Over 100 people gathered at the University at Albany’s ETEC Center on October 19 for Invest NY: Climate Tech. The event was part of the Invest NY series, sponsored by NYSTAR and NYSERDA and produced by Upstate Capital, designed to highlight innovation in various industries across New York. Upstate Capital connects investors with startups to facilitate access to capital for early-stage companies. NYSTAR, a division of Empire State Development, supports technology and innovation in manufacturing and industry. NYSERDA offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and support to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Thank you to our sponsors and partners who made the event possible, including NYSTAR, NYSERDA and Columbia Technology Ventures.
To start the program, 10 founders innovating in the climate technology space in New York gave quick, three-minute introductions of their companies to a panel of investors.
Following the introductions, guests were invited to stop by and meet the companies that are changing the game in energy efficiency, conservation, storage, and production at the startup expo Companies working in environmental cleanup, upcycling, creative financing, micromobility, product and service solutions focused on the green economy were also present.
The program continued with the first panel, Investors & CEOs: Building Companies Leveraging Capital. This conversation centered around how investors look at the world, form investment theses, make investment decisions and how CEOs raise venture capital in Upstate New York. Participating in this panel was Clayton Besch, Director of ESD’s New York Ventures; John Freer, Operating Partner at Energy Innovation Capital; Louis Schlick, Director of Investments for Clean Energy Ventures; Charlotte Hamilton, CEO and Founder of Conamix and moderated by Timothy Hoffman, Program Director for NYSERDA’s EIR Program at Columbia Technology Ventures.
Next, Dr. William Acker presented the keynote talk on opportunities in the energy storage sector, an overview of the energy storage sector, federal and New York State initiatives impacting the sector, energy storage technologies and key areas of opportunity.
Dr. Acker is a scientist, business leader and entrepreneur in the field of energy. He currently serves as the first Executive Director of NY-BEST, the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium.
After his presentation, he was joined by Dr. Heidi Knoblauch to have an in-depth conversation about local technology and opportunities here in New York. Dr. Knoblauch is the Senior Director of Entrepreneurship Development at Empire State Development.
Click here to see all the photos from Invest NY: Climate Tech.
For more information on annual sponsorship opportunities, please contact Upstate Capital’s President and CEO, Noa Simons at noa@upstatecapital.org.
