Urban Future Prize Competition
Climate change: solve it with us.
Applications for the 2025 Urban Future Prize Competition are now open.
The Competition
The Urban Future Prize Competition
For the ninth consecutive year, the Urban Future Lab is proud to present the Urban Future Prize Competition, which identifies and supports top climatetech startups. Thanks to the generous support of MUFG Bank, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), and NYU Tandon School of Engineering, two winners will each receive a $50,000 cash prize and admission into the ACRE Incubator—New York’s longest-running and most successful climatetech program.
Building on the record-breaking number of applications to the 2024 Urban Future Prize Competition—and the growing urgency for solutions to help us adapt to our new climate reality—we are excited to announce two distinct prize tracks for this year: the Climate Mitigation Prize and the Climate Adaptation Prize. These tracks reflect our commitment to addressing the climate crisis through both reducing emissions and building resilience to its impacts.
The Climate Mitigation Prize seeks startups developing technologies or business models to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat the root causes of climate change. The Climate Adaptation Prize is for startups developing solutions that help communities and ecosystems adapt to the impacts of climate change.
New York’s dynamic tech sector, supportive policies, and large market position it as a global hub for climatetech innovation and sustainability solutions.
Prizes
The Prizes
The Urban Future Prize Competition seeks entrepreneurs who are building startups that contribute to a more resilient and sustainable planet. Two non-dilutive prizes of $50K each will be awarded to two companies who embody the drive and mission needed to address the greatest challenge of our time.
The Climate Mitigation Prize
Sponsored by MUFG Bank
The Climate Mitigation Prize focuses on solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Startups with technologies or business models designed to mitigate climate impacts are encouraged to apply. We will also consider the impact of your solution on vulnerable communities.
Eligible solutions include, but are not limited to:
Smart Grid and Grid Flexibility
Renewable Energy
Energy Distribution and Storage
Circular Economy
Transportation and Mobility
Buildings, Energy Efficiency, and Building Materials
Geothermal
Climate Finance
Industrial Decarbonization
Artificial Intelligence (mitigating its climate impact, vertical AI agents, etc.)
The Climate Adaptation Prize
Sponsored by MUFG Bank
The Climate Adaptation Prize focuses on solutions that help communities and ecosystems adapt to and build resilience against the impacts of climate change. Startups with technologies or business models designed to strengthen adaptation and resilience are encouraged to apply. We will also consider the impact of your solution on vulnerable communities.
Eligible solutions include, but are not limited to:
Insurance Innovation
Risk Modeling and Analysis
Water Scarcity Solutions
Heat Resistant Material Innovations
Urban Infrastructure and Resilience
Extreme Weather Vulnerability Solutions
Advanced Warning Solutions
Biodiversity and Natural Ecosystem Resilience
Public Health
Food Security
Adaptation Financing Solutions
Urban Future Prize Competition Stats
21
Awardees since 2017
$900K
In Prizes awarded
$503M
Amount raised in private capital by awardees
559x
Multiple on non-dilutive capital awarded
The ACRE Incubator
New York’s leading climatetech incubator.
A $50,000 cash prize will be awarded to two grand prize winners. The Climate Mitigation Prize and Climate Adaptation Prize winners will also join the ACRE Incubator and gain access to a community of expert advisors, mentors, and investors who will help to scale their businesses and accelerate their paths to success. ACRE companies have raised more than $2.5 billion in follow-on funding, created over 2,800+ green jobs, and have a survival rate of close to 90% since the program’s inception in 2009.
Urban Future Prize Winner Benefits
01.
$50,000 Prize
$50,000 cash prize with zero-equity stake, so you can focus on your company’s next steps.
02.
ACRE Incubator Membership
Acceptance and membership into New York City’s premier climatetech incubator, with incubator specific benefits and unmatched startup support.
03.
Recognition and Opportunities
Ecosystem recognition, media opportunities, and access to introductions to key partners in the public and private sectors.
Urban Future Prize Competition Jurors
The Jurors
Urban Future Prize finalists will be invited to pitch to an esteemed jury of climate investors. Stay tuned and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know when the jurors are announced.
Pitch Event
The Urban Future Summit
Join us at the Urban Future Prize Competition’s annual pitch event.
The Urban Future Prize Competition culminates with the Urban Future Summit, an event for climate entrepreneurs, technologists, government officials, business leaders, investors, and innovators in New York City. This year, on October 23rd, the Urban Future Summit will feature pitches from finalists of the 2025 Urban Future Prize Competition; an industry panel discussion; and showcase the successes of past participants of the Prize Competition. We will also highlight the commitment of our sponsors as leaders who take constructive measures to improve and benefit our planet.
Competition Timeline
Competition Sponsors
Join a community of innovators.
Past winners, competitors, and finalists - all changing the climatetech world, one innovation at a time.
“In the last year, millions of individuals in vulnerable communities have been stripped of their insurance policies or given outrageously high premiums that result in many losing their most valuable assets: their homes. Faura helps homeowners qualify for better and cheaper insurance by teaching them exactly what, when, and how they should reduce the risk on their properties, aligning incentives for both insurers and policyholders to close the transparency gap. We've begun to help thousands of homeowners make a difference and are working on expanding our team.” – Valkyrie Holmes, CEO & Co-Founder, Faura, 2024 Winner
“Right now, we're fully focused on developing our first product, which is a retrofit add-on system for air conditioners that will save half the energy that they use. We're running some pilots in the next 6-12 months, and then hopefully in the next 18-24 months we'll launch the product to market. The Urban Future Lab’s support will be incredibly helpful as we embark on this journey.” – Rawand Rasheed, PhD, CEO & Co-Founder, Helix Earth Technologies, 2024 Winner
Newsletter
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