LA Cleantech Incubator

LA Cleantech Incubator
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator · Public domain · source
Name	LA Cleantech Incubator
Formation	2011
Type	Nonprofit incubator
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Region served	Los Angeles County; Southern California
Leader title	CEO
Leader name	Matt Petersen

LA Cleantech Incubator is a nonprofit business incubator based in Los Angeles focused on accelerating early-stage companies in clean energy, water, transportation, and circular economy technologies. Founded with support from municipal and philanthropic stakeholders, the organization connects startups to capital, commercialization partners, research institutions, and industry networks to scale climate mitigation and resilience solutions. Its programs engage corporate partners, venture investors, academic laboratories, and public agencies to translate laboratory research into deployed products and services.

History

The incubator was established in 2011 with backing from the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and regional nonprofit and philanthropic organizations influenced by policy initiatives such as California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and regional planning by the Southern California Association of Governments. Early collaboration included partnerships with University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and the California Energy Commission to commercialize university-born innovations from centers like the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Funders and supporters over its history have included the Rockefeller Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, and local actors such as Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles City Council who emphasized clean technology in Los Angeles economic development strategies. The incubator evolved alongside regional efforts including Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority initiatives, California climate legislation, and industry programs from Shell and BP aimed at low-carbon technologies.

Mission and Programs

The organization's mission aligns with goals advanced by International Renewable Energy Agency, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and state targets under California Renewables Portfolio Standard to reduce emissions and improve urban resilience. Core programs include an accelerator modeled after best practices from Y Combinator, Greentown Labs, and Plug and Play Tech Center; corporate innovation programs similar to IBM Watson and General Electric open innovation; and technology validation initiatives comparable to National Renewable Energy Laboratory testing. Services incorporate mentorship drawn from executives at Tesla, Inc. and Siemens, business development introductions to Venture Capital firms like Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital, and pilot deployments with municipal agencies such as Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and transport partners like Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Facilities and Resources

Facilities include laboratory and prototyping space adjacent to academic institutions, leveraging fabrication equipment akin to university makerspaces such as those at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Resources offered mirror those at established incubators like CIC, providing access to analytical instruments, co-working suites, and demonstration sites in collaboration with entities such as Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, and regional utilities. The incubator’s network features connections to research facilities including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the California NanoSystems Institute for characterization and scale-up support, and to legal and IP advisors from firms serving clients like Google and Apple Inc..

Notable Startups and Alumni

Alumni include startups that advanced technologies relevant to stakeholders such as Southern California Edison, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Uber Technologies. Participating companies have ranged from battery innovators comparable to QuantumScape to water-treatment firms approaching the scale of Xylem Inc. and circular-economy ventures in the vein of TerraCycle. Several alumni attracted investments from institutional backers including BlackRock, Andreessen Horowitz, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and won awards administered by organizations like Cleantech Group and Kauffman Foundation. Pilot projects have been deployed with partners such as LA Metro, Los Angeles Unified School District, and LAX demonstrating intersections with transportation electrification, urban water reuse, and distributed energy resources.

Partnerships and Funding

The incubator’s funding model combines philanthropic grants, corporate sponsorships, and public contracts, echoing collaborative funding seen in programs by the Department of Energy and state initiatives through the California Energy Commission. Strategic partners include UCLA, USC, Caltech, regional utilities including Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, and corporate partners such as Siemens, Shell, and Hitachi. Financial support has involved philanthropic organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and local foundations including the Weingart Foundation. Investment relationships extend to venture capital firms such as Khosla Ventures and Union Square Ventures, and corporate venture arms like GV and Intel Capital.

Impact and Metrics

Measured outcomes mirror evaluation frameworks used by organizations like Global Impact Investing Network and World Resources Institute, tracking metrics such as greenhouse gas reductions, megawatt-hours deployed, gallons of water conserved, jobs created, and capital attracted. Reported impacts include startup-raised capital comparable to regional cleantech cohorts, pilot-scale deployments with municipal partners reducing emissions in alignment with Los Angeles Green New Deal goals, and workforce development linked to apprenticeship programs similar to those of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and City College of San Francisco. The incubator’s alumni have contributed to regional economic development, innovation diffusion to industries represented by AECOM and Arup, and collaborations with climate-focused NGOs such as Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club.

Category:Business incubators Category:Organizations based in Los Angeles County, California