LOS ANGELES (July 16, 2020) The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter (USGBC-LA) is excited to announce the second cohort of its Net Zero Accelerator (NZA), a major chapter initiative that identifies viable net zero building solutions, positions them for success, and accelerates their market entry throughout the greater Los Angeles region. The 17 member companies have been selected for their strong potential to be game changers in building technologies and materials as well as jobs creation, and with solutions ranging from reducing carbon across emissions-intensive industries to saving buildings from wildfires to providing access to clean power anytime and anywhere.
The first accelerator of its kind to help achieve net zero goals, the USGBC-LA’s cohort addresses:
- Advanced Materials – CO2 Concrete, DryWired, ePAVE, Mi Terro, Rizome, SierraCrete, TBM Designs, U-STUCCO
- Building Systems – Frontline Wildfire Defense, Point Load Power, Rivieh, Teratonix
- Energy Efficiency – Maalka, PowerCalc
- Energy Storage – ONYX
- HVAC Optimization – WeavAir
- Sustainable Landscaping – Robotic Lawn Care Systems
(Full list and descriptions attached at end, or click here.)
The companies will be on display and able to interact with attendees at USGBC-LA’s virtual Municipal Green Building Conference & Expo (MGBCE), Aug. 21-22. To attend, please click here.
The companies will be on display and able to interact with attendees at USGBC-LA’s virtual Municipal Green Building Conference & Expo (MGBCE), Aug. 21-22. To attend, please click here.
“This is an exceptionally compelling group of companies commercializing and scaling diverse solutions that address our shared goals. We're excited to help them overcome market-entry barriers often encountered by new technologies. A big part of achieving this is in how we pair them with green building experts and significant pilot sites throughout our region to increase their momentum and quickly see results, optimally before the new year,” states Colin Mangham, newly appointed Director of the Accelerator.
Mangham has guided the success of dozens of global brands as well as hundreds of entrepreneurs, and has headed marketing for seven early-stage companies, several times as Chief Marketing Officer. He consults internationally on brand positioning and go-to-market for startups and growth-stage ventures, as well as speaks and lectures on social entrepreneurship and bioinspired innovation. He was recently featured on CNN as the Founder of Biomimicry LA, and served as the CMO of Biomimicry 3.8 and the Biomimicry Institute, for which he has helped grow the Global Design Challenge.
The 17 companies were selected from 161 applicants (double that of 2019), reflecting the high quality of submissions, the significant interest in piloting a technology in one of the most progressive net zero regions in the world, and the breadth of partners engaged in the Accelerator. The cohort members hail from the Los Angeles/Orange County regions and Northern California, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Wyoming.
The 2019 cohort's 13 technologies are currently making their way into the marketplace with 30 pilot projects being tracked by USGBC-LA, including Keewi at Kilroy Realty Corp., and Blue Box at CA State University at Dominguez Hills.
Stated Jose Urizar, founder of 2019 cohort member DTE Materials, “The NZA was a great opportunity to be matched with industry and product specific mentors that are keen to the nuances that startups in the built environment experience. The USGBC-LA ecosystem and network were very helpful and welcoming to our team, and we recommend this opportunity to building technology and materials startups in the Southern California region.”
The following expert building owners/operators, industry experts, investors, utilities, and large corporates have committed their engagement to help get the 2020 pilot-ready technologies into buildings: All About Waste, Blue Bear Capital, BuroHappold Engineering, CA State University at Dominguez Hills, the City of Los Angeles, Community Corporation of Santa Monica, Fifth Wall Ventures, Frederick Fisher and Partners, Gensler, HDR, Hudson Pacific Properties, i(x) investments, Integral Group, Kilroy Realty Corporation, the Los Angeles Department of Convention and Tourism Development, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, NRDC, Passive House, Rising Realty, Skanska, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, UCLA, The Westin Bonaventure, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, and Vanir Construction Management, Inc.
The Net Zero Accelerator was conceived by USGBC-LA Executive Director, Ben Stapleton, with a focus on addressing market barriers for increasing the sustainability of buildings throughout the region. He believes the Accelerator is a key component to building a regional innovation hub and sourcing pilot-ready solutions that help the region get to zero carbon, zero energy, zero water, and zero waste, emphasizing promotion and placement of pilots with building partners at the end of the program.
“We're incredibly excited to build upon the success of the 2019 program, expand our innovation ecosystem in the real estate community here in LA, and ultimately help get technology to market that can have positive impacts on the environment around us,” states Stapleton. “Operators of building types of all kinds across the City have raised their hands to provide pilot sites and their expertise to help us get to net zero, with increased focus on resilience, clean construction, and occupant health. Our goal is to work with our advisors to fine tune the technical and business models of these technologies, helping to deliver solutions today in a way that they can scale at an accelerated rate going forward.”
With no equity participation required, the six (6)-month Accelerator runs through December 31st and includes:
High-impact acceleration services with industry experts, focused on results.
Sustained, professional marketing and storytelling through a leading and respected organization to amplify awareness of cohort companies and technologies.
High potential for pilots with partner building sites, with leads and business development opportunities from committed owner-operators.
Peer-to-peer learning, networking, and talent sourcing opportunities.
For more information on the Net Zero Accelerator, contact Colin Mangham at accelerator@usgbc-la.org. For information on USGBC-LA, please contact Ben Stapleton at ben@usgbc-la.org.
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About U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles
USGBC-LA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to creating a prosperous and sustainable future within one generation. Our mission promotes sustainability in LA County's built environment by delivering access to knowledge, resources, recognition and networking. (www.usgbc-la.org)For more information on the Net Zero Accelerator, contact Colin Mangham at accelerator@usgbc-la.org. For information on USGBC-LA, please contact Ben Stapleton.
You can see our most recent demonstration on video: PowerCalc Demo: July 10,2020 And remember, we have a free live / real time demonstration on the first Friday of each month: FREE Demo, Friday, August 7th at 12 pm EST Hope you will join us!
Thank you for your support! Stay well.
