Prominent Midwest accelerator program gener8tor has announced the companies that will participate in its first-ever Chicago-based program.
Gener8tor said that its first Chicago cohort, which is focused on sustainability and climate-tech startups, was whittled down to five from more than 350 applicants. Here are the participating companies:
- Blip Energy (Chicago): Blip offers a sustainable energy storage solution that helps renters save money on their electricity bills. It has created a backup power station for your home that offers battery power during an emergency. Last year it raised more than $90,000 for its product on Kickstarter.
- Carbon Yield (Chicago): Carbon Yield helps farmers access new revenue streams through carbon offsets. It works to help farmers get paid to restore their soil and negotiates carbon offset purchase agreements on behalf of farms.
- Itselectric (New York): Itselectric provides curbside electric vehicle charging in urban areas, with the goal of making EV charging more accessible to drivers who park their cars on city streets. The startup is set to pilot its technology in select neighborhoods starting next quarter.
- Mycocycle (Chicago): Mycocycle is a startup that uses mushrooms to remove harmful toxins from waste. By training fungi to eat trash, the startup creates new low-carbon biomaterials that can be manufactured into new products.
- Solar Steam (Canada): Solar Steam creates renewable heat for industrial clients in extreme climates. The startup is in the final stages of a pilot deployment in Alberta, Canada.
Each startup receives a $100,000 investment as part of the gener8tor program, along with coaching and mentorship. The Chicago program is led by Ryan Jeffery, a Chicago tech veteran who worked as an analyst at VC firm Lightbank and co-founded multiple startups, including Belly and Ignite, a leadership training platform that was acquired in 2020.
Jeffery previously told Chicago Inno that gener8tor's climate and sustainability program aims to be its "first step in a long road to being a major player in the sustainability and climate tech space."
Founded in Madison in 2012, gener8tor operates a range of different accelerators and other startup programs in cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cincinnati and elsewhere. It launched an ag-tech program in Champaign in 2020.
