MassCEC Awards $4 Million to Climatetech Companies
BOSTON — Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) announced $4.2 million in funding for 24 clean-energy and climatetech companies and researchers. The funding will support clean energy and climatetech innovators in 15 cities and towns throughout Massachusetts, including Amherst, Boston, Cambridge, Concord, Holyoke, Lowell, Milton, Quincy, Somerville, Spencer, Springfield, Tyngsboro, Woburn, Woods Hole, and Worcester.
The grants are awarded through MassCEC’s AmplifyMass, Catalyst, Diversity in Cleantech – Early Stage (DICES), InnovateMass, and IncubateMass programs. Catalyst, DICES, and InnovateMass programs are additionally supported by MassVentures.
“Massachusetts is the most innovative state in the country — the place where big challenges like climate change are solved with bold ideas and cutting-edge technologies,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “Climatetech businesses are already producing groundbreaking solutions in Massachusetts, but it’s our goal to be the global leader in climate innovation. We’re going to do that by providing entrepreneurs and early-stage companies with the resources they need to stay, scale, and succeed here.”
One Catalyst/DICES awardee is based in Western Mass.: Western New England University (Professor Bart Lipkens) was awarded $75,000 to develop a new type of filter for making medicine that has less of an impact on the environment.
Two InnovateMass awardees are based in Western Mass: Clean Crop Technologies Inc. in Holyoke, awarded $350,000 to demonstrate its system that reduces food waste by removing pathogens from seeds; and florrent Inc. in Amherst, awarded $244,916 to test its bioderived carbon material to create effective backup power systems.
As a complement to the grants and support for technology developers, MassCEC also recently awarded $730,000 from its IncubateMass program to six Massachusetts-based incubators focused on supporting climatetech innovators, including one from Western Mass.: Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield).
