The start-up accelerator Urban-X has graduated its latest group of early-stage start-ups who aim to help combat the climate crisis and to build equitable, sustainable cities. The start-ups – called “founders” – in Cohort 8 took part in a 20-week accelerator program that focused on customer and product development under the guidance of experts in their fields.
“We are in the midst of regulatory and technological breakthroughs that are enabling a new generation of leaders to build our cities for the better,” said Micah Kotch, managing director, Urban-X. “The founders in Cohort 08 are rethinking outdated systems, renewing inefficient infrastructure and creating the foundation for more equitable urban systems, all during one of the most challenging times we’ve seen in decades.”
The six Cohort 8 companies included:
- Adiona – an AI powered software that optimizes the efficiency of logistics, supply chain, and mobile workforce organizations;
- Aquagenuity – an app that tracks water quality in real time, and monitors water’s impact on health and sustainability;
- Climate Robotics – builds robots to generate biochar from degraded or blighted tracts of land in urban area, while also sequestering carbon and improving soils;
- Mobilyze: a data-analytics platform that optimizes the location of electric charging stations;
- Resonant Link: uses coil technology to deliver wireless charging across large distances to robots and electric vehicles; and,
- Xtelligent: connects city intersections to the latest sensor technology for connected, automated, intersection signal management.
“We depend on founders to work at the edge of science fiction and reality to explore new approaches to upgrade cities for climate. When they succeed they will do much more than generate investor returns – they will inform city and climate policy and generate public benefits from GHG reductions to clean drinking water.” said Shaun Abrahamson, Urban-X Investment Committee and managing partner at Urban Us. “Founders have had to quickly adjust to a post-Covid world that has changed how they build, sell and raise funds. In spite of these changes, this cohort is thriving and we’re excited for more people to learn about what they’re building.”