The Climate Solutions Prize

What The Climate Solutions Prize does

The Climate Solutions Prize (CSP) is a Canadian non-profit climate innovation prize platform and event organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Montreal. It operates annual competitions that award prize funding to early-stage climate technology startups and academic researchers across categories including breakthrough research, climate tech trailblazers, climate startups (commercialized and pre-commercialization), student entrepreneurs, Canadian energy innovation, and carbon removal. Since inception, CSP has awarded over $12 million in prizes, with winners unlocking $111 million+ in follow-on capital, and has engaged 1,436 startups and researchers, 275 international speakers, and participants from 20 countries.

The organization's primary go-to-market is event-driven, anchored by the annual Climate Solutions Prize Festival held at Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal. The 2025 edition attracted 1,500+ participants and 382 applications (234 startup track, 148 breakthrough research track), with the 2026 edition already announced for June 8–9, 2026. CSP has expanded from a Quebec-only program ($300K prize pool in 2023) to a national Canadian platform ($1.75M prize pool in 2025) and has run an international track in Israel since 2022 in partnership with Start-Up Nation Central, KKL-JNF, and JNF Canada. The platform is supported by 50+ partners including major Canadian banks (BMO, TD, National Bank), Hydro-Québec, Deloitte, BDC, Ville de Montréal, Gouvernement du Québec, family foundations, and global climate institutions such as Breakthrough Energy and XPRIZE Foundation.

CSP is funded through charitable donations and corporate sponsorships rather than equity capital or participant fees; applications and festival access are free. The organization has a very small team (1–10 employees) led by Co-founder and CEO Galith Levy and Executive Chair Jeff Hart. There is no proprietary technology product—the platform's value is in ecosystem curation, jurying, prize administration, and event production rather than software.

Name

The Climate Solutions Prize

Legal name

Climate Solutions Prize

Website

https://climatesolutionsprize.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Climate Solutions Prize is a Canadian non-profit that awards funding to climate tech startups and researchers through annual competitions, anchored by the Climate Solutions Prize Festival in Montreal. It serves climate innovators, researchers, investors, and policymakers, funded by corporate sponsors and family foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Innovation Prizes & Competitions

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

Keywords

• Climate innovation prizes
• Climate tech competitions
• Startup acceleration programs
• Clean energy funding
• Research grants

Headquarters

HQ city

North York

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorship: Climate Solutions Prize is a non-profit initiative funded through charitable donations and corporate sponsorships. The organization does not charge participants to apply or attend festivals. Revenue is generated through donations from partners, sponsors, and supporters who believe in accelerating climate solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Climate Solutions Prize runs an annual climate innovation competition platform that awards cash prizes (ranging from $25,000 to $250,000+) across multiple tracks to climate tech startups and academic researchers developing breakthrough solutions. It anchors these competitions with the annual Climate Solutions Prize Festival and Gala in Montreal, providing winners with funding, global visibility, and direct access to investors, industry partners, and policymakers. The platform is free for applicants and is sustained through charitable donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Climate Solutions Prize is a climate innovation competition platform consisting of multiple prize tracks (Climate Tech Trailblazer Prize, Climate Startup Equity Prize, Breakthrough Research Prize, Student Entrepreneur Innovation Prize, Canadian Energy Innovator Prize, Carbon Removal Prize) that awards funding to startups and researchers developing climate technologies. The platform is anchored by the annual Climate Solutions Prize Festival—a two-day event featuring pitch competitions, panels, and networking—and the Climate Solutions Prize Gala, which celebrates winners and honorees. Since 2020, the organization has awarded over $12M in prizes across its various tracks and editions, including Quebec-focused and national Canadian programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Climate Solutions Prize Festival: Annual flagship event bringing together innovators, investors, academics, policymakers, and industry leaders to spotlight and scale breakthrough environmental technologies
• Breakthrough Research Prize
• Climate Tech Trailblazer Prize
• Climate Startup Equity Prize
• Student Entrepreneur Innovation Prize
• Quebec Climate Solutions Festival
• Canadian Energy Innovator Prize
• Carbon Removal Prize

Products and services

• Climate Solutions Prize Competition Platform Annual climate technology competition platform that awards prizes to startups and researchers developing breakthrough climate solutions, connecting innovators with funding, investors, and industry partners. Free to apply with a single application qualifying for multiple prize categories.
• Climate Solutions Prize Festival Annual two-day festival event bringing together climate tech innovators, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to showcase breakthrough technologies, hold pitch competitions, run panels, and award prizes. The 2025 edition attracted 1,500+ participants.
• Breakthrough Research Prize Prize track for not-for-profit researchers and academic institutions developing cutting-edge climate solutions, typically awarded to university-affiliated projects. Awards up to $250,000 (1st place) and $150,000 (2nd place).
• Climate Startup Equity Prize Prize category for early-stage climate tech startups managed in partnership with Cycle Momentum, with separate tracks for pre-commercialization ($150,000) and commercialized companies ($250,000).
• Climate Tech Trailblazer Prize

Quantifiable outcome

• Winners have unlocked $111M+ in follow-on capital from a total of $12M+ in prizes awarded
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• JNF Canada (Jewish National Fund of Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Founding partner powering the Climate Solutions Prize. JNF Canada has been instrumental in establishing and supporting the CSP initiative since its launch in 2020, providing organizational backing and charitable donation infrastructure.
• Cycle MomentumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccelerator and open innovation platform managing the Climate Startup Prize track. Founded by Cycle Capital, Cycle Momentum provides entrepreneurs with training workshops, networking sessions, and mentoring while working with leading companies to stimulate technology acquisition and integration.
• DeloittemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional services firm providing strategic support and expertise to the Climate Solutions Prize ecosystem.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)supportingTechnology or IntegrationCloud computing services partner providing infrastructure support for the Climate Solutions Prize platform.
• Hydro QuébecmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec government-owned electric utility company supporting climate innovation in energy transition.
• Ville de MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Montreal providing municipal support and hosting the annual Climate Solutions Prize Festival at venues including Marché Bonsecours and Grand Quai du Port de Montréal.
• McGill Dobson Centre for EntrepreneurshipsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcGill University's entrepreneurship center supporting climate innovators in the CSP ecosystem.
• Concordia UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal university supporting climate research and innovation through CSP.
• MITACSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian organization funding research and training partnerships, co-sponsoring the Canadian Student Entrepreneur Innovation Prize ($90,000 in 2023).
• Start-Up Nation CentralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsraeli innovation organization that partnered with JNF Canada and KKL-JNF to launch the Climate Solutions Prize in Israel in 2022, helping position Israel as a global hub for ClimateTech innovation.
• KKL-JNF (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsraeli partner committed to establishing a new KKL-JNF climate center promoting practical projects in regional councils dealing with renewable energy, climate leadership, sustainable construction, R&D, and public awareness.
• Peres Center for Peace and InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsraeli partner supporting the Climate Solutions Prize initiative and climate innovation ecosystem development.
• Deep SkymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal-based climate tech investor and co-founder of Hopper. Fred Lalonde serves as co-founder of Deep Sky. Deep Sky powers the Carbon Removal Prize ($25,000) at CSP.
• Breakthrough EnergymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill Gates-backed climate initiative represented by Mario Fernandez, VP and Head of Catalyst at Breakthrough Energy, as a featured speaker and ecosystem partner.
• XPRIZE FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal leader in prize competitions for breakthrough solutions, represented by David Babson, Executive Vice President, Climate & Energy, as featured speaker.
• AtkinsRéalismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and project management firm powering the Canadian Energy Innovator Prize ($100,000) at CSP 2025.
• BloombergNEFsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry research organization providing thought leadership and expertise, represented by Benjamin Kafri, Global Head of Innovation and Key Stakeholders, as featured speaker.
• Esplanade QuébecsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec acceleration platform supporting climate entrepreneurs.
• StartupFestsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian startup festival partnership supporting climate innovation events.
• Montréal InternationalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting Montreal's international positioning and investment attraction, backing the CSP ecosystem.
• Cycle H2O Water FundsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater-focused investment fund represented by Simon Olivier, Head of Cycle H2O Water Fund, as featured speaker at CSP events.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• New Energy Nexus: Global climate startup accelerator network operating in 15+ countries; comparable in supporting early-stage climate founders but delivers accelerator programming and capital rather than pure prize awards.
• EIT Climate-KIC: EU-backed climate innovation knowledge and innovation community running accelerator, education, and program activities; a broader incumbent that operates in the same climate-innovation ecosystem-building category.
• Breakthrough Energy: Bill Gates-backed climate investment and program platform (Catalyst, Fellows, Ventures); both a Climate Solutions Prize partner and a 'broad incumbent' whose Catalyst program provides equity-style catalytic capital to climate startups — a higher-capital alternative to prize funding.

Direct peers

• XPRIZE Foundation: Global incentive-prize platform that awards large purses to teams solving 'Grand Challenges'; XPRIZE is both a current Climate Solutions Prize partner and the most direct functional analog, running comparable multi-track climate/energy prize competitions.
• MIT Solve: MIT-run global challenge platform that awards Solver funding and connects innovators with a member network of corporate, foundation, and government partners; closely comparable GTM (annual challenge cycle, multi-pillar prize tracks, member-driven sponsorship).
• ClimateLaunchpad: Global green-business ideas competition running country-level rounds leading to a world final; directly comparable in serving early-stage climate startups with prize-based acceleration and a free-to-apply competition funnel.
• The Earthshot Prize: Royal Foundation-backed global prize (founded 2020) awarding £1M+ to climate solutions across five 'Earthshots'; the closest peer in terms of scale, climate-only mandate, founder-led governance, and annual high-profile ceremony model.
• Nesta Challenges: UK-based innovation foundation that runs prize-based challenges (including climate/energy) with multi-stakeholder partnerships; analogous model of running themed prize pots backed by a mix of public and private funders.

Regional players

• Clean Energy Prize (University of Michigan / DOE): University-anchored student and early-stage clean energy business plan / pitch competition; a regional peer that demonstrates the same startup-prize template at sub-national scale.

Others

• The Ray (and similar climate-philanthropy organizations): Climate-focused philanthropy that convenes stakeholders and funds demonstration projects; an adjacent peer in the climate-foundation/philanthropy space, with a different programmatic vehicle (highway corridor) but similar funder and convening model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@climatesolutionsprize
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/climate-solutions-prize
• Instagraminstagram.com/climatesolutionsprize

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments10 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Climate Solutions Prize