ClimateLaunchpad
ClimateLaunchpad operates the world's largest green business ideas competition, running annual national, regional, and global finals across 40+ countries to help early-stage climate entrepreneurs commercialize green innovations through mentorship and university partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDelft, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ClimateLaunchpad does
ClimateLaunchpad operates the world's largest green business ideas competition, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Delft, Netherlands. The organization runs an annual, multi-stage competition that accepts open entries from early-stage climate entrepreneurs globally, routes them through national and regional finals, and culminates in a single Global Grand Final held in a different international city each year (Vienna in 2025, Singapore scheduled for 2026). The 2025 cycle attracted entries from over 40 countries. Its core product is the competition programme itself, structured around an online competition platform that manages applications, judging, and event coordination, with value delivered through access to expert mentorship, university research, and specialist facilities.
The business model centres on the competition programme: revenue is generated through programme entry fees, corporate and institutional sponsorship, and associated accelerator/support services for participants. ClimateLaunchpad operates as an initiative within the Climate-KIC ecosystem under the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and its funding flows primarily from Climate-KIC's public funding supplemented by regional hub partnerships. Customer segments are two-sided: primary participants are early-stage climate entrepreneurs seeking to commercialize green business ideas, while secondary stakeholders are university research institutions and climate centres (e.g., Nexus at the University of Leeds, Priestley Centre for Climate Futures) that act as regional hubs.
The organization is small (1–10 employees) and does not disclose revenue, ARR, or funding rounds. Distribution is event-driven and community-led: open public calls for entries drive inbound applicant flow, while university and institutional partnerships provide on-the-ground activation in participating countries. The go-to-market relies on the prestige of the global brand, the recurring annual cycle, and the geographic rotation of the Grand Final to maintain relevance and visibility across markets.
ClimateLaunchpad firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ClimateLaunchpad
- Legal name
- ClimateLaunchpad
- Website
- https://climatelaunchpad.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ClimateLaunchpad operates the world's largest green business ideas competition, running annual national, regional, and global finals across 40+ countries to help early-stage climate entrepreneurs commercialize green innovations through mentorship and university partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ClimateLaunchpad industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cleantech Accelerator
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (54162)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environment, Climate & Sustainability Congresses (THAHAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
Keywords
Where ClimateLaunchpad is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Delft
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
ClimateLaunchpad business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Competition Programme Revenue: ClimateLaunchpad operates as a competition organiser, generating revenue through programme entry fees, sponsorship from corporate and institutional partners, and associated accelerator or support services for participants.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
ClimateLaunchpad product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ClimateLaunchpad operates the world's largest green business ideas competition, running annually through national and regional stages culminating in a Global Grand Final. The programme connects early-stage climate entrepreneurs with university research, specialist facilities, and expert mentorship to help translate climate innovations into viable, scalable businesses across 40+ countries.
Product overview
ClimateLaunchpad operates as a single unified offering: the world's largest green business ideas competition. It is not a multi-module platform but rather a structured competition programme that accepts entries from early-stage climate innovators globally, runs them through national and regional selection stages, and culminates in an annual Global Grand Final. The competition provides participants with access to university research, specialist facilities, and expert mentorship to help translate climate innovations into scalable businesses. The programme is organized annually with different host cities for the Grand Final (Vienna 2025, Singapore 2026).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ClimateLaunchpad Competition Annual global green business ideas competition with national, regional, and global stages that helps early-stage climate entrepreneurs access university research, specialist facilities, and expert mentorship to build viable, scalable climate-focused businesses.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 40 countries represented in the 2025 competition
Companies that use ClimateLaunchpad
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ClimateLaunchpad technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ClimateLaunchpad partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Nexus at the University of LeedscoreNexus at the University of Leeds has partnered as the UK hub for ClimateLaunchpad, connecting UK entrepreneurs with university research, specialist facilities, and expert talent to help early-stage climate innovations become viable, scalable businesses. The partnership is part of the 2026 programme cycle.
- Priestley Centre for Climate FuturescoreThe Priestley Centre for Climate Futures has partnered as the UK hub for ClimateLaunchpad alongside Nexus at the University of Leeds, providing climate expertise and specialist resources to support early-stage innovators in developing scalable green business solutions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
ClimateLaunchpad competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- New Energy Nexus: Global cleantech accelerator network operating in multiple countries (including the Netherlands) with cohort-based programmes for climate entrepreneurs. Comparable international footprint and accelerator-plus-competition format targeting early-stage climate founders.
- Hult Prize: Annual global social entrepreneurship competition culminating in a high-profile Global Final, often themed around climate and sustainability. Closely comparable format: open entries, regional stages, international Grand Final with cash prizes.
- Elemental Excelerator: US-based non-profit cleantech accelerator funding and scaling startups addressing climate, energy, and water. Comparable mission of catalysing early-stage climate ventures with structured cohort programmes and partner-driven scaling pathways.
- Climate-KIC Accelerator: The accelerator arm of the same Climate-KIC ecosystem that houses ClimateLaunchpad, focused on scaling later-stage climate ventures. Direct structural sibling targeting the same entrepreneur pool with a follow-on funding pathway ClimateLaunchpad currently lacks.
- Imagine H2O: Water-focused accelerator and competition that runs an annual cohort of early-stage water and climate startups. Comparable competition-plus-accelerator model targeting a specific climate vertical with structured cohort selection.
- Hello Tomorrow: Global deep-tech competition and conference with a strong sustainability and climate track. Directly comparable as an international competition framework that culminates in a high-profile Grand Final showcasing science-based startups.
- Greentown Labs: Largest cleantech incubator in North America, hosting and accelerating hardware and software climate startups. Comparable as an established climate-startup hub with corporate partner network, though more focused on physical incubation than competition.
- MassChallenge: Global zero-equity startup accelerator running industry-vertical programmes including cleantech and sustainability. Directly comparable competition-plus-accelerator format with a similar mission of supporting early-stage innovators and a multinational cohort model.
Broad incumbents
- Imagine Cup (Microsoft): Global student technology competition run by Microsoft with annual Grand Finals. Comparable competition-and-Grand-Final framework but broader technology focus rather than exclusively climate and sustainability.
- Shell GameChanger: Corporate accelerator within Shell funding early-stage climate and energy startups. Comparable focus on sourcing and validating early-stage climate innovations, but sits within a much larger energy incumbent rather than as an independent competition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ClimateLaunchpad social profiles
Digital presenceClimateLaunchpad financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ClimateLaunchpad leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ClimateLaunchpad funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ClimateLaunchpad M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ClimateLaunchpad
What does ClimateLaunchpad do?
ClimateLaunchpad operates the world's largest green business ideas competition, running annually through national and regional stages culminating in a Global Grand Final. The programme connects early-stage climate entrepreneurs with university research, specialist facilities, and expert mentorship to help translate climate innovations into viable, scalable businesses across 40+ countries.
Is ClimateLaunchpad a public or private company?
ClimateLaunchpad is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ClimateLaunchpad founded?
ClimateLaunchpad was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ClimateLaunchpad based?
ClimateLaunchpad is headquartered in Delft, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does ClimateLaunchpad make money?
One revenue line is on record: competition Programme Revenue.
Who are ClimateLaunchpad's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are New Energy Nexus, Hult Prize, Elemental Excelerator, Climate-KIC Accelerator, Imagine H2O, Hello Tomorrow, Greentown Labs and MassChallenge. Broad incumbents are Imagine Cup (Microsoft) and Shell GameChanger.
Does ClimateLaunchpad have an API?
No public API is recorded for ClimateLaunchpad.
What industry is ClimateLaunchpad in?
ClimateLaunchpad's product category is Cleantech Accelerator. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAJAH, Environment, Climate & Sustainability Congresses, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 54162 and its SIC code is 8742.