constantine & Stafford Sheehan. #NYUTandonMade