The Urban Future Lab is proud to present the Urban Future Prize Competition, which identifies and supports top climatetech startups.
Donor Name: Urban Future Lab
State: New York
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 04/27/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Tracks
- The Climate Mitigation Prize seeks startups developing technologies or business models to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat the root causes of climate change.
- The Climate Adaptation Prize is for startups developing solutions that help communities and ecosystems adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The Climate Mitigation Prize focus areas:
- Renewable Energy (solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, tidal/wave, nuclear, hybrid, other)
- Smart Grid and Grid Flexibility
- Energy Distribution and Storage
- Circular Economy
- Transportation and Mobility
- Buildings, Energy Efficiency, and Building Materials
- Climate Finance
- Industrial Decarbonization
- Artificial Intelligence and Compute Infrastructure (AI energy impact, data center + edge)
- Robotics, Automation, and Advanced Materials
The Climate Adaptation Prize focus areas:
- Insurance Innovation
- Risk Modeling and Analysis
- Water Security
- Heat Resistant Material Innovations
- Urban Infrastructure and Resiliency
- Extreme Weather Vulnerability Solutions
- Advanced Warning Solution
- Biodiversity and Natural Ecosystem Resiliency
- Public Health
- Food Security
- Adaptation Financing Solutions
Prizes
This year’s competition offers two $50,000 cash prizes: the Climate Mitigation Prize and the Climate Adaptation Prize. In addition, two runners-up will each receive $10,000.
Requirements
- Applicants should be early-stage, market-ready startups that have raised under $5M, and can clearly articulate the potential sustainability impact of their core product or service.
- Startups do not need to be based in New York, but we look for companies whose solutions will have a meaningful impact on the New York market and who intend to spend significant time here.
- Founders derive the most value from being physically present for industry connections, investor office hours, and events.
For more information, visit Urban Future Lab.
