What LabStart does

LabStart Innovations, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit deep climate technology venture studio founded in 2020 and headquartered in Oakland, California (EIN 87-1531176). The organization operates a two-phase fellowship program for underrepresented entrepreneurs — primarily women, BIPOC, and non-binary founders, as well as founders from rural and disadvantaged communities — designed to commercialize breakthrough climate technologies sourced from U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories. The Discovery Phase provides $6K plus four months of training to validate technology-market fit, and the Launch Phase provides $100K-$125K in milestone-based funding over twelve months of intensive support. Formal partnerships with nine DOE National Laboratories (NREL, Sandia, Oak Ridge, PNNL, Argonne, Idaho, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos) give fellows access to roughly 25,000 energy-related patents identified as ripe for commercialization, along with licensing support and ongoing technical validation.

The organization's core "product" is the fellowship itself, structured around a proprietary Lab-to-Market Bridge methodology and a FRACTAL-developed curriculum covering technology evaluation, IP fundamentals, and company building. LabStart deploys capital into fellows ($1.2M deployed to date), has raised $6.5M cumulatively since inception, and reports $9.85M in catalyzed follow-on funding raised by portfolio companies. Notable outcomes include Mars Materials (carbon fiber from CO2, licensed from NREL) accepted into Greentown Labs and Breakthrough Energy; Hamilton Perkins Collection (mixed-waste plastic recycling); UnBOXED (3D-printed affordable housing); Lukera Energy (methane-to-methanol); and Eco Mercantile (AI-powered e-waste sensing). The team of 14 is led by CEO Deepa Lounsbury and President John Meissner, with a board that includes representatives from DCVC, Breakthrough Energy, and partner labs.

The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: revenue consists of government grants (notably a 2023 MBDA Capital Readiness Program award and the DOE OTT EPIC Prize Grand Prize of $500,000), corporate and foundation sponsorships (HPE Foundation, Salesforce, Autodesk Foundation, Better Ventures, Skyline Foundation, Woka Foundation, among others), and individual donations. LabStart charges fellows nothing; instead, it distributes $6K to $125K per fellow. The stated three-year targets are 50+ startups led by underrepresented founders, 100 startups in total, $100M+ in follow-on funding, and 25+ gigatons-per-year of demonstrated carbon savings.

Name

LabStart

Legal name

LabStart Innovations, Inc.

Website

https://labstart.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LabStart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit climate tech venture studio running a two-phase fellowship that matches underrepresented entrepreneurs with breakthrough technologies from nine DOE National Laboratories to launch climate startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Technology Venture Studio / Deep-Tech Fellowship Programs

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Climate technology venture studio
• Entrepreneur fellowship program
• Technology commercialization services
• Lab-to-market facilitation
• Nonprofit accelerator programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor/Philanthropic Funding: LabStart operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funding from philanthropic donors, foundations, and government grants to support fellowship programs. They deploy capital into emerging climate tech founders through their fellowship structure. Revenue comes from donations and grants rather than equity or service fees.
2. Fellowship Program Sponsorship: Corporate and foundation sponsors fund fellowships directly ($6K per fellow for Discovery Phase, $125K per fellow for Launch Phase, $200K-$750K for general operating support). This represents the primary funding mechanism for the organization.
3. Government Grants: Major government funding including MBDA Capital Readiness Program award and DOE EPIC Prize ($500K). These grants support core operations over multi-year periods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LabStart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit deep climate technology venture studio that runs a two-phase Fellowship Program matching underrepresented entrepreneurs (women, BIPOC, non-binary founders) with breakthrough, federally-validated climate technologies from U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories. The Discovery Phase (4 months) provides $6K plus structured training to validate technology-market fit, while the Launch Phase (12 months) deploys $100K milestone-based funding, intensive capacity building, expert mentorship, peer cohort support, and licensing/IP navigation to build viable climate-tech startups.

Product overview

LabStart is a nonprofit deep climate technology venture studio that operates primarily through its Fellowship Program—a two-phase offering consisting of Discovery Phase (4 months, $6K funding plus training to validate technology-market fit) and Launch Phase (12 months, $100K plus intensive support to build viable companies). The program includes FRACTAL-developed curriculum covering market evaluation, business building, and sustainable scaling. LabStart also provides direct laboratory partnerships with DOE national laboratories (NREL, Sandia, Oak Ridge, PNNL), milestone-based funding, and network access to industry leaders and investors. All offerings are designed to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in commercializing climate technologies from research labs to market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LabStart Fellowship Program A two-phase entrepreneurial fellowship that supports diverse founders (women, BIPOC, non-binary) in commercializing breakthrough climate technologies from U.S. DOE National Laboratories. Combines a 4-month Discovery Phase ($6K + training to validate technology-market fit) and a 12-month Launch Phase ($100K milestone-based funding plus intensive support, mentorship, peer cohort, and licensing/IP guidance) to launch viable climate-tech startups.
• Discovery Phase Fellowship A 4-month initial program phase providing $6K in funding plus structured training to validate technology-market fit for climate-tech innovations sourced from research laboratories. For first-time and non-traditional climate-tech founders.
• Launch Phase Fellowship A 12-month intensive program phase offering $100K milestone-based funding ($125K per fellow for full year-long intensive support), world-class training in climate-tech entrepreneurship and IP fundamentals, expert mentorship, peer cohort support, and connections to industry leaders, investors, and potential partners.
• FRACTAL Curriculum Training curriculum developed and delivered by FRACTAL for climate-tech leaders, covering evaluation of emerging lab technologies, building profitable businesses with positive climate impact, and sustainable company growth and scaling. Used inside both Discovery and Launch Phases of the fellowship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deployed $1.2M into emerging founders; Raised $6.5M since inception; Catalyzed $9.85M in follow-on funding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing LabStart fellows access to validated energy technologies, ongoing technical validation, and technology transfer support. Mars Materials fellow Aaron Fitzgerald received license to manufacture carbon fiber precursors from CO2 through this partnership.
• Sandia National LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing fellows access to validated technologies and technical expertise for commercialization.
• Oak Ridge National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing fellows access to validated technologies and technical expertise for commercialization.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing fellows access to validated technologies and technical expertise for commercialization.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing fellows access to validated technologies. SolidSky fellow Aidan Mickleburgh decarbonizes petrochemical industry with novel catalysts from Berkeley Lab.
• Los Alamos National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing fellows access to validated technologies and technical expertise for commercialization.
• Lawrence Livermore National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing fellows access to validated technologies and technical expertise for commercialization.
• Argonne National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing fellows access to validated technologies and technical expertise for commercialization.
• Idaho National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with DOE National Laboratory providing fellows access to validated technologies and technical expertise for commercialization.
• Greentown LabsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor climate tech hardware accelerator and co-working space. Mars Materials fellow Aaron Fitzgerald was accepted into Greentown Labs, demonstrating pipeline connection between LabStart and top accelerators.
• Breakthrough EnergyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill Gates-led climate investment coalition. Mars Materials accepted into Breakthrough Energy Ventures portfolio.
• PRIME CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate-focused investment organization supporting diverse climate tech founders from LabStart.
• Carbon180coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate NGO that partnered with NREL on the experimental pilot in 2020 that led to LabStart's founding.
• New Energy NexusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean energy incubator network supporting diverse climate tech entrepreneurs.
• ActivatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivate Global runs fellowship programs connecting scientists with industry to commercialize breakthrough science.
• DLA PiperminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal services partner supporting LabStart's fellowship operations and startup formation.
• Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork supporting federal technology transfer connecting LabStart with federal lab resources.
• EPRIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy research institute supporting LabStart's technology validation and commercialization programs.
• University of California BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing access to research and technology transfer. SolidSky's novel catalysts developed from Berkeley Lab technology.
• Port LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakland-based startup hub hosting climate tech happy hour series with LabStart.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Carbon180: Climate NGO that co-created the original NREL pilot that led to LabStart's founding. Direct ecosystem partner and structural peer in channeling carbon-removal and climate R&D into commercial pathways.
• Greentown Labs: Largest climatetech hardware incubator in North America, providing lab space, prototyping resources, and corporate partnerships. Mars Materials and other LabStart alumni have been admitted to Greentown, making it both a downstream accelerator and a model for hardware-focused climatetech support.
• IndieBio (SOSV): Life sciences and climatetech accelerator providing early-stage capital, lab space, and mentorship to science-based startups. Listed as a LabStart financial partner and addresses a similar deep-tech, lab-derived founder audience.
• New Energy Nexus: Global clean energy incubator network supporting diverse founders with capital, accelerators, and talent programs. Overlaps directly with LabStart's mission of broadening access to climate entrepreneurship and is listed as a LabStart partner.
• PRIME Coalition: Climate-focused investment coalition backing underrepresented founders commercializing breakthrough technologies. Listed as a LabStart partner and serves comparable functions for fellow companies seeking catalytic capital.
• Halcyon: Nonprofit climate and social-impact accelerator in Washington, D.C. providing fellowships, mentorship, and capital to impact-driven founders. Strong overlap in nonprofit, fellowship-driven climatetech venture-building model.
• Breakthrough Energy Fellows: Bill Gates-led coalition running fellowship and venture programs to commercialize climate innovations from research labs. Direct overlap in lab-to-market translation for climate technologies and is named as a LabStart partner/fellow destination.
• Elemental Excelerator: Nonprofit accelerator deploying non-dilutive capital and partnerships to climate startups tackling energy, water, and mobility. Comparable model of deploying philanthropic and government capital into early-stage climatetech founders.
• Activate: Fellowship that pairs scientists and engineers with mentors and capital to commercialize breakthrough hard-tech and climate research. Directly comparable venture-builder model that bridges research labs to startups, and is explicitly listed as a LabStart partner.

Regional players

• Evergreen Climate Innovations: Midwest-focused climatetech investor supporting early-stage founders in the region. Listed as a LabStart partner and represents a comparable nonprofit-style climate investment model focused on a specific geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/labstartco

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about LabStart