A local accelerator for social impact entrepreneurs focused on the environment has a new class, and these ventures run the gamut from climate change and agriculture to clean tech and energy data.
Montgomery County nonprofit Bethesda Green, which runs the four-month program for ventures focused on environmental challenges, welcomed its new cohort Jan. 10.
The mostly virtual program, which extends through May 14, includes mentorship, curriculum, technical support, pro bono or discounted professional services and recruitment help. The accelerator, which also runs some in-person events, also brings qualified companies a stipend of at least $10,000 each and the chance to pitch investors.
The curriculum itself focuses on investment readiness, impact measurement and management, and commercialization assistance, said Patty Simonton, director of Bethesda Green’s Be Green Business program, which includes the accelerator. “Founders are paired with teams of dedicated mentors throughout the program and connected with resources, clients, and funding opportunities to further their mission,” she said.
A few local companies made the cut:
- GaiaXus LLC: The data company, headquartered in Germantown, is developing a sensor that collects water quality data. The device — for students, teachers and “citizen scientists” — gathers and stores analytics to serve other environmental projects. Dietrich Ruehlmann, managing partner of GaiaXus, has spent 15 years in analytical technology development, both at startups and big-name companies such as Medtronic.
- Terran Material Resources: The Rockville startup moves industrial lithium-ion batteries to recycling facilities. Simply put, the company’s patent-pending tech aims to cut down on the dangers associated with these shipments. And that’s important, because it’s a heavily regulated process — as such batteries can ignite and explode. Christina Calvin leads Terran as its CEO, after holding positions with energy company Schlumberger and ExxonMobil’s Upstream Research Center.
- Old Dominion Flower Cooperative: Based in Leesburg, the company is building a network of sustainably and locally grown flowers via a two-sided marketplace for florists, event designers and other flower businesses. In doing so, the business sets out to “minimize the environmental impact caused by importing and transporting flowers great distances” while improving worker safety, promoting fair wages and providing top quality products, per Bethesda Green. Megan Wakefield, its co-founder and director, is a former urban agriculture attorney as well as a farmer and consultant.
The cohort also comprises Baltimore carbon emissions reporting firm Dynamhex; Frederick climate change startup Pirl; Rochester, New York energy data company i-Ness 360; and Charlotte, North Carolina-based electronic device company Margik.
The program’s newest group goes live in an important moment for Greater Washington’s green tech ecosystem, which has garnered attention for growing fast even though it continues to lag behind some other markets.
With a focus on fostering growth within this space, Bethesda Green runs other programs through what it dubs its Innovation Lab, including an incubator for early-stage ventures based in the D.C. area, a residency program for any companies that receive financial awards from the organization and its Amplifier program for growth-stage companies.
“The DMV region has been slow to grasp the importance of addressing the causes of climate change through innovative, commercial solutions over the years, but the word is finally getting out,” Simonton, a DC Inno 2021 Fire Awards winner, told us in April. “The founders have always been there, researching and developing solutions. It’s just that now the ecosystem is better prepared to support them.”
Honest Tea and Eat the Change co-founder Seth Goldman, also a former Fire Awards winner, is co-founder of Bethesda Green. Adam Roberts is the nonprofit’s executive director.
