Seven innovative technology startups — focused on sustainability solutions that range from artificial intelligence and next-generation analytics to autonomous heavy equipment and electric vehicle energy management — have been selected to join Black & Veatch´s IgniteX Cleantech Accelerator, the company said.
The seven startups include two Midwestern companies, one from Florida and four from the West Coast. The program is designed to accelerate the adoption of new sustainable infrastructure technologies and attract the best and brightest entrepreneurs from across the country to Kansas City for further development opportunities.
The program, powered by LaunchKC, is building partnerships that seek to drive sustainability gains through advances in renewable and distributed energy, mobility, agricultural technology, machine learning and AI, environmental services, and other solutions that add value to engineering services.
Picked from more than 120 applicants across the United States, the startups will receive equity awards, a 75-day period of collaboration with Black & Veatch and program supporters, and a startup showcase in November. They´ll gain valuable training and engineering insight to grow their business through collaboration with Black & Veatch professionals, as well as exposure and networking opportunities with experienced investors, supporters and clients in Kansas City and around the world.
LaunchKC is a 5-year-old grants competition for tech startups nationwide, in a joint venture of the Downtown Council of Kansas City, Missouri and the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri. LaunchKC elevated its focus in 2019 to working in partnership with industry-specific verticals to support accelerator programs, including the IgniteX Cleantech Accelerator.
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global provider of building critical human infrastructure in Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services.
The nonprofit LaunchKC competition has awarded USD 2 million in grants to 38 tech startup businesses over four years.
